SecQual

Exclusions of assistance for candidates entitled to Special Assessment Conditions
S2011/021 - 17 May 2011

Exclusions of assistance for candidates entitled to Special Assessment Conditions

Candidates with permanent or long-term conditions or learning disabilities which they believe will significantly impair their performance in internal assessment and specified external assessments, in particular written examinations, may apply to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) for an entitlement to Special Assessment Conditions in the current year. This includes candidates with physical disabilities as well as those with specific learning disabilities.

Schools are reminded that special assessment conditions are not approved where:

• the integrity of the assessment may be compromised
• they compromise the assessment objectives of the standard in question
• the special assessment condition will provide unfair advantage over other candidates.

Special Assessment Conditions Exclusion List

The list of standards excluded from Special Assessment Conditions has been updated to include the newly aligned standards at Level 1.

The Special Assessment Conditions Exclusion List provides details of those standards where the student must demonstrate independent control of the outcome being assessed.  In order for assessment of these standards to be valid some Special Assessment Conditions are not appropriate and are not permitted.

Some language standards have only a partial exclusion for a reader.  A reader can be used for these standards but is only permitted to read the English aspects of the examination.  In these standards a reader of the target language is not permitted.

Note that where a reader is excluded, also excluded is technology that will read and communicate text directly to the candidates.

Literacy and Numeracy unit standards

Special assessment conditions for the Level 1 Literacy and Numeracy unit standards have been clarified. 

The Literacy unit standards assess the written and oral English language people use in their everyday life, learning and work, including reading, writing, speaking and listening.  The Numeracy unit standards assess the knowledge and skills needed to apply mathematics to everyday life, learning and work.

Rationale

Reading includes decoding (translating the written symbols of words into the sounds of spoken language) and comprehension (understanding/making sense of what is written).  For this reason, reader assistance or technology that reads text out to a learner removes the need for the learner to decode text.  Therefore, reading is not fully assessed where reader assistance or this type of technology is used.

Reader assistance for standard 26624 Read texts with understanding is not permitted, and conditions have been applied for the use of technology. Refer to the list of standards excluded from Special Assessment Conditions.

Writing involves the creation of texts for a particular purpose and audience, and involves thinking about, recording, and communicating experiences, ideas, and information.  The actual production of the text can be done by manual (e.g. pen/pencil), electronic (e.g. computer, voice activated software) and/or mechanical (e.g. Braille, mechanised assistance) means.  For this reason, it has been decided that if a learner uses voice activated software or writer assistance as a part of their everyday life, learning and/or work, under the special assessment conditions, they would be entitled to this special assessment condition for the assessment of standard 26622 Write to communicate ideas for a purpose and audience. 

It should be noted that the requirements of Speaking standard 26625 Actively participate in spoken interactions (version 2, explanatory note 5) exclude the use of a sign language interpreter for deaf candidates, except where New Zealand Sign Language users are interacting with hearing participants.

No exclusions apply to the other Level 1 Literacy and Numeracy unit standards.  Standards 26622, 26623, 26625, 26626 and 26627 can all be assessed validly under the special assessment conditions, so long as the learner is entitled to those conditions.

Enquiries

Please refer any enquiries relating to this circular to your School Relationship Manager:

School Relationship Manager
School Quality Assurance and Liaison
Telephone: 04 463 3000
Fax: 04 463 3113
Email: firstname.lastname@nzqa.govt.nz