Info for teaching applicants
Before you begin your teaching journey, there are a few key steps you need to complete. We’re here to help along the way!
The Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand requires you to complete some key steps prior to starting your teaching qualification to ensure that when you graduate, you can apply for provisional certification as a teacher in New Zealand.
We recommend applying early to allow plenty of time to complete the additional requirements.
We are here to help you on your journey. If you have any questions, please email education@auckland.ac.nz or visit your nearest Student Hub.
What's involved?
Start your application
The first step is starting your application. You will need to include documents that provide proof of your academic history; as you fill out your application, we will tell you what documents we need. If you don’t have all your supporting documents yet, you can save your application and come back to it later.
Referees’ report
You will need to ask two referees to submit a character reference about you. Referees must be people who know you well, but they cannot be a family member or friend. Examples of referees include:
- Teachers
- Careers advisers
- Sports coaches
- Members of organisations you belong to
- Youth group leaders
- Church members
After you complete your application to study, you will be instructed to download your referee form, which you can send to your two referees. Your referees will need to send the completed form directly to education@auckland.ac.nz
Literacy and numeracy assessments
To meet the requirements of the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand you will need to complete two short online assessments in literacy and numeracy.
The literacy test (45 minutes) will involve reading an article and answering some multiple-choice questions about the article.
The numeracy test (45 minutes) will involve basic mathematical concepts, such as addition, subtraction, finding equivalent fractions, multiplying decimals, understanding place value, and converting common fractions, decimals and percentages.
The assessments will be done via Zoom and will be supervised. You will need to use a laptop/computer that has a camera. If you do not have access to a camera, you can book an on-campus assessment that will be held once per month. Online Zoom assessment sessions will be run at least twice a week.
The pass mark for the literacy and numeracy tests is 80%.
Steps
- Submit your application and receive a conditional offer letter with a link to book for a literacy and numeracy assessment time.
- Book a literacy and numeracy assessment time. Please allow two hours maximum to complete both tests.
- Take the assessments online via Zoom, using a device that has a camera. Please be on time.
- Have photo identification with you as we will need to confirm your identity before the assessments commences.
Interview
All applicants will be interviewed before acceptance into the Graduate Diploma programme. This is to get to know a bit about you, your ambitions as a future teacher, and the skills or qualities you could bring to teaching. You may be interviewed alongside other applicants and there will be either one or two interviewers (e.g. academic staff, educational specialists, or education sector representatives). The interviews will be held on zoom.
On your interview date, you will fill in a Police Vetting Service Request and Consent Form, in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014. Please remember to bring your two forms of identification.
We have put together some interview tips for Teacher Education programmes to help prepare you for your interview.
Before attending your interview, it is important that you visit a school or early childhood centre (depending on the programme you are applying for). This experience will give you an idea of what teaching is like, and you will be asked about your observations during your interview.
Once you have received a conditional offer, we will send you a link to our upcoming interview dates. You can choose the interview slot that suits you best, but you are advised to choose the earliest date possible.
If you need to request an interview on a specific date, please email us in advance. We recommend that you get in early to avoid rushing the process at the last minute.
Police check
If you have lived in New Zealand for the past ten years, you don’t need to do anything. On your interview date, you will fill out the Police Vetting Service Request & Consent Form and we will follow through this process with New Zealand Police on your behalf. This process can take 3–6 weeks, so it is best to arrange your interview as early as possible.
If you have lived overseas for a period of more than 12 months in the past ten years (not including any time under the age of 16), you will need to arrange a police report from that country. Please organise this as soon as possible to avoid delays in your application process.