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Assessment Matters

2021 Assessment Specifications for NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship External Assessment: March Update
A2021/8 - 24 Mar 2021
To: |
Principal |
2021 Assessment Specifications for NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship External Assessment: March Update
The following assessment specifications have been updated in March 2021.
For details of the update see: Art History, Digital Technologies, Level 1 History, Level 2 History, Level 3 History, Scholarship History, Media Studies and Te Reo Māori.
Teachers should not need to alter teaching programmes because of this update.
Notice that a change has been made and is indicated by the highlighted comment beside the year on the front page of the assessment specifications: (Updated March 2021).
What the specifications provide:
Assessment specifications provide the annual assessment parameters for each externally assessed achievement standard and New Zealand Scholarship performance standard. They must be read alongside the applicable standards.
Assessment specifications for subjects externally assessed by examinations include the:
- format of the paper
- equipment candidates can bring and use
- context for questions, where appropriate.
Assessment specifications for subjects externally assessed by submitted portfolio, include the:
- format of the assessment
- portfolio/report specifications, including the type and volume of materials that may be submitted as evidence.
Portfolio submission instructions and authenticity requirements will be provided at the end of Term 2.
How to access 2021 Assessment Specifications
To access the specifications for NCEA assessment use the NCEA subject resources pages, and the Scholarship subject resources for New Zealand Scholarship.
Assessment specifications from previous years are removed from the NZQA website to avoid any confusion with those for the current year. They are available from NZQA on request.
Enquiries
Please refer any enquiries relating to this circular to your School Relationship Manager:
School Relationship Manager
School Quality Assurance and Liaison
Telephone: 04 463 3000
Email: firstname.lastname@nzqa.govt.nz