Links – green outside rules, blue inside rules

Assessment (including Examination) Rulesfor

Schools with Consent to Assess 2021____________________
Approved Neil Quigley
Acting NZQA Board Chair______________________________
Date: 10 December 20201

Assessment (including Examination) Rules for Schools
with Consent to Assess 2021
Table of contents
1. Authority, commencement and application
2. Definitions
3. Acronyms used in the Rules
4. Nomination and Role of Principal’s Nominee
5. General Assessment Rules
5.1. Timing of Assessment – External Assessment
5.2. Candidate Eligibility
5.3. Conditions of Entry
5.4. Special Assessment Conditions
5.5. Reporting
5.6. Use of Technology and Equipment for Assessment Purposes
5.7. Assessment Specifications
5.8. Translation of External Assessments and Moderation Materials
6. School-based Assessment
6.1. Schools’ Assessment Policy
6.2. Course Approval of Courses for International Students
6.3. Managing National Assessment
6.4. Internal Moderation
6.5. External Moderation
6.6. Breaches of the Rules – Internal Assessment
6.7. Assessment Opportunities for Internal Assessment
6.8. Industry Training Organisation Managed Systems
7. External Assessment
7.1. General Conditions for External Assessment
7.1.1. Examination Centres
7.1.2. Examination Supervision
7.1.3. External Assessment by other than NZQA examinations
7.1.4. Assessment of Common Assessment Tasks (CAT)
7.1.5. Derived Grade Process
7.1.6. Unexpected Event Process
7.1.7. Return of Achievement Standard External Assessment Material
7.1.8. Review or Reconsideration of External Assessment Results
7.1.9. Breaches of the Rules – External Assessment
7.1.10 Appeal and Review of an Appeal decision – External Assessment27.2. New Zealand Scholarship 2021: General assessment rules and procedures
7.2.1. New Zealand Scholarship: Monetary Awards
7.2.2. New Zealand Scholarship: Prime Minister’s Award for Academic
Excellence
7.2.3. New Zealand Scholarship: Assessment processes
7.2.4. New Zealand Scholarship: Use of Technology and Equipment forAssessment Purposes
7.2.5. New Zealand Scholarship: Reporting and Return of Assessment
Material
8. Results, Awards and Recognition
8.1. New Zealand Record of Achievement
8.2. Credit Exclusion
8.3. Certificates for the Award of NCEA Qualifications
8.4. Endorsement of NCEA certificates
8.5. Course Endorsement
8.6. Award of other School qualifications
8.7. University Entrance
8.7.1. New Zealand University Entrance Minimum Requirements
8.7.2. University Entrance Recognition
8.8. Vocational Pathways
8.9. Production and issue of NCEA Certificates and transcript of New Zealand
Record of Achievement
8.10. Credit Inclusion
8.10.1.Approved list for NCEA Credit Inclusion

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1. Authority, commencement and applicationa. These Rules, called the Assessment (including Examination) Rules for Schools with
Consent to Assess 2021, are made under section 452 (1) of the Education andTraining Act 2020 in respect of assessment (including examinations) carried out inrelevant Schools with consent to assess.
b. These Rules replace the Assessment (including Examination) Rules for Schools with
Consent to Assess 2020 (which are consequentially revoked) and these Rules are
effective from 1 February 2021 until the end of 31 January 2022.
c. These Rules specify the general requirements for assessment (including
examination) in relevant Schools with consent to assess involving the:i.
New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) and standards on the
Directory of Assessment Standardsii.
New Zealand Scholarship 2021
iii.
New Zealand University Entrance.
d.

The principles of fairness, validity and transparency of assessment practice for all
Candidates are fundamental to the administration of qualifications and New Zealand
Scholarship in Schools and underpin these Rules.

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2. Definitions
In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires:
Act means the Education and Training Act 2020
Applicable credits means:(a) credits recorded on a Candidate’s Record of Achievement that count towards NCEA
and Vocational Pathways; and(b) Candidate learning recognition credits awarded in 2020(c) credit equivalents gained through Credit Inclusion
Assessment Opportunity refers to an instance where an opportunity is given to a
Candidate to be assessed against a standard.
Assessment Specifications are the assessment parameters for each externally assessed
standard. They are updated by 31 March annually.
Assessment Standard means a standard listed on the Directory of Assessment Standards.
Candidate means a student entered for assessment against standards on the Directory ofAssessment Standards and/or New Zealand Scholarship.
Candidate learning recognition credits means, in relation to a Candidate enrolled in a
School in 2020, credits awarded to that Candidate for the purposes of recognising thedisruption to assessment due to the impact of Covid-19
Common Assessment Task or CAT is an assessment task that is developed by NZQA andadministered by the school.
Consent to Assess against standards on the Directory of Assessment Standards orConsent to Assess is the consent granted to an institution under section 449 of the Act.
Credit in the context of the value of a qualification or training scheme, represents ten
notional learning hours for one credit.
Directory of Assessment Standards or Directory is the Directory provided for in section
437 of the Act consisting of all standards listed by NZQA for use by institutions as standards
for the assessment of students.
Electronic Devices are devices with the capability to store, communicate, or retrieve
information.
Entry refers to the information that Schools send to NZQA indicating the standards that a
Candidate is being assessed against.
Examination Centre Manager or ECM means the person responsible for the conduct of the
NZQA examinations held at Examination Centres.
Examination Supervisor means the person appointed to supervise an external assessment
by NZQA examination.
Exclusions List means the list of Assessment Standards maintained and published by
NZQA which have been identified as having the same learning outcomes.
Fee Schedule means the schedule of fees charged by NZQA and published on its website
pursuant to section 457 of the Act.
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Instructions to Candidates 2021 are instructions issued in October that outline theexamination processes, equipment use restrictions, and the examination timetable to befollowed by Candidates who are entered in external NCEA and New Zealand Scholarshipexaminations.
Key Date refers to the dates as published in the Key Date Calendar on the NZQA website.
Learner Login is the web-based platform that provides students with secure electronic
access to send and receive information to and from NZQA.
Managing National Assessment or MNA is the review by NZQA of the School’s processes
or systems for managing assessment for qualifications, including systems for achieving
valid, fair, accurate and nationally consistent internal assessment.
Moderation provides an assurance that assessment decisions in relation to Assessment
Standards are consistent nationally.
New Zealand Qualifications Framework or NZQF means the framework provided for in
section 436 of the Act.
NZQA means the New Zealand Qualifications Authority as continued under section 430 of
the Act.
New Zealand Record of Achievement means an individual student’s transcript ofstandards credited and National or New Zealand qualifications completed, maintained by
NZQA.
Principal’s Nominee means a staff member nominated by the Principal of a School tomaintain and monitor quality assurance practices within the school.
Provider Login is the web-based platform that provides schools with secure electronic
access to send and receive information to and from NZQA.
Publish means to make available on the NZQA website.
Qualification means a qualification listed on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework.
Responses refers to all work produced by a Candidate for external assessment by NZQA.
School means any relevant school as defined in section 10 of the Act which has Consent toAssess.
School days refers to days that the School is open for instruction.
Separate accommodation is a special assessment condition where one or more
Candidates are accommodated in separate examination rooms to meet their needs.
Standard means a standard listed on the Directory, or a New Zealand Scholarshipperformance standard.
Transitional ITO has the same meaning as in clause 42(1) of Schedule 1 of the Act.
University Entrance means the common educational standard established under section
434 of the Act (or its predecessor section) as a prerequisite for entrance to university forpeople who have not attained the age of 20 years.
Verification means a process of confirming grade judgements in the assessment process.

