Assessment and Certification Rules and Procedures for Secondary Schools - 2008
1 Definitions
In these Rules and Procedures, unless the context otherwise requires:
"Accreditation" means the status awarded when an organisation has shown it is capable of delivering an approved course or assessing against standards on the National Qualifications Framework.
"Assessment" means collecting and evaluating evidence to establish the level of an individual's performance, whether carried out by external methods, internal methods, or a combination of external and internal methods or any other approved method.
"The New Zealand Qualifications Authority" means the New Zealand Qualifications Authority established under section 248 of the Education Act 1989.
"Candidate" means a learner entering for standards on the National Qualifications Framework and New Zealand Scholarship.
"Certification" means the documentary evidence (including a diploma, certificate, or other documented recognition of attainment) that a qualification has been awarded.
"The Chairperson" means the Chairperson of The New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
"The Chief Executive" means the Chief Executive Officer of The New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
"A Credit" or "Credits" means a numerical value assigned to a standard on the National Qualifications Framework or a qualification on The Register that represents the estimated time needed for a typical learner to demonstrate that all specified outcomes have been met.
"Exclusions List" means the list maintained and published by The New Zealand Qualifications Authority of unit standards and achievement standards that have been identified as having the same learning outcomes, with the consequence that if a candidate enters for both standards, only one standard will count for the purposes of contributing credits to an NCEA qualification.
"Externally assessed performance-based" means an achievement or scholarship standard that involves the submission of materials (other than a written examination paper) to an external assessor.
"Result Notice" means the official document sent to learners advising them of the provisional outcomes of assessments entered in a specific year. Listed outcomes may be subject to correction, appeal and review processes. Finalised outcomes will be added to the Record of Achievement.
"Managing National Assessment" means the processes or systems whereby a school is able to achieve valid, fair, accurate and consistent internal assessment to the national standard.
"The Minister" means the Minister of Education.
"Moderation" means the process used for assuring the consistency of assessment with the required standard across a number of assessors or assessing organisations.
"National Qualifications Framework" means collectively, all nationally registered qualifications, unit standards and achievement standards, together with the relationships among these.
"Principal's Nominee" means a staff member(s) nominated by the principal of a school, who carries out duties and responsibilities on behalf of the school, and liaises with The New Zealand Qualifications Authority for the purpose of the administration of these Rules and Procedures.
"A Qualification" means the requirements for certification established by a recognised standards-setting body or an education provider. For the purposes of these Rules and Procedures a qualification is any of the National Certificates of Educational Achievement, and any other NQF qualification and "Qualifications" means all of them.
"Record of Achievement" means an individual learner's transcript of standards credited and national qualifications completed, provided by NZQA from a national database .
"Scholarship" means the Scholarship award and the external assessments associated with that award.
"School" means a registered secondary or composite school classified by the Ministry of Education to provide secondary education that is accredited to deliver assessments for NQF qualifications.
"Standard" means defined learning outcomes, together with performance or assessment criteria, examples of their interpretation and application and associated quality assurance processes. For the purposes of these Rules and Procedures a standard is either a unit standard or an achievement standard, or both, or a New Zealand Scholarship standard.
"The Register" means the New Zealand Register of Quality Assured Qualifications (commonly known as The Register); a list of all quality assured qualifications in New Zealand . The Register has ten levels and comprises qualifications that are registered in accordance with an agreed set of title definitions.
"University Entrance" means the common educational standard established, after consultation with the universities and the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors' Committee, and maintained by The New Zealand Qualifications Authority under section 257 of the Education Act 1989) as a prerequisite for entrance to university for people who have not attained the age of 20 years.
Last updated: 01 February 2008