Wellington College is seen to be housing the brightest young Kiwi students for the school year.

Preliminary results show Wellington College has gained the most number of NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement) scholarships - 126 to be exact - since the exams began.

Speaking to Dominion Post, headmaster Roger Moses said the institution takes the NCEA exams 'very seriously' and their students work very hard to do well in it.

"I think it's special because we're a Wellington school, which is really important when so often it's the Auckland schools that seem to dominate.

"We're a boys' school at a time when girls' schools are dominating in the [academic] statistics, and we're a state school - we take all-comers."

The Qualifications Authority has yet to publish the national results for this year, but Dominion Post reported, it is unlikely that another school has done better than the kids at Wellington College. Announcements are expected late this month.

The 2011 record was grabbed by St Cuthbert's College in Auckland, with 120 scholarship awards.

Mr. Moses said the NCEA scholarship exams were a great motivator for pupils. Top scholars are awarded between $2,000 and $10,000 each year for three years of study.