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Literacy and Numeracy | Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau Co-requisites Provision of Special Assessment Conditions for 2023

Print out a copy of these instructions here.

Special Assessment Conditions (SAC) provide extra support for otherwise capable students/ākonga in addressing various barriers to achievement in assessments. SAC helps students/ākonga fairly demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding when being assessed, without providing an unfair advantage over other students/ākonga.

All SAC provisions currently available to students/ākonga are applicable (as appropriate) for the assessment of the Literacy and Numeracy / Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau co-requisites. The assessment of these co-requisites is intended to be as accessible as possible. All students/ākonga who are working at the appropriate level should be able to be assessed.

If a learner has a SAC entitlement for other assessments, this must also be made available to them for the Literacy and Numeracy | Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau assessments. The learner must not be disadvantaged through their participation during the 2023 transition year.

A formal SAC application approved by NZQA is not required from a school/kura/tertiary organisation to provide this support for students/ākonga for these co-requisites. This is particularly appropriate for students/ākonga in years 9 and 10, who may not previously have undertaken NCEA assessments. Schools/kura/tertiary organisations determine the type and level of support that students/ākonga may require based on the student’s/ākonga needs and the professional judgement of the teacher/kaiako.

Deciding whether to provide an Assessment Assistant (Reader and/or Writer/Typist)

The decision whether it is appropriate to provide the support of an Assessment Assistant for a student/ākonga being assessed in the Literacy and Numeracy | Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau co-requisites is made by the school/kura/tertiary organisation using their professional judgement and knowledge of individual student/ākonga’s needs.

The intention of these co-requisites is to encourage maximum agency by the student/ākonga. Providing more support than the student/ākonga needs is unfair to them and could impact on the validity of their results.

If an Assessment Assistant is provided, it is essential that the school kura/tertiary organisation trains the person concerned. General instructions for Assessment Assistants are provided below and the following specific instructions are relevant to the assessment of the Literacy and Numeracy | Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau co-requisite standards.

Students/ākonga requiring Reader support

The preferred support for students/ākonga requiring Reader assistance is the use of assistive technology. This is provided through the use of the Polly text-to-speech tool that is included as part of the online assessment platform. The availability of further assistive technologies is being trialed.

The use of assistive technology most closely aligns with how students/ākonga with reading difficulties may interact with text in their day-to-day lives in order to confirm meaning.

Students/ākonga must have prior experience of using assistive technology before undertaking the assessment, and they must use headphones when undertaking the assessment activities.

If a student/ākonga is not confident in the use of assistive technology, an option is to postpone the assessment to a later opportunity while the student/ākonga becomes proficient. This means that the student/ākonga will be ready for the future assessment.

If assistive technology is not available nor appropriate for a student/ākonga, a suitably trained Reader can be provided. The Reader can read directly from the screen of a separate device. If this is not possible, a pdf of the assessment will need to be accessed from NZQA by the school kura/tertiary organisation and made available to the Reader.

In addition to the general instructions provided below, a Reader for the Literacy and Numeracy | Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau standards must ensure that they provide reading support commensurate to the identified need of the student/ākonga. This may mean only reading those words or phrases identified by the student/ākonga as problematic for them rather than automatically reading all text. Student/ākonga agency means that the student/ākonga will provide direction to the Reader.

Wherever possible, a student/ākonga should have had prior practice with the Reader who will be supporting them in the assessment. This ensures the best outcome for all concerned.

Students/ākonga requiring Writing/Typing support

Wherever possible, students/ākonga should complete the assessment themselves using the online assessment platform. Students/ākonga who are not confident typists can be provided with ample time to complete the assessment.

If a student/ākonga is unable to type responses in the online assessment platform themselves, then a suitably trained Typist or Writer can be provided. The preference is to provide a Typist who will type the student/ākonga’s spoken responses directly into the online assessment platform. In this circumstance, the student/ākonga will need to log in to the assessment (or be supported to do so) before the Typist can input answers.

The use of a Writer to handwrite on paper should only be used in exceptional circumstances. In this case, a pdf of the assessment will need to be accessed from NZQA by the school kura/tertiary organisation and made available to the Writer. The final written assessment will be submitted to NZQA for marking. These processes must occur in accordance with published procedures.

As appropriate use of writing conventions forms part of the overall assessment, the Writer/Typist needs to take care to ensure that, as far as reasonably possible, the student/ākonga’s understanding and use of these conventions is reflected in what is typed or written.

