Providers and partners

Special Assessment Conditions

Special Assessment Conditions (SAC) can provide extra help for otherwise capable students in addressing various barriers to achievement in assessments for NCEA or New Zealand Scholarship.

SAC helps students fairly demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding when being assessed without providing an unfair advantage over other students. 

Submissions for SAC are made by schools to NZQA on behalf of students.

SAC support is available for both internal and external assessments.

Some examples of SAC:

  • special papers for vision-impaired students
  • writers or readers for students with learning disorders, such as dyslexia
  • rest breaks for students with diabetes
  • separate accommodation for students with anxiety disorder

NZQA’s rules about the provision of Special Assessment Conditions are published annually.

For all enquiries, please email sac@nzqa.govt.nz

Information for Schools

Information for Students

Information for Parents and Caregivers

Information for Registered Professionals

Quicklinks

SAC available

Potential barriers to assessment and possible SAC support 

Assessments where SAC provision is not appropriate or not allowed 

SAC Timeline

SAC Forms and Guides

Extra Writing Time Option 

SAC and external assessment (exams)

Assessment and Exam Assistants (Readers and Writers/Typists)

Use of a computer for external assessment (exams) 

Guidelines for SAC provision in digital external assessment (exams) and CATs

Reader assistance for deaf or hearing-impaired students

Video tutorial: Attaching SAC to exams (8 minutes) (MP4, 37MB)

 

 

 
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