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2021 Key Dates for National Secondary Qualifications
| Below is a list of key dates relating to national secondary qualifications. You are welcome to download the electronic files below: |
| Key Dates 2021 Wall Planner (PDF, 532KB) |
| Key Dates 2021 (DOCX, 58KB) |
| Key Dates 2021 (CSV, 15KB) (instructions (PDF, 257KB) for importing csv key dates to Outlook Calendar) |
| 2021 | |
| FEBRUARY |
|
| 1 | AUCKLAND ANNIVERSARY |
| NELSON ANNIVERSARY | |
| EARLIEST DAY TO START TERM 1 | |
| SPECIAL ASSESSMENT CONDITIONS (SAC) - Rollover/Change opens for entitled candidates | |
| 2021 Assessment (including Examination) Rules for Schools with Consent to Assess 2021 update published on NZQA website. | |
| 6 | WAITANGI DAY |
| 8 | WAITANGI DAY (OBSERVED) |
| 9 | LAST DAY TO START TERM 1 |
| 26 | Final date for 2020 NCEA External Exam Reviews and Reconsiderations |
| 28 | Provider access to 'Late Internally Assessed Results' closes for 2020 |
| MARCH | |
| 1 | Web Entries Schools' access opens |
| Memorandum of Agreement online applications opens | |
| 5 | Final date for 2020 NZ Scholarship Reviews and Reconsiderations |
| 8 | TARANAKI ANNIVERSARY |
| 11 | Candidate Information Sheets (for students entering externals) sent to schools |
| 12 | Update of 2021 External Assessment Specifications online |
| 22 | OTAGO ANNIVERSARY |
| Data file submission opens (schools can upload entry ad result data files to NZQA from this date) | |
| 25 | NZQA advertises for Panel Leaders (marking external examinations) |
| APRIL | |
| 1 | First data file submission due (include as many candidate enrolments, courses and entries as possible). NZQA starts to process entry and result data file. |
| 2 | GOOD FRIDAY |
| 5 | EASTER MONDAY |
| 6 | SOUTHLAND ANNIVERSARY |
| 16 | TERM 1 ENDS |
| SPECIAL ASSESSMENT CONDITIONS (SAC) - First deadline for first-time applications, rollover and changes. | |
| 25 | ANZAC DAY |
| 26 | ANZAC DAY (OBSERVED) |
| MAY | |
| 1 | Data file submission due (include any additional or updated candidate enrolment and entry information) |
| 3 | TERM 2 BEGINS |
| 10 | Exam Centre Manager nominations open online |
| JUNE | |
| 1 | Data file submission due (used to prepare Candidate NSN cards) |
| 3 | Digital Technologys & Hangarau Matihiko Common Assessment Tasks (DCAT) and Mathematics Common Assessment Task (MCAT) - Schools can start to confirm entries. |
| NZQA advertises for external markers. Online applications open | |
| 7 | QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY |
| 16 | Final date to submit Exam Centre Memorandum of Agreement online |
| 18 | Exam Centre Manager nominations close online |
| 23 | Candidate NSN cards sent to schools (include information on accessing entries on the web) |
| JULY | |
| 1 | Data file submission due (correct any errors or warning from previous submissions and send any additional candidate information in this file) |
| SPECIAL ASSESSMENT CONDITIONS (SAC) - Attach SAC entitlements to external standards from NOW | |
| 9 | TERM 2 ENDS |
| 26 | TERM 3 BEGINS |
| TRANSLATED PAPERS - Check all external entries requiring translation or marking in Te Reo Māori are correct for 1 August data file | |
|
Submission instructions published on the NZQA website for: |
|
| Check 1 August file contains all external entries (including NZ Scholarship) for SAC candidates, DCAT and MCAT | |
| 30 | SPECIAL ASSESSMENT CONDITIONS (SAC) - Include as many exam entries for SAC candidates as possible and continue to attach SAC entitlements to examinations. |
| AUGUST | |
| 1 | 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 - Final date to request translation or marking in Te Reo Māori for external entries in your data file | |
| DCAT and MCAT - Deadline for schools to advise NZQA of Assessment Day and confirm number of entries | |
| Visual Arts: art bag order due | |
| 2 | NZQA platform opens to sit digital practice exams |
| 11 | Check accuracy of externally assessed entries in preparation for 1 September data file submission including international student entries in NCEA & NZ Scholarship. Fees for international students are based on entries in the 1 September file. |
| SEPTEMBER | |
| 1 | Data file submission due (all confirmed entries for externally assessed standards including NZ Scholarship needed for candidates to receive personalised exam materials). |