6Vocational Pathway is a certification, under Rule 8.8, recognising a student’s achievementin specific ‘sector-related’ standards.
WDC means a Workforce Development Council as defined in section 10 of the Act.

3. Acronyms used in these Rules
ECM

Examination Centre Manager

MNA

Managing National Assessment

NCEA

National Certificate of Educational Achievement

NZQA

New Zealand Qualifications Authority

NZQF

New Zealand Qualifications Framework

WDC

Workforce Development Council

4. Nomination and Role of Principal’s Nomineea. Annually, the Principal of a School with Consent to Assess must nominate a staff
member to be the Principal’s Nominee (who may be the Principal).
b. The Principal’s Nominee must maintain and monitor quality assurance practices
within the School to ensure the validity and credibility of assessment for
qualifications.
c. The expected duties of the Principal's Nominee will include those listed in the role.
d. Other School staff may assist the Principal’s Nominee with duties. The Principal’s
Nominee is responsible for ensuring those staff members carry out their duties
appropriately, and for all communication with NZQA in relation to these duties.

75. General Assessment Rulesa. These general rules apply to assessment systems by Schools, and by NZQA.
b. The processes used to assess Candidates will be in accordance with theAssessment Standards listed on the Directory of Assessment Standards, or with theperformance standards for New Zealand Scholarship 2021.

5.1

Timing of Assessment – External Assessment

a. NZQA will publish the 2021 examination timetable for each NCEA qualification andfor the New Zealand Scholarship examinations before the end of 2020.
b. The key dates for other annual assessment procedures will be published before theend of term one, 2021.
c. NZQA may publish alternative dates in extenuating circumstances.

5.2

Candidate Eligibility
a. A Candidate is eligible to be assessed against an Assessment Standard who:i.
meets any eligibility criteria specified in the standard concerned; andii.
has had entries for either externally assessed standards or internally assessed
standards forwarded to NZQA by a School.

b. A Candidate enrolled in a school in 2021, is eligible to enter in a New Zealand
Scholarship subject in 2021. For the avoidance of doubt a School may enter:i.
international fee-paying students enrolled with the School; orii.
students enrolled in a school without Consent to Assess but who make entry via
the School through a Memorandum of Understanding that exists between theschools; oriii.
home-schooled, secondary school equivalent students, who have not completed
their secondary education in a previous year, who make an entry as a link
student with that School and attest to their eligibility through a Justice of thePeace.

c. Where a disqualification under rule 7.1.9.p.iii is in force in relation to a student,
having been imposed under earlier replaced versions of these Rules, i.
the Student is ineligible to enter any specified assessments and/or
scholarship subjects that the disqualification applies to; orii.
the Student is ineligible to enter any assessments and/or Scholarshipsubjects until the expiry of the specified period of time that the disqualification
applies to; butiii.
a Student remains eligible for entry to those assessments or Scholarshipsubjects where the student has appealed or applied for a review of thedisqualification and the outcome of the appeal or review is not known at thetime of entry.
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d. A home-schooled student and other persons who are eligible but not enrolled in a
School may be assessed against Assessment Standards through a School, with theassociated administrative costs being negotiated between the student (or otherperson) and the School.

e. NZQA may permit assessment, despite a person not meeting the eligibility criteria, if
extenuating circumstances justify it.

5.3

Conditions of Entry

a. Upon entry in 2021 for assessment against an Assessment Standard or for entry in a
New Zealand Scholarship subject, it is a condition of that entry that the Candidate:i.
is subject to these Rules; andii.
permits NZQA to access and use for education purposes, the material producedby the Candidate (for example as published exemplars of Candidate work).
b. Schools must pay the relevant fees (as set out in the Fee Schedule) to NZQA for
entry of international fee-paying students in Assessment Standards, or entry in a
New Zealand Scholarship subject.
c. Schools must manage entries and fees to meet the Key Dates published by NZQA.

5.4

Special Assessment Conditions
Eligibility for Special Assessment Conditions

a. The following disabilities or disorders are eligible conditions for applications to NZQA
for entitlement to special assessment conditions:
 permanent or long-term sensory disability
 permanent or long-term physical disability
 permanent or long-term medical disability
 permanent or long-term specific learning disorder permanent or long-term combinations of such disabilities or disorders.
b. Entitlement to the following special assessment conditions may be provided:Standard conditions










Reader assistanceComputer use OR Writer /Typist assistance
Separate accommodation (isolation or small group, depending uponneed)Rest breaks
Extra writing time (only available during time bound internal
assessments and external examinations when the Candidate isentered for 3 Achievement Standards or Scholarship within an
examination session)
Enlarged papers (to A3 only)
Special papers including braille translations and digital pdf
Signed English support for Hearing Impaired
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Exceptional conditions
Signing Supervisor for pre-examination instructions and emergency
management
Assistive technology

c. Schools submit applications to NZQA on behalf of Candidates with eligible conditions
where:i.
the disability or disorder directly impacts on the Candidate’s access to fairassessment for national qualifications; andii.
the School has determined that the Candidate is otherwise capable of attaining
a national qualification; andiii.
the special assessment conditions applied for reflect the Candidate’s normal
way of working; andiv.
the Candidate has consented to the application being submitted.
Evidence Requirements
d. In making an application to NZQA for entitlement to special assessment conditions
on behalf of the Candidate the School must supply either:i. appropriate documented evidence derived from School-based testingundertaken during the Candidate’s time at secondary school; orii. a report from an appropriately qualified independent registered professional thatrecommends special assessment conditions to address the Candidate’s specified
assessment needs. Any report that predates the Candidate’s time at secondary
school may need to be supplemented with additional current evidence.
Responsibilities of Schoolse. The Principal’s Nominee must manage submissions from Schools.
f.

The School must hold a copy of the Candidate’s consent under Rule 5.4.c.iv.

g. The School must make submissions using the prescribed process and withinpublished timelines.
h. The School must attach the entitlements to specific external standards using theprescribed process and within published timelines.
i.

The special assessment conditions being applied for must allow entitled Candidates
to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding in assessment, without
providing unfair advantage over other Candidates.

j.

Special assessment conditions must not be used for assessment where the integrityof the assessment may be compromised such as:i.
the assessment conditions compromise the assessment objectives of thestandard in question; orii.
the assessment conditions provide unfair advantage over other Candidates.

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k. The school must ensure that any assessment assistant or examination assistantappointed to assist Candidates’ access to assessment receives appropriate training.
l.

The School must undertake an annual review of the effectiveness of the special
assessment conditions approved for a Candidate prior to rolling these entitlements
over into the subsequent year.

Appeals and Reviewsm. The Principal’s Nominee may, on notification of any decision by NZQA on a
Candidate’s entitlements to special assessment conditions, lodge an appeal against
the decision.
n. If not satisfied with the outcome of an appeal, the Principal’s Nominee may seek areview by NZQA’s Chief Executive of the appeal decision.

5.5

Reporting

Schoolsa. Schools must establish and use processes to ensure that:i.
all Candidate entries and results are accurate for internally assessed
standards; andii. entries for externally assessed standards are reported to NZQA to meet
published timelines.
b. Schools must report to NZQA all assessment results for Candidates, including Not
Achieved.
c. Schools are required to submit to NZQA, prior to the start of the external
examinations, unexpected event grades so that these are available if NZQA activates
the unexpected event grade process.
NZQA
d. NZQA will release Candidate results for standards assessed in 2021 before 1
February 2022 via the Learner Login.
e. NZQA will release Candidate results for New Zealand Scholarship subjects assessedin 2021 before 1 March 2022 via the Learner Login.
f.

