How to miss Higher School Certificate

In New Zealand schools, there are three different qualifications given for the 7th Form year. There is the Bursary, given as grades per subject. If your marks total up to enough over 5 subjects, you get an A or B Bursary. Providing you get at least 3 C's in bursary subjects, you are awarded University Enterance, a certificate allowing you into NZ universities. Then there is Higher School Certificate. This is awarded once you complete the 7th form. There may be some clause about having to actually pass some of the subjects taken, it's not important.

Now I gained a B Bursary, automatically gaining University Entrance. I did not however earn Higher School Cert., for the following reason.

I skipped the 4th Form in effect, taking 5th form a year early. This meant that I was technically a 6th former in my final year. Thus I did not get HSC, did not pass go, did not collect $200.

And the moral of this story? Being smart loses you qualifications.

additionally to gaining the 3 C's you must also gain Higher School Certificate to get University Entrance. Though to their benefit, the University of Canterbury ignores that and lets anyone in who has the three C passes

and to gain Higher School Certificate you must complete 5 years at High School, not just completeing 7th form. Which

Also having gained a B bursary and not HSC I know the sadness of missing out on a stupid qualification that becomes pointless if you end up at university