What's new

Changes to moderation finalised
NZQA has finalised details for the introduction of random sampling of internally assessed student work for external moderation. This will replace the current self-selection of samples by schools. More ...

Endorsed NCEA Certificates delivered
Nearly 110,000 NCEA certificates have now been delivered to students gaining the qualification at one of the three levels last year. More ...

Top Art tours the country
Visual art from New Zealand's top secondary school art students features in a touring exhibition, taking in around 30 venues from Kerikeri to Invercargill over the next four months. More ...

Support for Framework Registration Evaluator Liaison Role
Framework Registration Evaluator liaison roles were piloted during 2006/2007 to provide Standard Setting Bodies (SSBs) with a contact person in the Framework Registration (FR) business unit. Feedback was sought on this role in July 2007 via an online survey, and a review was undertaken based on the responses to this survey. The report detailing this review was made available to SSBs in March 2008. More ...

An analysis of student performance in NCEA, 2005-07
NZQA has released its high-level analysis of student performance in the 2007 NCEA exams. The analysis examined the performance of the 2007 Year 13 cohort over their three years of senior schooling, as well as the performance of each year group in 2005, 2006, and 2007. More ...

New discussion forum launched
Evaluate is a discussion forum about the new approach to quality assurance being introduced as part of the changes currently underway in New Zealand's tertiary education sector. The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has been charged to work with the tertiary sector to achieve a high trust, high accountability quality assurance culture focusing on outcomes which meet the needs of learners and the wider community. More ...

Statistics reflect ongoing improvement in achievement
National statistics for the 2007 NCEA are now available online, after being launched at a NZQA Board stakeholder function in Auckland last night. The statistics and support material to assist in understanding the data is online. More ...

New NCEA resources
New resource material for Geography and History has been made available online. More ...

NQF credit registration fee simplified
NZQA has begun consulting the tertiary education sector on a proposed new way of funding National Qualifications Framework (NQF) credit registration. More ...

New Monitoring Process: Comparison of internal and external assessment data for NCEA
This work is part of a suite of measures put in place by NZQA as part of its key responsibility to continually improve its understanding of school-based assessment. The comprehensive package includes the appointment of 33 fulltime moderators, reporting Not Achieved results for internal assessment, the random sampling of internally assessed work, and the comparison of results for internal and external assessment data for NCEA. More ...

Revised Qualification and Unit Standard Templates
NZQA has published revised Unit Standard and Qualification templates. More ...

NCEA PN's Roadshow
The annual 'Roadshow' presentations for Principal's Nominees were held in February and early March. The Presentations used are now available. More ...

Annual Fee Return Form Due
The Annual Fee Return Form is now due from non-government funded providers. The February edition of eQuate has details of who is required to file a return. Further information is available on the annual fee and annual fee questions and answers pages.

NZQA notifies Scholarship's top achievers
Results have been posted to more than 8000 students who sat the 2007 Scholarship examinations. Letters were also sent to the country's top scholars - the 'best of the best' - who will receive a monetary award, ranging from a one-off $500 payment to $10,000 over three years. More ...

Experts endorse approach
An independent expert advisory group, chaired by Professor Gary Hawke of Victoria University , says the new approach to quality assurance is in line with good international practice experience while being sufficiently flexible to reflect the diverse needs of New Zealanders. More ...

Scholarship Results available from today
The wait is nearly over for more than 8000 students who entered 2007 Scholarship examinations, with results available online from today (Monday 18). Candidates can access their results via a secure login page on the NZQA website. Scholarship results notices have also been mailed to candidates and will be delivered over the next few days. More ...

NCEA Exemplars published
NZQA has published an additional 50 exemplars, covering a range of standards. An exemplar is an actual student answer script, with annotations from the marker indicating why the script was assessed in the way it was. The exemplars are intended as study aids to help teachers and students understand just what is required in order to achieve a standard. More ...