NZQA may set alternative dates for the release of results to Candidates inextenuating circumstances.

g. Results release, New Zealand Record of Achievement, and certificates will be in aform determined by NZQA and approved by the Chief Executive.
h. Certified statements of official results will be available upon written application by the
Candidates to NZQA and payment of the search and confirmation fee set out in the
Fee Schedule.

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5.6

Use of Technology and Equipment for Assessment Purposesa.

For internal assessment Candidates may use relevant technology and otherequipment so long as the use of that technology or equipment is permitted by:i. these Rules; orii. the Assessment Standard under which the assessment is taking place and any
conditions of assessment for the standard (available on or through the NZQA
website).

b.

For external assessment Candidates may use relevant technology and otherequipment so long as the use of that technology or equipment is permitted by:i. these Rules;
ii. the Assessment Standard under which the assessment is taking place and any
assessment specifications including their supporting documents (available on or
through the NZQA website); or
iii. Instructions for Candidates provided by NZQA to schools for distribution to
Candidates (and available on the NZQA website).

c.

For NZQA examinations
i. the only calculators that a Candidate may use in a 2021 examination are those
approved for use in the published NZQA Calculator List 2021:
ii. prior to a Candidate bringing a calculator into the examination room, theCandidate must clear any data by resetting the calculator to its default settings:
iii. a Candidate must allow an Examination Supervisor or teacher to check any
calculator in the possession of the Candidate, and to clear its memories todefault settings if necessary, prior to the Candidate entering the examinationroom:
iv. except where paragraph d of this Rule 5.6 applies, any other electronic device
that is brought into the examination room by a Candidate must be in a sealedtransparent emergency evacuation pack, must be clearly visible in that pack, andmust be switched off:
v. a Candidate must not access an emergency evacuation pack during an
examination without the explicit permission of an Examination Supervisor (forexample when evacuated from the examination room due to an emergency):
vi. an Examination Supervisor may remove from Candidates any calculators or any
other electronic devices in relation to a Candidate not complying with any of therequirements, and hold the calculator or device for the period of time necessary
to determine whether or not any failure to follow instructions or dishonest
practice has occurred in terms of Rule 7.1.9b (and may pass the calculator or
device to a teacher at the Candidate’s School for that purpose).

d.

An electronic device may be used:
i. by Candidates entitled to use the device under Rule 5.4 (Special Assessment
Conditions):
ii. under controlled conditions agreed to by NZQA with a School:iii. subject to any conditions for the use of electronic devices published by NZQA on
its website.

e.

A Candidate not complying with any requirements of this Rule 5.6, and any otherreport of misuse by a Candidate of calculators or other electronic devices during an
examination, will be investigated under Rule 7.1.9 (Breaches of the Rules – External
Assessment).

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5.7

Assessment Specifications

a. Assessment specifications for externally assessed Achievement Standards andScholarship for the 2021 year are published on the NZQA website by the end of
December in the previous school year.
b. Where the examination paper development process has necessitated an amendment
to the assessment specification, NZQA will publish the amendments before 31 Marchof the following school year.
c. NZQA may set alternative dates for advising schools of changes to assessment
specifications in extenuating circumstances.

5.8

Translation of External Assessments and Moderation Materials

a. Unless specifically excluded by the assessment specifications, Candidates may
present their answers in either English and/or te reo Māori.
b. Schools must advise NZQA by 1 August 2021 if they have Candidates who wish to
be assessed through the medium of te reo Māori and this includes:i.
Candidates who require a translated version of the external assessment in te
reo Māori; orii.
Candidates who intend to submit written answers for external assessment
wholly or partially in te reo Māori (but not including te reo Rangatira or te reo
Māori standards).
c. Schools must advise NZQA by 28 February 2021 if they have Candidates completinginternal assessments in te reo Māori who will have their work sent to NZQA as part ofthe school’s external moderation submission.
d. For international language examination papers, only the instructions and source
materials in the paper giving information to Candidates will be translated into te reo
Māori.
e. English externally assessed papers will not be translated into, and must not beanswered in, te reo Māori.
f.

NZQA will engage markers and/or translators/interpreters who are able to assess or
facilitate the assessment of students in the medium of te reo Māori where possible.

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6. School-Based Assessment
This section relates to internal assessment by Schools.

6.1

Schools’ Assessment Policya. Schools must maintain an assessment policy and incorporate in that assessment
policy the nationally agreed guidelines published by NZQA for Managing National
Assessment, including:i.
internal moderationii.
external moderationiii. special assessment conditions
iv. authenticity of student workv. missed or late assessment opportunities,
vi. resubmission of assessment material and further assessment opportunities forstudents
vii. appeals of assessment decisions
viii. breaches of the rulesix. derived grades
x. unexpected event grades
xi. managing the use of external providers.

6.2

Course Approval of Courses for International Students

a. Under section 524 of the Education and Training Act 2020 schools are required toobtain NZQA approval for classes, courses or programmes which are intended
exclusively or mainly for international students.
b. NZQA approval will be based on the same requirements for consent to assess
against standards as are set out in subclauses i. – v. of clause 2.5 of Part D of the
Guide to Requirements for Consent to Assess for Schools (August 2011).

6.3 Managing National Assessmenta.

NZQA reviews School systems for Managing National Assessment (MNA) against
Standards listed on the Directory by publication of a MNA report after:
i. review of a School’s assessment systems at least once every four years (unlessrescheduled due to the disruption caused by COVID-19) to ensure that assessment isvalid, reliable, accurate and consistent nationally with the Assessment Standard;ii. check that the requirements for the Consent to Assess Against Standards on the
Directory of Assessment Standards Rules 2011 are being met;
iii. checks on aspects of assessment systems and data on an annual basis; andiv. annual external moderation of assessment materials and assessor decisions.

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6.4

Internal Moderationa. Schools must establish an internal moderation process that meets NZQA’s
requirements and which is applied each year to every internally assessed standard
being assessed, to ensure that judgements are consistent with the Assessment
Standard.
b. Schools must have monitoring systems that ensure the results they report have been
subject to the internal moderation process.
c. Evidence of internal moderation and the school’s monitoring of internal moderationmust be retained until the end of the following academic year.

6.5

External Moderation

a. External moderation for internally assessed standards listed on the Directory is aprocess by which NZQA can provide an assurance that assessment decisions inrelation to Assessment Standards are consistent nationally.
b. NZQA will annually select internally assessed Assessment Standards from acrosscurriculum areas to form the School’s moderation plan. Some of these standards
may be randomly selected for a National Systems Check to calculate a national
teacher/moderator agreement rate, at each NCEA Level.
c. Each School will submit assessment material to NZQA prior to their moderation
submission date for the selected Assessment Standards, which will include samples
of students’ work selected according to the school’s selection process. Schools are
required to ensure that teachers have no opportunity to re-mark the sample ofstudent work after it has been selected.
d. All samples submitted must clearly distinguish each student’s work, be easy to read,and account for any privacy issues (for example known protection orders or by usinga unique identifier in a way that is permissible under Principle 12 of the Information
Privacy Principles of the Privacy Act 1993).
e. NZQA will carry out external moderation and will provide information to the School,summarising the results.
f.

