Overview of derived grade process

The application form and school cover sheet (DOC, 329KB)for a derived grade is to be given to a candidate who has been clearly disadvantaged through illness or misadventure, or who considers that their performance in an external assessment has been seriously impaired because of exceptional circumstances beyond their control. This includes a natural disaster, the death of a family member or close acquaintance, and national representative duties which have prevented them from sitting examinations or otherwise presenting materials for external assessment.

Overview of Process

Refer to guidelines and scenarios and decide whether the candidate's situation appears to meet New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) guidelines. If you are uncertain, consult your School Relationship Manager (SRM).
Distribute information and application forms to likely applicants.
Collect completed applications from the candidate.
Confirm that the documented evidence meets NZQA guidelines. Contact your SRM if you are in doubt. For national representation forward a copy of the letter from the national body to your SRM for approval.
Gather valid, standard-specific evidence of achievement from your teachers' markbooks for each standard applied for derived from assessment prior to the NZQA managed external examination. No application can be processed in the absence of evidence, or where the evidence may not be authentic.
Make an online application.
File all evidence from all applications (including any you may not have forwarded because they did not meet the NZQA guidelines).
Anticipate a request from NZQA for documentation in support of some applications.
Prepare for a possible systems audit in term 1, including:
1. all evidence from all applications which you did not forward to NZQA for processing
2. evidence of quality assurance processes applied to practice assessments such as mock exams and end-of-topic tests.

Advice to candidates

At the pre-examination briefing with candidates, please emphasise the following:

Derived Grade applications must be made through the Principal's Nominee.
Candidates should contact the Principal's Nominee as soon as possible if an application is likely.
Candidates must collect or download an application form before consulting a medical practitioner. Applications cannot be processed without the correct documentation and a medical certificate may not be sufficient as it may not cover all requirements.
Derived Grade application forms must be returned to the Principal's Nominee by Monday, 5 December 2011.
The school may decline to forward to NZQA any application which does not meet NZQA guidelines.
NZQA will decline applications which do not meet its guidelines.
An application cannot be made for any standard for which there is no pre-existing standard-specific evidence held by the school.
A review of the decision to decline any application is possible.

Approving applications

To assist Principal's Nominees in processing applications, a list of scenarios in which a candidate's application should be investigated further or not forwarded to NZQA for processing is available.

When the school is satisfied an application meets NZQA guidelines (e.g. illness on the day of the examination), the application should be processed. Its associated documentation must be retained by the school for one year. This material may be checked by a SRM as part of an audit of the school's Derived Grade processes during the Managing National Assessment or other school visit.

Schools should not process any application which does not meet NZQA guidelines. The school must retain any declined applications, with all their documentation, for one year in case of an appeal by the candidate.

Please contact your SRM if you are unsure about an application, e.g. a long-term impairment such as a head injury which may be exacerbated by the strain of study, or where the decision is difficult.

Processing applications for special cases

For candidates who you know in advance will be applicants for a derived grade because they will be absent from the examination (e.g., New Zealand representative duties, illness requiring hospitalisation, scheduled operation, attending the funeral of a close relative) you may process an application before their examination session/s.

If an event occurs that is likely to lead to applications from a group of candidates (e.g., a local emergency, or group trauma as a result of the sudden death of a student), do not issue the application forms to individual candidates until you have contacted your SRM, as other processes may apply.

Derived Grade Applications for MCAT AS91027

A candidate can apply for a Derived Grade for the MCAT if:

the school holds a grade derived from standard specific evidence gathered prior to the period of the MCAT (20-22 Sept.)

for a legitimate reason the candidate was impaired during, or absent from, the scheduled exam session

for a legitimate reason the candidate was impaired during, or absent from, any alternative opportunity arranged during 20-22 September, or, there was no alternative opportunity provided or available during this period.