Key dates for secondary assessment

Important dates for schools and assessment

Term 1

29th January (latest 7th February) - 12th April

Kohitātea January

01 Monday

New Year's Day

02 Tuesday

Day after New Year's Day

22 Monday

Wellington Anniversary

29 Monday

Auckland Anniversary

Nelson Anniversary

Earliest day to start Term 1

Huitānguru February

01 Thursday

Special Assessment Conditions (SAC) – Rollover/Change opens for entitled candidates

2024 Assessment (including Exams) Rules for Schools with Consent to Assess published on NZQA website

06 Tuesday

Waitangi Day

07 Wednesday

Last day to start Term 1

21 Wednesday

Deadline for 2023 NCEA external assessment reviews and reconsiderations

Read more about Reviews and reconsiderations

29 Thursday

Provider access to late internally assessed results closes

Poutūterangi March

08 Friday

Deadline for 2023 NZ Scholarship reviews and reconsiderations

11 Monday

Taranaki Anniversary

22 Friday

Candidate information sheets (for candidates entering externals) sent to schools

25 Monday

Otago Anniversary

Data file submission opens (schools can upload entry and result data files to NZQA from this date)

Data file submissions for entries into Literacy and Numeracy assessment event 1 due 1 April

29 Friday

Good Friday

Update of 2024 External assessment specifications online

Search for an assessment specification (external link)

Paengawhāwhā April

01 Monday

Easter Monday

Web Entries Schools’ access opens

First data file submission due (include as many candidate enrolments, courses and entries as possible)

Data file submission deadline for entries into Literacy and Numeracy assessment event 1

NZQA starts to process entry and result data files

Email schools@nzqa.govt.nz of any new twins or triplets entered for NCEA

Acceptance of Exam Centre Memorandum of Agreement opens online

02 Tuesday

Southland Anniversary

12 Friday

End of Term 1

Special Assessment Conditions (SAC). First deadline for first time applications for approval, rollover and changes

Term 2

29th April - 5th July

Paengawhāwhā April

29 Monday

Start of Term 2

Haratua May

01 Wednesday

Data file submission due - include any additional or updated candidate enrolment and entry information

Data file submission deadline for entries into Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau assessment event 1

06 Monday

Exam Centre Manager nominations open online

20 Monday

Literacy and Numeracy assessment event 1 (May 20 to May 31)

30 Thursday

Ngā Mahi a te Rēhia 92063 and Toi Ataata 92085 (assessment event 1)

31 Friday

Toi Puoro 92090 (assessment event 1)

Pipiri June

01 Saturday

Data file submissions due (used to prepare Candidate NSN cards)

03 Monday

King's Birthday

04 Tuesday

Te Ao Haka 91978 and 91979 (assessment event 1)

NZQA advertises for external markers. Online applications open

05 Wednesday

Te Ao Haka 91982, 91983 and Hauora 92059 (assessment event 1)

06 Thursday

Te Ao Haka 91987 (assessment event 1)

10 Monday

Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau assessment event 1 (June 10 to June 21 TBC)

14 Friday

Final date to submit Exam Centre Memorandum of Agreement online

17 Monday

Exam Centre Manager nominations close online

21 Friday

Candidate NSN cards sent to schools (includes information on accessing entries on the web)

28 Friday

Matariki

Hōngongoi July

01 Monday

Data file submission due

Special Assessment Conditions (SAC) – Attach SAC entitlements to external standards from NOW

05 Friday

End of Term 2

Term 3

22nd July - 27th September

Hōngongoi July

22 Monday

Start of Term 3

24 Wednesday

Translated papers – Check all external entries requiring translation or marking in Te Reo Māori are correctly flagged for 1 August data file

Read more about the use of Te Reo Māori

Check 1 August file contains all external entries (including NZ Scholarship) for SAC candidates and DCAT

Submission instructions published on the NZQA website for submissions due 30 October

26 Friday

Special Assessment Conditions (SAC) - Include as many exam entries for SAC candidates as possible and continue to attach SAC entitlements to exams

Hereturikōkā August

01 Thursday

Data file submission due - used to calculate the quantity of exam papers and materials for external exams

Check timetable clashes and confirm candidates’ entries for externals

Translated papers - Deadline to request translation or marking in Te Reo Māori for external entries in your data file

DCAT - Deadline for schools to advise NZQA of Assessment Day

Visual Arts - art bag order due

09 Friday

Check accuracy of externally assessed entries in preparation for 26 August data file submission including international candidate entries in NCEA & NZ Scholarship. Fees for international candidates are based on entries in the 26 August file