Schools must address issues that are identified in the external moderation process,including the use of invalid tasks and lack of agreement by the moderator withassessor judgements.

Appeal of an External Moderation Reportg. Teachers, through the Principal’s Nominee, may appeal to NZQA any content of theexternal moderator’s report. Only the original moderation material can be included in
the appeal.
i.
ii.

The Principal’s Nominee of a school may make an appeal through the NZQA
External Moderation Application.
Reasons for the appeal must be provided along with the original moderationmaterial.

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iii.

iv.

In the appeal the Appeal Moderator will review the process followed and thedecision based on the moderation material and reasoning of the decision, andfurther cogent evidence made available.
The School (through the Principal's Nominee) will be notified of the appeal
decision within 20 business days through the NZQA External Moderation
Application from the date of the submission of the appeal.

Review of a Declined Appeal Decisionv.

The School whose appeal is declined may apply for a review of the appeal
decision in writing to the Manager, Assessment and Moderation, NZQA, PO Box
160, Wellington 6140, within 15 business days of the appeal decision.

Chief Executive Reconsideration
vi.
vii.

For an unsuccessful review the Principal’s Nominee may apply to the Chief
Executive within 15 business days of the review decision for a reconsideration of
the review.
The Chief Executive's decision concludes the NZQA process and takes effectthe following business day.

h. Where external moderation identifies authenticity issues at a School, NZQA willadvise the Principal’s Nominee and in the first instance the School is required toinvestigate a possible Breach of the Rules - Internal Assessment.
i.

6.6

NZQA will exercise all care in processing assessment material submitted to it forexternal moderation and in returning them to Schools. NZQA is unable to accept any
liability however for the non-delivery of, or damage to, these materials.

Breaches of the Rules – Internal Assessmenta. Schools must have written procedures, based on the principles of natural justice, andfairness, for receiving, investigating and making decisions on reported conduct by a
Candidate that might constitute a breach of its rules relating to internal assessment
like those outlined in the Breaches of the Rules – External Assessment.
b. The procedures must include allowing the Candidate: an opportunity to provide an explanation
 the right of appeal to a designated person
 clear and fair timelines.
c. Where a Candidate has been found to have knowingly, fraudulently or unwittingly
breached the rules and the breach undermines the credibility of the assessment, theSchool must report a “Not Achieved” grade for the Assessment Standard.

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6.7

Assessment Opportunities for Internal Assessment

a. A ‘Not Achieved’ grade must be recorded for a student who has had an adequate
opportunity to be assessed but has failed to avail themselves of this opportunity.
b. Assessment evidence used to award grades needs to be available for verification,
and approaches to assessment that involve collection of evidence must be
documented.
Further Assessment Opportunityc. Where manageable, and after further learning has taken place, Candidates may beoffered a maximum of one further opportunity for assessment against an Assessment
Standard within an academic year.
d. All students, including those who did not complete the original assessment for areason acceptable under the School’s policies, must be able to:i.
access the further opportunity, if they wish; andii.
use the further opportunity to improve their original grade.
e.

Students must be awarded the higher grade achieved over both opportunities.

Resubmission
f. A resubmission may be offered to a student who did not achieve the standard if theteacher judges the student has made a minor error or omission that they should becapable of discovering and correcting on their own.
g. A resubmission must be limited to specific aspects of the assessment and no morethan one resubmission must be provided per assessment opportunity.
h. The result of a resubmission is limited to an Achieved grade.

6.8

Industry Training Organisation Managed Systems

a. Schools must work directly with each relevant Transitional Industry Training
Organisation (TITO) or Workforce Development Council (WDC) for assessing
Candidates against industry-related standards.
b. Schools assessing standards managed by a Transitional ITO or WDC must engage in
the national moderation system managed by the Transitional ITO or WDC.
Information about the requirements of each system is found in the Consent andModeration Requirements (CMR) document attached to each Assessment Standard.

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7. External Assessment
This section applies to external assessment systems administered by NZQA.
External assessment involves assessment by Common Assessment Task,
examination, portfolio submission, or submitted report.

7.1

General Conditions for External Assessmenta. The following administrative systems will apply to all Assessment Standards that are
externally assessed.

Guiding Principles for Sitting Examinations:b. Examinations will be held at such times and places as determined by NZQA.
c. NZQA will publish an examination timetable, by the end of the current school year,
derived from previous entry data, designed to minimise possible examination clashes
for Candidates.
d. NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship examinations will be sat at the published times
in New Zealand, the Cook Islands and Niue.
e. Where possible, Candidates with examination clashes will have their assessment
needs accommodated in line with the administrative guidelines published by NZQA
for examination clash management.

7.1.1 Examination Centres
a. Examination Centres will be established annually by reference to:i.
the number of total Candidate entries;ii.
the number of examination sessions and Candidate entries within thoseexamination sessions;iii.
distance and travel to any other existing established examination centre;iv.
the review by NZQA of Candidate entries for the previous year including
absentee numbers and standards not attempted; andv.
the cost-effective use of limited resources.
b. NZQA may also combine established examination centres to ensure the costeffective use of limited resources in urban areas where there are few Candidate
entries for examination sessions.
c. In extenuating circumstances, NZQA may approve special accommodation at thecost of the School or Candidate/s to cater for concerns in relation to Candidates
sitting at examination centres.
Special Examination Centres
d. Where a Candidate has entries made through a School and either i.
no local school is available to be an examination centre; orii.
NZQA considers that in the circumstances it would be prudent to have a special
examination centre NZQA may establish a special examination centre. Such cases usually relate to
Candidates who are living in remote areas and/or studying through Te Aho o Te Kura
Pounamu.
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e. Applications to establish a special examination centre must be made by a Candidate
or Principal’s Nominee before 1 August 2021 on the approved form, which isavailable from NZQA or Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu.
f.

The School is responsible for identifying:i.
a suitable examination venue, which allows Candidates to work uninterrupted
for the duration of each examination free from noise and other distractions; andii.
a suitable supervisor for each examination who must:
1. follow the requirements of Rule 7.1.2 for examination supervision;
2. be able to ensure that examination security is maintained; and3. have no family or current teaching/instructional relationship with any
Candidate.

g. Any costs associated with the use of the venue are the responsibility of the applicant.
h. In all cases the published NZQA examination timetable will apply.

7.1.2 Examination Supervision
a. A School must recommend to NZQA a suitable person to act as the school’s
Examination Centre Manager (ECM) by 30 June, 2021
b. NZQA will appoint the ECM where satisfied the person is suitable and may withdraw
the appointment where NZQA considers the person is no longer suitable.
c. The ECM must:i.
comply with the NZQA Code of Conduct; andii.
ensure that all instructions issued by NZQA for the control of the examination
centre are carried out; andiii.
appoint and train supervisors for the examination centre in accordance with thesupervisor schedule issued by NZQA.
d. Supervision must be such that Candidates at each examination centre comply with
the instructions of NZQA, the ECM and supervisors.
e. The Principal’s Nominee must ensure that suitable accommodation and equipment
are available for each examination, and provide support, as appropriate, for the ECM.
f.

The School must review the ECM’s performance annually.

7.1.3 External Assessment by other than NZQA Examinations
a. The following externally assessed standards will not be assessed through NZQA
examinations: Technology (including Design and Visual Communication)
 Visual Arts
 Level 3 Education for Sustainability New Zealand Scholarship Health and Physical Education
 New Zealand Scholarship Music.