In addition to the general instructions provided below, a Writer/Typist for the Literacy and Numeracy | Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau co-requisites must ensure that

the student/ākonga specifies those words that need to start with a capital letter such as at the start of a sentence
the student/ākonga specifies where punctuation (commas, full stops, etc.) are required, both within a sentence and at the end of a sentence
the student/ākonga specifies that a new paragraph must start and end
the student/ākonga spells significant words that have a direct impact on meaning
the student/ākonga is given the opportunity to read what has been written/typed and to request changes or corrections to be made. The Writer/Typist may also read the text back to the student if this is requested by the student

Wherever possible, a student/ākonga should have had prior practice with the Writer/Typist who will be supporting them in the assessment. Of particular importance is for both parties to understand how the student/ākonga will communicate the inclusion of writing conventions to the Writer/Typist. This ensures the best outcome for all concerned.

General instructions for Assessment Assistants (Readers and Writers/Typists)

The provision of Assessment Assistants to act as readers, writers or typists during assessments for students/ākonga with the relevant SAC entitlements will be available in 2023. The availability of these provisions may be amended in future years following review. As for all assessments for NCEA, the school/kura/tertiary organisation is responsible for the recruitment, training and deployment of Assessment Assistants.

Working as an Assessment Assistant (Reader and/or Writer/Typist)

The aim of the reader and writer/typist is to assist the student/ākonga to overcome their learning difficulty during assessments. You may be reading the activity brief or questions to the student/ākonga and their answers back to them, or writing/typing for the student/ākonga, or reading and writing/typing for the student/ākonga.

The school/kura/tertiary organisation provides training for the assistants.

Note: The requirements and conditions applying to a writer apply equally to a typist typing a student’s/ākonga’s work. If the student/ākonga is undertaking the online assessment, they may use a typist instead of a writer. The computer must be set up in the same way as if the student/ākonga was going to type for themselves.

Who may NOT be an Assessment Assistant (Reader and/or Writer/Typist)?

To avoid a possible conflict of interest and the perception of providing a possible advantage, an Assistant must not be:

a teacher/kaiako of the subject or the student/ākonga
a relative of the student/ākonga
a friend of the student/ākonga
another student/ākonga at the school/kura/tertiary education organisation
a tutor/kaiwhakaako of the student
a close family friend
anyone else with a reasonably close personal relationship to either the student/ākonga or their family/whanau.

The job of the Reader

As a reader you are the eyes of the student/ākonga.
You will have a copy of the assessment or access to it.
You will read the assessment to the student/ākonga clearly and at a speed they can follow.
Make sure that they can easily hear what you are reading.
They may ask you to re-read instructions or a passage. Do so clearly and wait for them to ask you to read again. You are not allowed to interpret the question or words for the student /ākonga. To do so will invalidate their results.
Please be patient if the student/ākonga works slowly and avoid giving the student/ākonga facial expressions or being hesitant if you see mistakes being made.
Before they start typing, check that the student/ākonga is at the right place in the assessment (e.g. correct question number).
A reader is not allowed to type for a student/ākonga unless they also have approval for a writer/typist.
A reader is not allowed to encourage or prompt the student/ākonga to work harder or faster in the assessment. To do so will invalidate their results.

The job of the Writer/Typist

You are the hands of the student/ākonga and it is your responsibility to write/type the answers for the student/ākonga.
You will have a copy of the assessment or access to it.
Make sure that you are writing/typing any answers in the right place in the assessment (e.g. correct question number).
Make sure that the student/ākonga can easily see what you are writing/typing.
Only write/type the words that the student/ākonga speaks to you and in the order that they say them to you.
You are not allowed to interpret or to make suggestions about what you think the student/ākonga is trying to write. To do so will invalidate their results.
You must not copy any sentences that the student/ākonga has written. They must speak their words to you.
The student/ākonga may ask you to re-write, edit or amend an answer they have already given.
Please be patient if the student/ākonga works slowly and avoid giving the student/ākonga facial expressions or being hesitant if you see or hear mistakes being made.
A writer/typist is not allowed to encourage or prompt the student to work harder or faster in the assessment. To do so will invalidate their results.

Further support and information

If you need advice, contact NZQA’s SAC team at sac@nzqa.govt.nz or 0800 697 296.

Here are some links with more advice and information:

Special Assessment Conditions

Assessment and Exam Assistants (Readers and Writers/Typists)

Use of a Computer for External Assessment (Exams)