NCEA content refreshed and re-organised
The entire NCEA area of the website has been re-organised. The re-design has streamlined access to content by organising it according to audience groups. Thus, content aimed at students is grouped together, even when it may the same as that aimed parents. A simplified approach to explaining what NCEA is all about, as well as extended help in searching for exam-related documents, has also be provided. More ...

Changes to the reporting of NCEA results
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has finalised details on the reporting of Not Achieved (N) results for NCEA internal assessment carried out by schools. More ...

NCEA results available tomorrow
The wait is almost over for the 139,000 secondary school candidates who sat National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) examinations in 2007, with the results expected to be delivered to the majority of candidates tomorrow (17 January). More ...

NCEA examination results available soon
Examination results will be available from the end of next week for the 139,000 candidates who sat NCEA examinations in November and December. NCEA candidates will receive their national qualifications results notices between 17 and 25 January. Scholarship results are due to be released in February. More ...

2007 Exam marking draws to a close
Marking of the 1.9 million NCEA examination papers is more than 95% complete, and will finish by Christmas, as scheduled. Results are now being verified and collated and are expected to be available to students in the last week of January. Examination booklets will be sent back to the candidates in the second half of January. More ...

Briefing for the Incoming Minister, 2007
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) is the crown entity responsible for the administration of educational assessment systems and standard setting processes. We deliver a range of legislated services including quality assurance in education and training provision, qualifications development and assessment, and the recognition of qualifications internationally. This document presents background information on NZQA and on our current issues and priorities. More ...

Assessment Practices of Level 3 NCEA Teachers (2004-2006)
This longitudinal study investigates how teachers' assessment practices have changed with the implementation of the Level 3 National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) qualification. It focuses on how teachers' assessment practices changed with the transition from Bursary to Level 3 standards, and it explores how assessment practices evolved over the first three years of Level 3 NCEA. More ...

New Board members
Scott Davidson, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Dean, School of Law, University of Canterbury, and Samantha Lundon, Curriculum Advisor for the Ideal Success Academy and chair of Aotearoa Māori providers of Training, Education and Employment (AMPTEE), have joined the NZQA Board. More ...

Annual Report published
The NZQA Annual Report was tabled in Parliament recently. It reports on the results for the 2006-07 year, with plans for that year outlined in NZQA's 2006-09 Statement of Intent. More ...

Updated Register of Quality Assured Qualifications published
The Register provides a comprehensive list of all quality assured qualifications in New Zealand and enhances New Zealand's capacity to benchmark qualifications internationally. More ...

2007 examination round due to start
Nearly 140,000 secondary school students will be sitting NCEA and scholarship examinations this year. The exams start on Monday 19 November and finish on Wednesday 5 December. More ...

Managing National Assessment reports go online
Parents now have easier access to information on school performance with Managing National Assessment (MNA) reports available on the New Zealand Qualifications Authority website. NZQA produces the reports for every secondary school in New Zealand. The reports assess how well schools are managing their internal assessment processes and are completed at least every three years. More ...

Helping students prepare for exams
NZQA has a lot of material useful for study. We have put a whole lot of Links together in one place which will take you a wealth of information, documents, tips and hints. More ...

Invitation to attend consultation hui
As part of NZQA's Māori Strategy - Te Rautaki Māori me te Mahere Whakatinana a te Mana Tohu Mātauranga o Aotearoa key actions 10 and 12 NZQA will create two new Māori Reference Groups - the Kaitiaki Group and the Māori Partnership Forum. Seven consultation hui will be held nationwide to seek feedback on the draft Terms of Reference for both of these groups. More ...

New brochures with advice for students
No matter if you're staying at school or leaving school, you need to be thinking about how NCEA can help you on your way to your future. NZQA and Career Services have put together two new brochures to help you prepare for the next stages of your life. More ...