| Final date for withdrawals from Externally Assessed standards including NZ Scholarship | |
| Final date to confirm digital exam entries without requiring NZQA pre-approval | |
| Check timetable clashes and confirm with candidates how examinations will be sat | |
| 8 | Visual Arts Levels 1 and 2 - Start entering provisional results |
| 14 | MCAT Level 1, 91027 Assessment Day One |
| 16 | MCAT Level 1, 91027 Assessment Day Two |
| DCAT - Term 3 assessment period 20 September - 1 October | |
| 27 | SOUTH CANTERBURY ANNIVERSARY |
| OCTOBER | |
| 1 | TERM 3 ENDS |
| Data file submission due (include all confirmed entries into internally assessed standards and entries assigned to courses) | |
| SPECIAL ASSESSMENT CONDITIONS (SAC) - Applications for Learning Disorder close for 2021. - First time applications for entitlement open for 2022 |
|
| Derived grade applications open online | |
| Last day to sit digital practice exams on the NZQA platform | |
| 18 | TERM 4 BEGINS |
| DCAT - Term 4 assessment period 18 - 27 October | |
| Confirm with NZQA three-way examination clash arrangements | |
| 20 | Admission Slips for candidates sent to schools |
| 21 | MCAT Level 1, 91027 - Last day for entry of ALL provisional results and submissions sent for verification |
| 22 | HAWKE'S BAY ANNIVERSARY |
| 25 | LABOUR DAY |
| 27 | Submission of candidate work and attendance rolls for the following external standards: (collected from schools) - Dance-NZ Scholarship - Design and Visual Communications (DVC)-Levels 1, 2, 3 and NZ Scholarship - Education for Sustainability-Level 3 - Health and Physical Education-NZ Scholarship - Music-NZ Scholarship - Technology-Levels 1, 2, 3 and NZ Scholarship - Visual Arts Levels 1-Verification portfolios and ALL provisional results entry must be entered. |
| 31 | Final date for school payment of NCEA & NZ Scholarship fees for international fee-paying students |
| NOVEMBER | |
| 1 | MARLBOROUGH ANNIVERSARY |
| Data file submission due (include Unexpected Event Grades (UEGs) and correct any errors or warnings from previous submissions and send any additional candidate information in this file) | |
| 3 | Visual Arts Level 2-Verification portfolios collected from schools. Complete entry of ALL provisional results |
| 8 | NCEA and NZ SCHOLARSHIP EXAMINATIONS COMMENCE |
| 11 | Check accuracy of internally assessed entries for 1 December file |
| Visual Arts Level 3 and NZ Scholarship-Portfolio submission/collection date for Level 3 and NZ Scholarship external standards | |
| 12 | CANTERBURY ANNIVERSARY (usually no examinations on this day) |
| Visual Arts Level 1-Start entering final results | |
| 15 | MCAT Level 1, 91027-Start entering final results |
| 19 | Visual Arts Level 2-Start entering final results |
| 29 | CHATHAM ISLANDS ANNIVERSARY |
| WESTLAND ANNIVERSARY | |
| 30 | Visual Arts Levels 1 and 2-Last day for entry of all final results |
| DECEMBER | |
| 1 | Final data file submission for 2021 (include all final verified internally assessed results and UEGs). 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 | |
| 2 | NCEA AND NZ SCHOLARSHIP EXAMINATIONS END |
| School emergency contact details to NZQA | |
| MCAT Level 1, 91027-Last day for entry of all final results | |
| 3 | Data file submission links close at midnight (entry and result file processing ends). No further 2021 data files can be uploaded to NZQA after 11.59pm |
| Web Entries Schools' access closes | |
| 6 | Derived grade online applications close |
| Assessment specifications for 2022 external assessment published online | |
| 13 | Provider access to 'Late Internally Assessed Results' for 2021 opens |
| 20 | TERM 4 ENDS (no later than) |
| 25 | CHRISTMAS DAY |
| 26 | BOXING DAY |
| 27 | CHRISTMAS DAY (OBSERVED) |
| 28 | BOXING DAY (OBSERVED) |
| JANUARY 2022 | |
| 1 | NEW YEAR'S DAY |
| 2 | DAY AFTER NEW YEAR'S DAY |
| 3 | NEW YEAR'S DAY (OBSERVED) |
| 4 | DAY AFTER NEW YEAR'S DAY (OBSERVED) |
| 24 | WELLINGTON ANNIVERSARY |
| 31 | AUCKLAND ANNIVERSARY |
| KEY BUSINESS DATES |
|
|---|---|
| 23 February - 12 March 2021 | LEADING NATIONAL ASSESSMENT SEMINARS |
| 8 November - 2 December 2021 | EXAMINATIONS |
| 3 December 2021 - 6 January 2022 | PROCESSING OF EXTERNALLY ASSESSED RESULTS |
| Note: Data files |
| *Data files should be submitted by the 1st of each month from April to December. Data files can be submitted more than once a month |