SecQual

Use of te reo Māori in external assessment
S2011/014 - 24 Mar 2011

Use of te reo Maori in external assessment

Students may ask to complete assessment for externally assessed standards in te reo Maori. To ensure that provision can be made for assessment of standards through the medium of te reo Maori, schools are asked to indicate on the form provided which standards need translated examination papers and/or which standards students will answer in te reo Maori. Schools are also reminded there are flags to be set in the data files.

Indications for external standards requiring translation (papers and/or answers)

The indications you provide are used by NZQA to prioritise the development of examination papers and to enable us to monitor entries closely. This will help ensure all candidates receive the translated examination materials they require. Unfortunately, we are unable to use historical data to assist us with this planning as there are no clear trends or patterns. This information is needed before external entries are due.  

We appreciate that some schools and kura consistently require all examination papers for their candidates to be translated. Despite this, we still require provisional translation indications and the flagging of entries in your school’s entry data files if we are to be confident of meeting all requests.

If you are currently unsure whether one or more of your candidates will require a translated paper for a standard, please err on the side of caution and include the standard number or Scholarship subject in your selection.

Please provide the following information on the form:

• NCEA standards and Scholarship subjects for which you are likely to require a translated examination paper for one or more candidates.
• NCEA standards and Scholarship subjects for which your candidates may wish to submit written answers wholly or partially in te reo Maori. (Please note that this does not apply to NCEA levels 1-3 or Scholarship Te Reo Maori or Te Reo Rangatira.) 

A list of subjects for which papers can be translated and for which students can answer in te reo Maori is attached to the form.

The completed form should be sent to NZQA by Wednesday, 1 June 2011.  NZQA staff will make personal contact with Christchurch schools.

Data file flags

All entries for assessment in te reo Maori must be submitted by 1 August 2011 as notified on the Key Dates calendar.

You are asked to enter the two types of te reo Maori entry requirements (flags) into your school’s software system or web entries.

These are:

• te reo Maori paper flag - this identifies candidates who have requested an examination paper in te reo Maori
• te reo Maori answer flag - this identifies candidates who will answer in te reo Maori on the English version of the “flagged” examination.

If candidates from your school/kura expect to receive an examination paper in te reo Maori and will also answer in te reo Maori, both flags must be set.

Please remember to include and update this information on your school software system during the year.

Note:

• For NCEA levels 1, 2 and 3 English examinations and Scholarship English, the titles, instructions and questions will be in English. All answers are to be written in English.
• In the international languages, only listening and reading standards may be answered in te reo Maori. All other answers must be in the target language.
• For NCEA levels 1, 2 and 3 Te Reo Maori and Te Reo Rangatira examinations and Scholarship Te Reo Maori and Scholarship Te Reo Rangatira, the titles, instructions and questions will be in either te reo Maori or English. All answers are to be written in te reo Maori unless otherwise instructed.

Glossaries

Glossaries for translated NCEA external examinations can be found on the Subject Resources page of the website.

Enquiries

Please refer any enquiries relating to this circular to:

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