Māori Performing Arts
These resources have been designed to assist teachers and tutors in assessing students against the relevant Māori Performing Arts unit standards registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). They have been written to give practical assistance in assessment against the unit standards. Teachers or tutors using these resources will find ready-to-use assessment guide exemplars. More ...

Reviewed NZDipBus Prescriptions
Updated prescriptions in Management, Marketing and Computing have been published. More ...

QA News # 57
Certificate endorsement already motivating, NZQA reviews direction, goals, Views sought on Māori education, NZQA Māori reference groups, Ka Hikitia - Managing for Success, Te Wānanga o Raukawa Audit breaks new ground, Meeting customer needs on-line, Assessment study among NZQA research projects, Tertiary reforms: evaluating what matters most. More ...

Call goes out for internal assessment moderators
NZQA is seeking 31 full-time and four part-time moderators to be employed as part of plans to increase moderation of internal assessment for NCEA from 3 percent of student work to 10 percent. More ...

Breaches of Examination Rules
Detailed data on breaches of examination rules in 2006 was released on 10 August 2007 by NZQA, under the Official Information Act. More ...

Sample Exam Papers for Mathematics
Sample Exam papers and Assessment Schedules have been produced for the two new Level 1 standards. More ...

New NCEA brochure for parents
The latest Guide for parents dealing with secondary school qualifications has been published. It was mailed directly to homes, but is also available for download from this site. More ...

Glossary For Translated NCEA External Examinations
The glossary was created to assist in the translation of Levels 1 - 3 NCEA external examinations. It contains a selection of technical and scientific words for use by students, teachers and translators. More ...

New NCEA brochure
The latest Guide for students dealing with secondary school qualifications has been published. It is distributed through secondary schools as well as being available for download from this site. More ...

Refreshed content for Approvals, accreditation, registration and audit
The area of the website related to quality assurance activities for tertiary education organisations, ie. registration, audit, course appoval and NQF applications, has been updated. More ...

Details of NCEA certificate endorsement announced
NZQA has announced details of endorsement of National Certificates in Educational Achievement (NCEA). Students will require 50 credits at Excellence to gain an NCEA endorsed with Excellence, and 50 credits at Merit (or Merit and Excellence), to gain an NCEA endorsed with Merit, NZQA Deputy Chief Executive, Qualifications, Bali Haque said. More ...

Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards
The nation's top tertiary teachers were honoured at an awards ceremony held at Parliament on 12 June, 2007. Many industry stakeholders attended the ceremony along with Minister for Tertiary Education. More ...

Consultation on Guidelines for the Moderation of Standards Based Assessment
NZQA is consulting on the reviewed Good Practice Guidelines for the Moderation of Standards Based Assessment document.

Visual Arts resources
The latest resources for Scholarship Visual Arts are now available on the Qualifications Authority website. More ...

November deadline for reimbursement of domestic student fees following closure of a private training establishment
Last year the Government decided that in certain circumstances it will reimburse the unused fees and associated student loan interest of domestic students following the closure of private training establishments. Students who think they may be eligible for a partial reimbursement are urged to lodge an application as soon as possible. More ...

Top Scholar Presentations
New Zealand Scholarship is designed to extend our best secondary students and enable top scholars to be identified and acknowledged. The aim is to assess a student's ability to synthesise and integrate concepts - to apply higher-level thinking based on in-school and independent learning. The winners of the top awards were presented with their awards by the Governor General at a ceremony at Government House. More ...

Backgrounder

Information for
parents and students:

Ongoing Improvements to NCEA
Over the past two years, the Ministry of Education and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority have been working through the recommendations from a number of 2005 reviews of NCEA. A range of improvements was announced on 29 May, 2007, dealing with the design of NCEA with a focus on motivation, moderation, consistency, credibility, transparency and confidence.

Improvements to NCEA
The Minister of Education Steve Maharey has announced a range of improvements to NCEA. These address issues of student motivation and public confidence. More ...