19

b. The Assessment Specifications published by NZQA before the end of 2020 provide
information about the processes for 2021 relating to external assessment, including
for the above standards.
c. The details of the assessment processes, including the submission of Candidate
work, deadlines and timetables, will be published by NZQA during the current schoolyear.
d. All Candidate work submitted for external assessment must be authenticated as the
Candidate’s own work by Schools in accordance with their policy and procedures forauthenticity.
e. Work sent to NZQA that is not confirmed as authentic or reported as not being
authentic will be dealt with under a Breach of the Rules - External Assessment.
f.

Schools must manage any derived grade applications following the Derived Grade
Process and applying the instructions supplied by NZQA to the School.

g. Schools must submit samples of Candidate work for verification of assessor
judgements consistent with their Consent to Assess.

7.1.4 Assessment of Common Assessment Tasks
a. The details of the assessment processes for common assessment tasks, including
the submission of Candidate work, deadlines and timetables, will be published by
NZQA by August 30 2021.
b. Schools must administer, and if required, mark work, and submit a sample ofCandidate work to NZQA for verification of assessor judgements in accordance with
the NZQA-published assessment processes.
c. All Candidate work submitted for external assessment must be authenticated as the
Candidate’s own work by Schools in accordance with their policy and procedures forauthenticity.
d. Schools must manage any breaches of the rules using their Breaches of the Rules –Internal Assessment procedures and applying the instructions supplied by NZQA to
the School for the common assessment task.
e. Schools must manage any derived grade applications following the Derived Grade
Process and applying the instructions supplied by NZQA to the School for thecommon assessment task.

7.1.5 Derived Grade Processa. The derived grade process is available only for external assessments.
b. Where:
20

i.
ii.
iii.

NZQA marks an external examination, or a submitted portfolio, or Common
Assessment task (CAT), Candidates must apply to NZQA via their School:
Schools mark and NZQA verifies a sample of student work for a portfolio
submission, Schools must follow their late assessment policy:
Schools mark and NZQA verifies a sample of student work for a Common
Assessment Task (CAT), Schools must follow their missed assessment policy.

c. Derived grades are available where:
i.
the Candidate’s performance or ability to undertake an external assessment isseriously impaired by an event such as illness, trauma, misadventure, or
bereavement of a family member or close acquaintance; orii.
the Candidate’s performance or ability to undertake an external assessment isprevented by being selected to represent a country at a sporting or cultural event
for which the Candidate has, in advance, applied to NZQA for pre-approval of
eligibility; oriii.
the Candidate considers that their performance or ability to undertake an external
assessment was seriously impaired by exceptional circumstances beyond theircontrol; oriv.
in the case of external standards assessed by the submission of a portfolio ofevidence or reports, the Candidate after 1 October 2021, has suffered atemporary impairment, including a physical injury, temporary acute illness or an
emotional trauma, which has seriously impaired the Candidate’s preparation forthe submission.
d. A derived grade is not available for New Zealand Scholarship subjects.
e. An applicant for a derived grade must complete the relevant sections of the published
NZQA application form for a derived grade and submit this to the School by the
specified date.
f.

The School must:
submit all applications by the specified date,retain the application form and any supporting information for one year for audit
purposes,iii.
indicate whether they support the application.
i.
ii.

g. Where an event has occurred that is likely to result in applications from a group of
Candidates (such as a bereavement of a student from the School), Schools should
contact NZQA for advice on managing any necessary derived grade process.
h. In exceptional circumstances NZQA may accept late applications, but no application
for a derived grade can be accepted after results have been released in January
2022.
i.

The grade submitted to NZQA must be from quality assured, pre-existing, valid,authentic, standard-specific evidence and:i.
from a practice assessment of the standard for which a derived grade is applied;orii.
from across a range of assessment activities where the Candidate21

demonstrates authentic achievement of the registered criteria of the standard forwhich a derived grade is applied.
Decision-making processj.

After considering the application NZQA will respond as follows:i.
approve the application and award the better result for the Candidate based oneither the submitted grade or the external assessment result as part of therelease of external results in January 2022; orii.
request further information from the Candidate (through the Principal’s
Nominee); oriii.
advise the Candidate in writing and the School (through the Principal's
Nominee) of the decision to decline the application and the reason it does notmeet the eligibility criteria.

Appeal of a Declined Derived Grade Decision
k. A Candidate may appeal against a decision to decline a derived grade application inwriting to the Manager of School Quality Assurance and Liaison within 15 businessdays of the decision.
l.

Reasons for the appeal must be provided along with further relevant information andreasoning as to the basis for the appeal.

m. In the appeal, the Manager will review the process followed and the decision basedon the application material and reasoning of the decision and may take into accountany further cogent evidence made available.
n. The Candidate and the School (through the Principal's Nominee) will be notified of
the Manager’s decision in writing within 15 business days of the receipt of the appeal
request.
Review of a Declined Derived Grade Decisiono. A Candidate whose appeal is declined by the Manager may apply for a review of theappeal decision in writing to the Chief Executive within 15 business days of thedecision.
p. The Chief Executive’s decision concludes the NZQA process and takes effect the
day after the day it is made.

7.1.6 Unexpected Event Grade Process
a. NZQA reserves the right to apply the unexpected event grade process where a groupof Candidates is significantly disadvantaged by extraordinary circumstances beyond
their control.

7.1.7 Return of Achievement Standard External Assessment Material
a. NZQA will return examination responses related to external assessment of
Achievement Standards in February 2022 by mail to the New Zealand postal addressprovided to NZQA or (if the technology has been put in place) will provide electronic
22

access to some or all external assessment materials through the Learner Login(except for portfolio material which will be physically returned).
b. Candidates whose entry details show an overseas address and who wish to havetheir external assessment material sent to that or a different overseas address, must
apply on the NZQA form before 1 March 2022, and pay the appropriate fee in the
Fee Schedule.
c. Where NZQA is returning physical copies of any external assessment materials to
Candidates, NZQA will exercise appropriate care in processing external assessment
materials and returning them to Candidates. NZQA is, however, unable to accept any
liability for any damage to the materials or non-delivery of them to a Candidate.
d. NZQA is unable to accept liability for any damage to the materials or non-delivery ofthem where they are sent to NZQA for a review or reconsideration.
e. All unclaimed external assessment materials will be disposed of on or after 30 June
2022.
f.

All electronic copies of external assessment materials will be deleted on or after 30
June 2022 following the assessment, and any electronic access that Candidates may
have through the Learner Login will not be available after 30 June 2022.

g. NZQA may alter these dates in extenuating circumstances.

7.1.8 Review or Reconsideration of External Assessment Resultsa. Candidates may apply to NZQA for a review or reconsideration of results of external
assessments except in the case of –i.
Level 1 and 2 Visual Arts standards, andii.
Level 1 Mathematics and Statistics 91027 (MCAT) for which they need to apply to the School and the School is responsible through theirpolicies for any review of results in accordance with the process NZQA advises to the
Schools in 2021.
b. Responses which have been changed in any way will not be eligible for review orreconsideration, and will be dealt with under Breaches of the Rules - External
Assessment.
c. In the unlikely event that external assessment material goes missing, and in theabsence of evidence to the contrary, reviews and reconsiderations are not available,
and the existing reported grade will stand.
d. All Candidates will be notified of the outcome of the review or reconsideration within
six weeks of receipt of their complete application by NZQA.

23

Reviews
e. Candidates may request a review of external assessment material only if they
consider a processing error has been made (such as one or more sections
unmarked, or the incorrect transfer of scores).
f.

