S2009/009 - 27 March 2009

Update: Assessment Specifications for the External Assessment of Levels 1, 2 and 3 Achievement Standards and Scholarship for 2009

Assessment specifications explain the assessment parameters for each externally assessed standard. They include information such as the format of the paper, the equipment students can bring and use, and the context for questions where appropriate. They should be read alongside the applicable standards.

There are also assessment specifications for the non examination-based externally assessed standards in Graphics, Technology and Visual Arts.

Please check these sources of information to prepare for externally assessed standards:

• registered versions of all achievement standards and Scholarship performance standards
• the Assessment and Certification Rules and Procedures for Secondary Schools
• sample papers for externally assessed achievement standards
• previous examination papers and the relevant assessment reports
• the examination timetable.

Scholarship

Assessment specifications for Scholarship are on the NZQA website.

If you have difficulty downloading any resources from the website, hard copies are available from NZQA Customer Resource Services: telephone 04 463 3089 or fax 04 382 6897.

Updated assessment specifications

The 2009 external assessment specifications in some subject areas have changed to provide further clarification and interpretation. Teachers should not need to alter their teaching programmes as a result of this update.

Those subjects with changed assessment specifications for 2009 are listed below. The updated specifications are now available on the NZQA website.

Enquiries

Circulars are available from the Qualifications authority website (www.nzqa.govt.nz/publications/circulars).

A PDF copy of this Circular is available for download.

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Previous circulars

• 008 - 13 March 2009 - Draft Guidelines for Further Assessment Opportunities
• 007 - 13 February 2009 - Survey of Teachers - NCEA External Assessments 2008
• 006 - 30 January 2009 - Feedback on the 2009 Top Art Touring Schedule
• 005 - 30 January 2009 - Key Dates for National Secondary School Qualifications 2009
• 004 - 30 January 2009 - School Information Collection 2009
• 003 - 30 January 2009 - Circular Distribution: Proposal to discontinue hard copy distribution
• 002 - 16 January 2009 - 2008 National Qualifications Framework Results Release
• 001 - 9 January 2009 - 2009 Examination Timetable

archive of previous circulars