26 Monday

Data file submission due - deadline to submit entries for externally assessed standards including NZ Scholarship for candidates to receive personalised exam materials

Data file submission deadline for entries into Literacy/Numeracy and Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau assessment event 2

Final date for withdrawals from externally assessed standards including NZ Scholarship

Confirm entries for international fee-paying students

Check timetable clashes and confirm with candidates how two-way clashes will be resolved. Three-way clash letters will be sent to PNs by end of Term 3

Find out more about exam timetable clashes

Mahuru September

06 Friday

Visual Arts Levels 1 and 2 - start entering provisional results

09 Monday

Te Ao Haka 91978 and 91979 (assessment event 2)

DCAT L2 and L3 assessment period Sept 9 to Sept 13

Literacy and Numeracy assessment event 2 (Sept 9 to Sept 20)

Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau assessment event 2 (Sept 9 to Sept 20 TBC)

10 Tuesday

Te Ao Haka 91982 and 91983 (assessment event 2)

11 Wednesday

Te Ao Haka 91987 (assessment event 2)

16 Monday

Te Reo Rangatira 92075

17 Tuesday

Te Reo Rangatira 92076

23 Monday

South Canterbury Anniversary

27 Friday

End of Term 3

Term 4

14th October - 20th December

Whiringa-ā-nuku October

14 Monday

Start of Term 4

DCAT L2 and L3 assessment period Oct 14 to Oct 18

16 Wednesday

Admission slips for candidates sent to schools

21 Monday

External moderation submission deadline

23 Wednesday

Visual Arts Level 1 submissions due:

  • Verification portfolios collected from schools
  • ALL provisional results must be entered
24 Thursday

Confirm with NZQA 3 way exam clash arrangements

Read more about exam timetable clashes

25 Friday

Hawke's Bay Anniversary

28 Monday

Labour Day

30 Wednesday

Submission of candidate work and attendance rolls due

Refer to the Subjects page on the NZQA website (external link)

Visual Arts Level 2 submissions due:

  • Physical portfolios collected from schools / moving image portfolios submitted via online portal
  • ALL provisional results must be entered
31 Thursday

Final date for school payment of NCEA and NZ Scholarship fees for international fee-paying candidates

Whiringa-ā-rangi November

01 Friday

Data file submission due - include all derived grades for Unexpected Events and send any additional candidate information in this file

04 Monday

Marlborough Anniversary

05 Tuesday

NCEA and NZ Scholarship exams begin

07 Thursday

Visual Arts L3 and NZ Scholarship submissions due

Physical portfolios collected from schools / moving image portfolios submitted via online portal

11 Monday

Visual Arts Level 1 - start entering final results

15 Friday

Canterbury Anniversary (no exams scheduled)

Visual Arts Level 2 - start entering final results

27 Wednesday

Visual Arts - Levels 1 and 2, last day for entry of all final results

29 Friday

NCEA and NZ Scholarship exams end

Final date to submit assessment plan for 2025 moderation

Read more about assessment plans

Hakihea December

01 Sunday

Final data file submission for 2024 - include all final verified internally assessed results and derived grades at scale for an unexpected event. This file is the last opportunity to correct any remaining errors and warnings.

Final date for withdrawals from internally assessed standards

Do not withdraw leavers

Update school emergency contacts with NZQA

02 Monday

Chatham Islands Anniversary

Westland Anniversary

05 Thursday

Data file submission links close at midnight (entry and result file processing ends). No further 2024 data files can be uploaded to NZQA after 11.59pm

Web Entries Schools’ access closes

Derived grade online applications close

Assessment specifications for 2025 external assessment published online

12 Thursday

Provider access to ‘Late Internally Assessed Results’ for 2024 opens

20 Friday

End of Term 4 (no later than)

25 Wednesday

Christmas Day

26 Thursday

Boxing Day

Key business dates

21 February - 10 March

Leading National Assessment seminars

20 May - 31 May

Literacy and Numeracy (assessment event 1)

10 June - 21 June

Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau (assessment event 1)

9 September - 20 September

Literacy and Numeracy (assessment event 2)

9 September - 13 September

DCAT L2 and L3 assessment period

9 September - 20 September

Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau (assessment event 2)

14 October - 18 October

DCAT L2 and L3 assessment period

5 November - 29 November

External exams

2 December - 7 January 2025

Processing of externally assessed results

Submitting data files

Please submit your data files for the 1st of each month from April to December (except for the September file which is due on 26 August).

You can submit data files more than once a month.