NZQA will fix and publish the closing date for review requests in 2021 which will be
not less than seven days after the external assessment materials are returned
following the results having been released.

g. In exceptional circumstances, NZQA may accept late review requests.
h. The review request must be made in writing to NZQA and must specify the nature of
the alleged processing error.
Reconsiderationsi.

Reconsideration of externally assessed standards is available except where it is notpracticable to do so.

j.

Candidates may apply for reconsideration if they believe that their work has not beenassessed correctly and they wish to have it re-marked against the assessment
schedule.

k. Applications for reconsideration of external assessment material must be made online from the Candidate’s Learner Login and the Candidate must pay thereconsideration fee set out in the Fee Schedule.
Fee waiver for reconsiderationsl.

For a Candidate to be eligible for a waiver of the reconsideration fee, the fee payer
must meet at least one of the following criteria:i.
be receiving a Work and Income or Study Link benefit (benefit-based
applications); orii.
have a joint family income that would entitle the applicant to receive a Community
Services Card from Work and Income (income-based applications).

m. Fee waivers for reconsiderations are not available to international fee-paying
students or students resident in the Cook Islands or Niue.
n. The application for the fee waiver is done as part of the process of applying for areconsideration.
o. NZQA will fix and publish the closing date for reconsideration applications in 2021
which will be not less than seven days after external assessment materials are
returned following results having been released.
p. In exceptional circumstances NZQA may accept late applications.
q. The reconsideration will include reassessment of the Candidate’s work using theoriginal assessment schedule(s), the checking of all processes, and checking that all
responses have been marked and that the scores have been correctly transferred.
24

r.

Candidates whose grade is improved will be sent a refund of the reconsideration fee.

s. If the student’s external assessment material goes missing during the reconsideration
process, the existing reported grade will stand.

7.1.9 Breaches of the Rules – External Assessmenta.

This Rule 7.1.9 applies to all externally assessed standards, but excluding Visual Arts
Level 1 or 2, and assessment by a Common Assessment Task for which the School’s
Breaches of the Rules – Internal Assessment procedures must be used.

b.

In relation to external assessment NZQA may undertake an investigation into any
report of the following kinds of conduct (called a “breach of the rules of external
assessment”):
i.

failure to follow instructions – a Candidate or another person is reported tohave failed to follow the instructions of NZQA (such as those of an examination
supervisor) whether knowingly or unwittingly, or to have failed to follow any
requirements of the Instructions to Candidates 2021, the supervisor’s
instructions or instructions on the Candidate’s admission slip:ii.

influencing/assisting/hindering candidates or disrupting the external
assessment – a Candidate or person is reported to have influenced, assisted orhindered one or more Candidates, or otherwise disrupted an external
assessment, whether knowingly or unwittingly:iii.

dishonest or inappropriate practice by a Candidate - a Candidate or anotherperson is reported to have knowingly or unwittingly:
1. accessed, or attempted to access, information, materials, or help fromanother person
2. altered returned materials prior to seeking a review or reconsideration;
3. used any document or certificate produced by NZQA in a way thatprovides them with an advantage (monetary or otherwise); or
4. engaged in any other practice that might result in an advantage to the
Candidate or other Candidates:iv.

inauthentic material - a Candidate is reported to have submitted material forassessment that is not their own, whether knowingly or unwittingly:v.

impersonation - a person is reported to have impersonated or dishonestly
claimed to be a Candidate entered for an externally assessed standard, in whichcase these Rules may apply to the alleged impersonator, to the Candidate who
has allegedly been impersonated, and to any other person who may haveassisted or concealed the impersonation.

c. Before deciding whether or not to undertake an investigation, NZQA may seek toclarify the reported conduct.
d. Where NZQA has initiated an investigation, a Candidate or other person whose
reported conduct may have possibly breached these Rules will be sent a letter withcopies of any relevant information or reports, indicating the:i.
conduct that may have been in breach of the rules;
25

ii.
iii.
iv.

rule/s that the conduct may have breached;
process that will be followed; andentries and any results that may be withheld until the investigation is completed
and a decision is reached and will be invited to make written comment to NZQA about their conduct within 15
business days of the date of the letter.

e. Investigation into a possible breach of the rules of external assessment by a
Candidate or other person may involve consultation with the Principal’s Nomineefrom the Candidate’s school or Candidate’s school(s) or any other person able toprovide relevant information.
f.

While NZQA is investigating a possible breach of the rules of external assessment it
may suspend the release of all or part of the results of any Candidate who is believed
to be involved, until a decision is made as to whether or not a breach has occurred.

g. If, at any stage of the investigation, NZQA receives written comment from the
Candidate or any other person which explains their conduct and satisfies NZQA thata breach by the Candidate or other person has not occurred or is not proven, any
entries and results which may have been withheld will be released and no further
action will be taken.
Decision-making processh.

After any written comment is received from the Candidate or other person within the
15 business days, or on or after the expiry of the 15 business days if no written
communication is received, a decision will be made by the relevant staff member of
NZQA (with delegated authority from the Chief Executive) on the reported breach of
the rules of external assessment, taking into consideration all the information
received, when the staff member of NZQA reasonably believes there is sufficient
information upon which to make an informed decision.

i.

The Candidate or other person will be informed in writing of the decision by NZQA,
and, if a breach is found, the penalties (if any) to be imposed.

j.

Where NZQA considers a formal face-to-face meeting would assist in eliciting
information upon which an informed decision can be made, the Candidate or otherperson will be invited to the meeting and may bring a support person with them. The
meeting will be chaired by an independent appointee of the Chief Executive (forexample, a former school principal), and the following procedure will apply:
i.

ii.
iii.

the Candidate or other person will be given reasonable notice of the date of any
face-to-face meeting, will be given copies of any relevant new reports orinformation held by NZQA, and may provide written submissions prior to themeeting:
the Candidate or other person may choose to provide written submissions andnot attend the face-to-face meeting:
the Candidate or other person may choose to neither provide written
submissions nor attend a face-to-face meeting.

26

k. Where the Candidate or other person chooses not to –i.
provide written submissions; orii.
accept the offer of a face-to-face meeting; oriii.
reply to the offer of a face-to-face meeting; oriv.
attend the face-to-face meeting after accepting the offer of a meeting –the decision-making process will be as provided for in paragraphs n (i) and n (ii)of this Rule 7.1.9.
l.

Where the Candidate provides a written submission, but does not attend the face-toface meeting, the decision-making process will be as provided for in paragraphs n (i)and n (ii) of this Rule 7.1.9.

m. Where the Candidate or other person attends the face-to-face meeting, theindependent appointee chairing the meeting will:i.
outline to the Candidate or other person the reported conduct that may be inbreach of the rules and the possible penalties; andii.
listen to, discuss and clarify:
1. any issues in relevant submissions and views of NZQA, and of the
Candidate or of the other person in relation to the reported conduct;
2. any issues in respect of breaches of the rules of external assessment, and3. any issues in respect of penalties.
n. Following the meeting with the Candidate or other person or where paragraph l. of
this Rule 7.1.9 applies i.
the independent appointee will make one or more recommendations on whether
the reported conduct was a breach of the rules of external assessment, and if a
breach is found, on relevant penalties; andii.
the recommendation will be given to the NZQA staff member with the delegatedauthority who will proceed to make a decision and will document the decision
with reasons.
o. NZQA will, within 15 business days of the decision being made (unless there is goodreason not to) notify the Candidate or other person of that decision.
Penalties that may be imposed
p. Where the decision is that the Candidate or other person has breached the rules ofexternal assessment, the Candidate or other person will be given a formal warningand any one or more of the following actions may be taken:i.
permanent withholding of the entries and results of the Candidate or otherperson in relation to the externally assessed standard/s where breaches were
established (note that this will not include results in other externally assessed
standards from the current or previous years unless justified by the investigation
outcome):ii.
conditions placed on the Candidate or other person when entering further
external assessments including, but not limited to, an agreed code of conduct:iii.
disqualification of the Candidate or other person from entering further New
Zealand Scholarship or external assessment for national or New Zealandqualifications in specified assessments or for a specified period of time.