National External Moderation Manual for Tertiary Education Organisations
The purpose of the National External Moderation Manual for Tertiary Education Organisations 2007 (TEO Manual) is to explain the requirements for, and the process of, national external moderation to all accredited Tertiary Education Organisations (TEOs) that report credits against New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA)-managed standards. More ...

Māori Strategic and Implementation Plan launched
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority has launched Te Rautaki Māori me Te Mahere Whakatinana a Te Mana Tohu Mātauranga o Aotearoa, (2007-2012) - its first Māori Strategic and Implementation Plan. The plan was officially launched in a ceremony at Parliament, hosted by the Hon Parekura Horomia, Minister of Māori Affairs and Associate Minister of Education. More ...

Foundation Learning Quality Assurance Action Plan
We have attached suggested action plan templates for you to download and adapt. Alternatively, you could adapt your own documentation to cover the FLQA requirements. The templates cover each of the six practices. More ...

More Samples of candidate work for Visual Arts 2006
The latest resources for NCEA Visual Arts level 3 are now available on the Qualifications Authority website. Similar resources for Scholarship will be available by the end of June 2007. More ...

Best Of The Best Student Art On Tour
The top art produced by New Zealand's secondary students has taken to the road in a travelling exhibition and is also online.

Breaches of Examination Rules
Statistics on breaches of examination rules for the 2006 exams were released by NZQA today. A total of 336 breaches of the examination rules were investigated in 2006, from a total of 138,260 candidates. For the 2005 exams, there were 208 breaches reported from 134,800 candidates. More ...

Interest free loan for New Zealanders wishing to study overseas
If you are studying, or intend to study, overseas at undergraduate or post-graduate level, you may be eligible for an interest-free student loan. Revised criteria and application form are now available. More ...

Samples of candidate work for Visual Arts 2006
The latest resources for NCEA Visual Arts levels 1 and 2 are now available on the Qualifications Authority website. Similar resources for level 3 and Scholarship will be available by the end of June 2007. More ...

Assessment Reports
Assessment Reports, which contain contain summary comments from markers to candidates, assessors and other interested parties, have been published for both Scholarship and NCEA.

Resources for Information Management teachers
A resource based on 2006 candidate responses to standard 90036 is now available. The resource consists of exemplars of candidate work for each level of achievement, with accompanying Examiner Commentary. More ...

Tertiary Reforms consultation
A new quality assurance system is being developed during 2007 as part of the Tertiary Reforms. NZQA will be seeking on-going input from the sector throughout the stages of development. Phase I of the consultation extends to 25 May and involves seeking responses to a number of relatively broad questions. More ...

Expert Advisory Group
The Terms of Reference for and membership of the Expert Advisory Group are now available. The objective of the EAG is to provide advice on the development and implementation of a robust quality assurance system that supports the tertiary education reforms. More ...

Assessment Specifications available
Assessment Specifications, which explain the assessment parameters for each standard, have been published for both Scholarship and NCEA.

Action research reports
A number of small-scale research projects, encouraging teachers to reflect on their classroom practices and to find ways to successfully incorporate assessment for learning into their classroom activities, have been completed. More ...

Statistics online earlier
National statistics for the 2006 NCEA and Scholarship are now available online, a month earlier than last year. More ...

Secondary school statistics from 2006
Statistics from the 2006 NQF year in secondary schools are available. More ...

Teachers' and candidates' views of NCEA and Scholarship 2006
Survey results of teachers' and candidates' views of the 2006 NCEA and Scholarship assessments and of Principal's Nominees on the procedures surrounding the NCEA. More ...

Random Sampling Pilot By NZQA
NZQA will conduct a pilot study into the use of random sampling in moderation of internal assessment in secondary schools in September. More ...

Candidate Information brochure # 1
This information is important if you are a student, or a parent or caregiver of a student being assessed against National Qualifications Framework (NQF) unit and/or achievement standards, or 2007 New Zealand Scholarship. More ...

Page updated: 15 April 2008