Reviews and reconsiderations

After looking closely at a returned NCEA or Scholarship answer booklet or portfolio, a candidate may want to apply for a review or reconsideration of their results and ask NZQA to recheck or re-mark an externally assessed standard.

What is a review?

In a review all sections of a booklet or portfolio are checked to make sure they have been marked and results correctly recorded and transferred. It does not involve re-marking.

Where a candidate believes there may have been an error in the mechanical processing of a result for an externally assessed standard, they should apply for a review.

There is no charge for this service.

What is a reconsideration?

In a reconsideration, all answers in an answer booklet or portfolio are reassessed using the original assessment schedule; in other words, the answer booklet/portfolio is re-marked. This includes checking mechanical processes, like transferring grades or scores.

Where a candidate believes their externally assessed standard has not been assessed (or 'marked') correctly, they should apply for a reconsideration. There is a charge for this service as follows:

• NCEA reconsiderations cost $20.40 per standard. The fee for Graphics, Design and Visual Communication (DVC) and Technology is $20.40 for each external achievement standard, not per portfolio.

• Scholarship reconsiderations cost $30.70 per subject.

Where the reconsideration leads to a change of final grade the fee is refunded.

When can a candidate apply for a review or reconsideration?

• NCEA review and reconsideration application forms are available from the candidate's Learner Login from 25 January. Applications for 2011 NCEA reviews and reconsideration close on 17 February 2012.

• Scholarship review and reconsideration application forms are available from the candidate's Learner Login from 20 February. Applications for 2011 Scholarship reviews and reconsiderations close on 16 March 2012.

How to apply and what to include:

1. Download and print the personalised 'Request Review' or 'Request Reconsideration' application form from the Learner Login. Note that an application for a reconsideration received on a review application form will not be processed.
2. Read the instructions on the form and complete the relevant sections. The form must be signed by the candidate.
3. Include all booklets, portfolios or folders for which a review or reconsideration is being requested. Where the application is for Graphics, Design and Visual Communication (DVC) or Level 3 or Scholarship Technology standards, the original assessment schedule must be included. Note: for externally assessed achievement standards, answer booklets are returned to students. For Design and Visual Communication, Graphics and Technology, all portfolios and folders are returned to schools.
4. Send the application form, relevant answer booklets/portfolios/folders and any payment to NZQA by the due date specified on the form. If it is not received by NZQA by this date, the application will not be processed.

Visual Arts Reconsiderations

Levels 1 and 2

The reconsideration process for Levels 1 and 2 Visual Arts is managed by the school who wishes to appeal the verification process. Any candidate wishing to have their portfolio reassessed should contact their school.

Level 3 and Scholarship

Information and application forms for candidates who wish to apply for a reconsideration for Level 3 and/or Scholarship Visual Arts subjects are available on the Visual Arts reconsiderations page.

Level 1 Maths Common Assessment Task reconsideration process

Candidates whose MCAT answer booklets were sent by their school for verification may apply for a reconsideration using the MCAT reconsideration form (PDF, 147KB). Before using this form, candidates need to consult their school.

Candidates whose work was not sent to NZQA for verification should consult their school if they wish to request a re-mark of their MCAT answer booklet.

Students must not have altered or added to their answer booklets or portfolios in any way. Answer booklets or portfolios that contain correcting fluid or pencil will not be eligible for review or reconsideration. They may be investigated as a breach of examination rules and some or all of their results may be cancelled.

How long does it take?

A review or reconsideration may take up to four weeks to process. If the outcome of the application might affect University Entrance, please let your chosen university know it may take four weeks for any updated results to become available.

For further information relating to reviews and reconsiderations, see Assessment and Examination Rules for Schools With Consent to Assess 2012.

Judgement statements

To help students understand how their grades were arrived at, the judgement statements used by markers are made available on this website. Judgement statements for Level 3 standards contain a summary of what is required to reach each grade in the standard. For Levels 1 and 2 they provide a range of scores for each grade for each standard. To view the judgement statement for a standard, see Judgement Statements.

Assessment reports and schedules

Assessment reports contain summary comments from markers to candidates, assessors and other interested parties. The purpose is to give an overview of achievement and provide guidance to enable more candidates to achieve. Assessment schedules give examples of expected responses; they are sometimes called the 'marking schedule' or 'the answers'. To view assessment reports and schedules, see NCEA subject resources.