27

q. NZQA may refer any breach of the rules to relevant authorities (including the Police
where criminal behaviour is believed to have occurred) for consideration by thoseauthorities (for example in the case of impersonation).

7.1.10 Appeal and review of Appeal Decision – External Assessment
a. A Candidate or other person who has been found to have breached the rules ofexternal assessment, and who believes a decision was incorrect may appeal inwriting to the Manager of School Quality Assurance and Liaison, within 15 businessdays of the date the notification of the decision was sent to the Candidate or otherperson.
b. The request for an appeal must include the reasons why the Candidate or otherperson believes the decision is incorrect.
c. The Candidate or other person will be notified of the Manager’s decision within 15
business days of the receipt of the appeal request.
d. In the appeal, the Manager will review the process followed and the decision basedon the investigation material and reasoning of the decision and any further cogent
evidence that may be made available.
e. A Candidate or other person who has been found on appeal to have breached therules may apply for a review of the appeal decision, including any penalties imposed,in writing to the Chief Executive within 15 business days of the date the notification of
the appeal decision was sent to the Candidate or other person.
f.

The request for review must include the reasons why the Candidate or other person
believes the decision should be further reviewed, and whether or not the Candidate
or other person wishes to be heard in person (including by telephone conference).

g. A review by the Chief Executive is to confirm whether it is more likely than not thatthe breach of the rules of external assessment occurred.
h. The Chief Executive may adopt any procedure for the review he or she believes
reasonable in the circumstances.
i.

The Chief Executive will ensure that all involved parties have a copy of any new
information and allow sufficient time for consideration of and any comment on that
information.

j.

Where a Candidate or other person does not wish to be heard in person, the Chief
Executive may proceed to make a decision on the basis of the information received.

k. Where a Candidate or other person wishes to be heard, it will be at their own
expense and the meeting will be held at NZQA offices in Wellington.
l.

The Chief Executive will correspond with the Candidate or other person to set a
mutually convenient date for the hearing. If, after reasonable attempts, a mutuallyconvenient date cannot be found, the Chief Executive will set and specify a date forthe hearing.

28

m. In carrying out the review and making a decision the Chief Executive may, at theChief Executive’s discretion, and whether or not a hearing has been requested, do
any or all of the following:i.
ask for further relevant information from any party:ii.
receive any new information from any party that is relevant, whether or not theChief Executive has asked for that information:iii.
obtain any advice or expertise from third parties that may assist the decision,
which for the avoidance of doubt may include handwriting or scientific advice orexpertise:iv.
allow sufficient time for parties to consider any new information, advice orexpertise:v.
decide to refer the matter back to the original decision-maker forreconsideration:vi.
confirm or change any decision.
n. Where a Candidate or other person has appealed the decision to the Manager, or
has applied for a review by the Chief Executive of the decision, and the decision
being appealed or reviewed involves the penalty of disqualification from entering
further externally assessed standards, pending the outcome of the appeal or review
the Candidate or other person may make an entry for those externally assessed
standards in any year to which the disqualification would otherwise apply.
o. If the review confirms the original decision, any penalties will be reapplied, and the
Candidate’s entry for externally assessed standards may be withdrawn.
p. The Chief Executive’s decision concludes the NZQA process, and takes effect the
day after the day it is made.

7.2

New Zealand Scholarship 2021: General assessment rules andprocedures

a. Unless stated otherwise, the General Assessment Rules in section 5 of these Rules
apply to New Zealand Scholarship.
b. NZQA publishes the New Zealand Scholarship subjects for Assessment.

7.2.1 New Zealand Scholarship: Monetary Awards
a. The New Zealand Scholarship Monetary Awards for 2021 are available to Candidates
who meet Rules 5.2 Candidate Eligibility and 5.3 Conditions of Entry and comprise:29

Premier Award

Outstanding
Scholar Awardo

For the very top 7 to 12 Candidates. The minimum eligibility
requirement to be considered for this award is achievement of at least
three Scholarships at “Outstanding” level in the same year. The
number of recipients for this award is restricted and achieving theminimum requirement will not guarantee an award.

o$10,000 each year for up to three years for as long as the recipientmaintains at least a ‘B’ grade average each year of their tertiary study.

oFor the next 40-60 top Candidates. The minimum eligibility
requirement to be considered for this award is achievement of three
Scholarships including at least two at “Outstanding” level in the same
year, or more than three Scholarships including at least one at“Outstanding” level in the same year. The number of recipients for thisaward is restricted and achieving the minimum requirement will notguarantee an award.

o$5,000 each year for up to three years for as long as the recipientmaintains at least a ‘B’ grade average each year of their tertiary study.

o

For Candidates who achieve New Zealand Scholarship in three ormore subjects in the same year and for Candidates who achieve two
Scholarships at “Outstanding” level in the same year.

o$2,000 each year for up to three years for as long as the recipientmaintains at least a ‘B’ grade average each year of their tertiary study.

oFor the top Candidate in each one of the New Zealand Scholarshipsubjects.

o$2,000 each year for up to three years for as long as the recipientmaintains at least a ‘B’ grade average each year of their tertiary study.

Scholarship
Award

Top Subject
Scholar Award

Single Subject
Awardso

For Candidates who achieve New Zealand Scholarship in one ormore subjects.

oA ‘one-off’ award of $500 per subject, for up to two subjects,(maximum payment $1000).

30

Eligibility to receive a monetary award
b. For recipients of all New Zealand Scholarship awards:
i.

ii.
iii.

iv.

the recipient must be enrolled in tertiary study in New Zealand (at least 0.4
Equivalent full-time student (EFTs)) with an institution which holds accreditation
under section 441 of the Act to provide one or more approved programmes, andmust allow use of their name and school for publicity about their success:Single Subject Awards are paid only in the first year of tertiary study in New
Zealand:for awards with second or subsequent year payments, recipients must maintainat least a ‘B’ grade average during each year of their tertiary study in New
Zealand with an accredited provider in order to qualify for payment in thefollowing year:
Note that StudyLink has separate requirements relating to payment of New
Zealand Scholarship Awards.

c. Monetary awards for New Zealand Scholarship cannot be accumulated except as
specified below.
d. Where a Candidate meets the criteria for more than one monetary award, he or she
will receive only the award of the highest monetary value, except where a Candidate
receives a Top Subject Scholar Award and also achieves a Single Subject Award in adifferent subject, in which case he or she will receive the Top Subject Scholar Awardand a maximum of one $500 Single Subject Award.
e. The monetary amounts for the Premier Award, Outstanding Scholar Award andScholarship Award are available only for results obtained within the year of entry.
Thus results cannot be aggregated over a period of time.
f.

