To get into university today, students need both NCEA level 3 and University Entrance.

More than 20 per cent of students who applied but failed last year to enter university have managed to fight their way back in or have enrolled in a university bridging programme to get up to speed.

Nine hundred school leavers who applied to go to university failed their University Entrance [UE] requirement last year. That was believed to be primarily due to more stringent rules set by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, which included needing 14 credits in three approved subjects instead of two.

Chris Whelan, executive director of Universities New Zealand, now hoped parents and students would plan better ahead of their final year at school.

Mr Whelan said with a bit more planning there should be no reason why the dramatic result cannot be turned around.

Other industry experts agree, and the Secondary Principals' Association of New Zealand [Spanz] believed students needed to take more responsibility in knowing what was required of them.

Mr Whelan said although there was no direct evidence as to why so many students failed to gain UE last year, the new three-subject requirement was likely at fault.

"To get into university today, students need both NCEA level 3 and University Entrance. [Students need to be] studying sufficient literacy and numeracy credits."

He also urged students to build in some "wiggle room" with their credits in case of an unexpected failure.

Most importantly, students needed be sure the subjects they were studying were on the "approved" subject list for UE.

"Schools offer a wide range of NCEA subject options but not all of them are approved," Mr Whelan said.

He was encouraged that of the 900 who had failed to get in to university, 16 per cent had gone on to get their UE through catch-up credits or resubmissions to NCEA.

A further 6 per cent were doing bridging programmes at university while a small number had gained special admission.

Spanz president Sandy Pasley, who sat on the original UE review group in 2010, said schools had been made well aware of the new requirements, and it simply came down to student preparedness.

She said it was likely that some students didn't take much notice until it was too late.

"Schools knew that it was coming up for a few years ... and I would suspect most schools made sure students knew about it."

Mrs Pasley said it appeared students had been sprung by the new policy of needing 14 credits in three approved subjects.

It was now harder to get into university - which was the goal of the review - so that universities felt more confident that those entering could cope with the academic work.

Mrs Pasley hoped the "ripple down effect" from last year would improve UE results for this year.

But Lorraine Kerr, president of the New Zealand School Trustees Association, said the 900 who missed out were only a small proportion of the country's approximate total number of 750,000 students.

"Equally what that tells us we should be doing is better supporting those ones who aren't [getting over the line] ... to ensure all our kids reach their potential."

How to pass UE

• Ensure you're studying sufficient literacy and numeracy credits.

• Aim for more than the minimum number of credits.

• Check your subjects are on the "approved" subject list.

• Chat with careers adviser or dean to double check other uni requirements.

• Parents - make sure a plan is in place for your child to succeed