For parents, Otago HSFY 2027
HSFY next year?Know what comes next.
Understand the year, what is worth preparing over summer, and how to support your child without taking over.
Free HSFY parent guide
The HSFY Parent Guide 2027, 29 pages by Otago med and dent students, plus the 41-page student guide to pass on to your child. Short on time? Start with the one-page summary on page 28.
Independently operated, with no University of Otago affiliation or endorsement.
Who builds this
Built by students who have been through HSFY.
Cutline is built by Otago medicine and dentistry students who have taken these papers.
Cutline Summer is run by Edwin, Cutline’s founder and an Otago medical student, with med students working alongside him over the summer break to answer questions and run the live sessions.
Cutline is independently operated and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Otago.
HSFY students helped in 2026
The practice app HSFY students use through the year.
One student’s semester
Shaun, HSFY 2026
Shaun at his school graduation, before starting HSFY.
“I did the Cutline worksheet for each lecture the same afternoon, before the ideas went cold. When I got one wrong I read the explanation for every option, not just mine, and let the review page bring it back a few days later.”
Shaun used the HSFY practice app through Semester 1: same-day lecture worksheets, the review page and the mock exams.
This is an experience of the existing HSFY practice app. Cutline Summer 2027 is a new programme and does not yet have student outcomes.
Shared with Shaun’s written permission. Not a promise about grades or admission.
Cutline Summer · November 2026 to February 2027
Build the chemistry, physics and study foundations your child needs before HSFY begins.
Short lessons, worked examples and practice questions, with tutor support when they get stuck. Your child follows a clear learning path at their own pace, moving ahead when they feel confident and spending more time where they need it.
- Chemistry
CHEM191 - Cell and Molecular Biology
CELS191 - Human Body Systems
HUBS191 - Biological Physics
PHSI191
How your child learns
A recommended learning path, with your child controlling the pace.
Two ways to do Cutline Summer
The same platform and the same complete programme. The difference is how much tutor time comes with it.
Cutline Summer
NZ$999total, or $500 now and $499 thirty days later
A clear plan your child can work through independently, with help when they get stuck.
- The complete Summer curriculum, including beginner chemistry and physics routes
- A starting knowledge check and a recommended pathway
- Short lessons, worked examples, practice questions and review
- A weekly live question-and-answer session with the teaching team
- Tutor questions through the platform
- Access from 16 November 2026 to 28 February 2027
Best suited to students who are comfortable following a study plan on their own.
Cutline Summer + Mentoring
NZ$1,499total, or $750 now and $749 thirty days later
The complete programme, plus a mentor who helps your child stay on track and work through their difficulties.
- Everything in Cutline Summer
- A named mentor and a personalised starting plan
- Six small-group sessions during their mentoring block, at most 10 students
- Two individual 15-minute check-ins, near the start and midway
- Before each session, the mentor reviews the questions your child found difficult and works through them together
- An agreed follow-up when a student falls behind
Best suited to students who want regular check-ins, a small group and more personal guidance. 50 places in the first release.
Prices in New Zealand dollars, GST included. The two-payment option pays for the same course; it is not a cancel-anytime membership. Full refund within seven days of purchase, and the first mentoring session is scheduled after that window. Enrolment opens 2 November 2026. Cutline Summer is open enrolment; mentoring uses a short availability and needs form so we can place your child in a group.
How a lesson works on the platform
Try the question the way your child would. You do not need to know the answer.
1. They choose an answer
Water has a molar mass of 18 g/mol. How many moles are in 36 g of water?
2. Every option is explained, not only the right one
Water has a molar mass of 18 g/mol. How many moles are in 36 g of water?
The aim is not just to tell students whether they were right. It is to help them understand what they missed and what to work on next. A second question on the same idea follows, so the mistake gets used straight away.
A sample question from the chemistry foundations, in the app’s own layout. The Summer lessons themselves are still being built.
What we know so far, and what we don’t yet
What will my child actually do?
Log in to the platform and work through short lessons at their own pace: a foundation lesson, a guided example, then practice questions with every option explained. Tutors are there when they get stuck.
What will the programme cover?
Foundation knowledge and practice for CHEM191, CELS191, HUBS191 and PHSI191. It is preparation for first-semester learning, not a replacement for university teaching or a complete HSFY syllabus.
What about gaps in school science?
Students do not all arrive with the same science background. Beginner routes revisit earlier chemistry or physics concepts before the more demanding material, and they are included in both plans.
Key dates
Enrolment opens 2 November 2026. Platform access opens 16 November 2026 and ends 28 February 2027. Students start whenever their school exams finish and set their own pace. There are no weekly quotas.
The live Q&A day is announced at enrolment. Cutline membership for the university year is separate from Summer access.
Taking the guide is free and does not commit your family to buying. Join the Summer waitlist below and you will hear from us on 2 November.
Support their progress without taking over.
Agree together on what kind of support would be useful. Your child may choose to share the topics they are finding difficult, or talk through their study plan with you. One question that works: “What felt clearer this week, and what are you still finding difficult?”
We can answer general questions about Cutline at any time. We only discuss an individual student’s account or progress with appropriate authorisation.
Questions parents ask
Does my child need paid preparation to succeed?
No. Paid preparation is optional. Cutline is one way to get structured teaching, practice and support before first year. Consider your child’s needs and the other preparation resources available, including the university’s own advice.
Does my child need to have chosen Otago already?
You are welcome to take the parent guide and hear when Cutline Summer opens while your family is still deciding. Cutline Summer is being developed specifically for Otago HSFY, so review the final programme details before deciding whether it suits your child’s plans.
Does my child need mentoring?
Both options include the complete programme and access to help. Mentoring adds scheduled small-group sessions and individual check-ins. Choose it if your child would find that structure useful. Missing school physics or chemistry does not mean they need it: the beginner routes are in both.
What does the price include?
Everything listed under the plan you choose, from 16 November 2026 to 28 February 2027, paid once or in two payments thirty days apart. Full refund within seven days of purchase. Cutline membership for the university year is separate.
What if our plans change?
Signing up for the guide does not enrol your child or require payment, and you can unsubscribe at any time. If you enrol in Cutline Summer, there is a full refund within seven days of purchase. After that the course is paid for, including any second payment.
Is Cutline part of the University of Otago?
No. Cutline is independently operated and is not affiliated with, employed by, or endorsed by the University of Otago.
Free parent guide + the Summer waitlist
Know what to prepare over summer, and what can wait.
Get the HSFY Parent Guide 2027 and the student guide today, and be on the waitlist when Cutline Summer enrolment opens on 2 November.
- Free to join
- A few emails, not a newsletter
- Does not enrol your child or reserve a place
Send me the guides
Confirm your email and the guides arrive in your language.
Cutline is independently operated, with no University of Otago affiliation or endorsement. We do not guarantee grades, admissions, exam outcomes, or any specific result.