To be eligible for New Zealand Scholarship Monetary Awards, Candidates must
notify NZQA through their Learner Login of their intention to accept an award by 15
January 2022 following the receipt of their result.

g. NZQA must be notified annually of a recipient’s intention to defer a monetary award.
Recipients of monetary awards may annually defer receiving the award for up to four
consecutive years after they leave school.
h. A Candidate who defers an award because they are still at school and gains:i.
an award in the same subject in more than one year will only receive one
monetary award being the highest value award achieved:ii.
a Single Subject Award in one subject in a year and in a second subject inanother year is eligible for two one-off awards of $500 as long as the student is
enrolled in tertiary study as outlined in Rule 7.2.1b.i up to the maximum
payment of $1000 for Single Subject Awards:iii.
a Single Subject Award in one subject in a year, but fails to gain a Single
Subject Award in the same subject in another year, will still be eligible to be paid
for the award gained:

31

iv.

v.
vi.

i.

a Single Subject Award in one or two subjects and the Scholarship Award in
three or more subjects in another year is eligible only for the Scholarship Awardin the three or more subjects:
a Top Subject Scholar Award in the same subject in two different years will
receive payment for one Top Subject Scholar Award only:a Top Subject Scholar Award in a subject in a year and a Single Subject Awardin a second subject in another year, or vice versa, will receive both awards.

New Zealand Scholarship results do not contribute towards the University Entrance.

7.2.2 New Zealand Scholarship: Prime Minister’s Award for Academic
Excellencea. The Prime Minister’s Award is awarded to the Candidate who has attained the best
results of all Premier Award recipients, taking into account the number of New
Zealand Scholarships achieved at “Outstanding” level, the number of additional New
Zealand Scholarships achieved, and the ranking of Candidates within individual
subjects.

7.2.3 New Zealand Scholarship: Assessment Processes
a. New Zealand Scholarship Candidates may apply for special assessment conditions
under Rule 5.4.
b. A derived grade is not available for New Zealand Scholarship assessment.
c. In exceptional circumstances, where possible, and in fairness to all other Candidates,
special consideration may be given at the discretion of the Chief Executive to any
Candidate disadvantaged by the administration of the examination or conduct of theexternal assessment process.

7.2.4 New Zealand Scholarship: Use of Technology and Equipment forAssessment Purposesa. Candidates may only use relevant technology as specified in Rule 5.6, in theassessment specifications, or in specific instructions for New Zealand Scholarship
Candidates.

7.2.5 New Zealand Scholarship: Reporting and Return of Assessment
Materiala. Prior to 1 March 2022 NZQA will release results to New Zealand Scholarship
Candidates.
b. NZQA will not return New Zealand Scholarship Health and Physical Education, andMusic responses as Candidates are expected to keep a copy.

32

c. Candidates requiring portfolio material to be returned to an overseas address must
apply using the correct NZQA form and the application must be accompanied by theappropriate fees in the Fee Schedule.
d. Where NZQA is physically returning any external assessment materials to
Candidates, NZQA will exercise all care in processing and returning them. NZQA is
however unable to accept any liability to a Candidate for the non-delivery or damageof these materials. NZQA is also unable to accept any liability to a Candidate for the
non-delivery to NZQA of materials submitted by a Candidate for a review orreconsideration.
e. Where materials are lost, reviews and reconsiderations are unable to be carried out.
f.

All unclaimed hard copy external assessment materials will be disposed of on or after
30 June 2022.

g. Any electronic copies of external assessment materials will be deleted on or after 30
June 2022 following the assessment.

33

8.

Results, Awards, and Recognition
This section relates to recording of results on Candidates’ Records of Achievement,
Credit Exclusion, award of NCEA and other School qualifications, NCEA Certificate
and Course endorsements, University Entrance minimum requirements andrecognition, Vocational Pathways recognition, and NCEA Credit Inclusion.

8.1

New Zealand Record of Achievement

a. Results for all Assessment Standards achieved in 2021 will be recorded on a
Candidate’s New Zealand Record of Achievement following the release of results inJanuary 2022.
b. Except for Rule 8.2, Credit Exclusion, all credits on a Candidate’s New Zealand
Record of Achievement are used for NCEA Certificates, NCEA Certificate
endorsement, Course endorsements, other School qualifications, University
Entrance, and Vocational Pathways.

8.2

Credit Exclusiona. Where different standards assess the same learning outcome those standards are
specified in the Exclusions List.
b. Standards on the Exclusions List are mutually exclusive for the purposes ofdetermining the award of NCEA Certificates, NCEA Certificate endorsements,
Course endorsements, other school qualifications, University Entrance andVocational Pathways.
c. Standards recorded multiple times on a Candidate’s New Zealand Record ofAchievement are mutually exclusive for the purposes of determining the award of
NCEA Certificates, NCEA Certificate endorsements, Course endorsements, otherschool qualifications, University Entrance and Vocational Pathways.
d. From the mutually exclusive standards, the standard with the best outcome for the
student for each circumstance will be used for determining the award of NCEA
Certificates, NCEA Certificate endorsement, Course endorsement, other school
qualifications, University Entrance and Vocational Pathways.

8.3

Certificates for the Award of NCEA Qualifications

a. A Level 1 NCEA certificate for the award of the Level 1 NCEA Qualification to a
Candidate is based on a minimum of 80 Applicable credits at Level 1 or higher, andof those minimum 80 credits the Candidate must have;i.

in literacy achieved either:
1. 10 credits from the specified literacy Achievement Standards published on
the NZQA website; or
2. 10 credits from the literacy Assessment standards published on the NZQA
website; andii.

in numeracy achieved either:34

1. 10 credits from the specified numeracy Achievement Standards for
published on the NZQA website; or
2. 10 credits from the numeracy Assessment standards (published on the
NZQA website).
b. When calculating the Level 1 NCEA literacy and numeracy achievements, where
credits from a standard contribute towards both the literacy and numeracy
achievements, the credits will be counted towards both the literacy and the numeracy
achievements but the credits that contribute towards both the literacy and numeracy
achievements will be counted only once for the purposes of the minimum 80 credits
achievement.
c. A Level 2 NCEA certificate for the award of the Level 2 NCEA Qualification to a
Candidate is based on a minimum of 80 Applicable credits at Level 1 or higher, and i.

of those minimum 80 credits the Candidate must have achieved a minimum of 60
credits at Level 2 or higher; andii.

the Candidate must have met the Level 1 NCEA Certificate Literacy and
Numeracy requirements.

d. A Level 3 NCEA Certificate for the award of the Level 3 NCEA Qualification to a
Candidate is based on a minimum of 80 Applicable credits at Level 2 or higher, and -

8.4

i.

of those minimum 80 credits the Candidate must have achieved 60 credits at
Level 3 or higher; andii.

the Candidate must have met the Level 1 NCEA Certificate Literacy and
Numeracy requirements.

Endorsement of NCEA certificatesa. Endorsement of NCEA certificates occurs following the release of results in January2022 based on credits on a Candidate’s New Zealand Record of Achievement at thattime.
b. Where a Candidate qualifies for Excellence or Merit endorsement under paragraphsc. and d. of this Rule 8.4, subject to paragraphs e. and f. of this Rule 8.4, only thehighest eligible NCEA Certificate endorsement from the following list will berecognised on the Certificate awarding the NCEA Qualification:
NCEA Level 3 Excellence
NCEA Level 3 Merit
NCEA Level 2 Excellence
NCEA Level 2 Merit
NCEA Level 1 Excellence
NCEA Level 1 Merit.
c. An Excellence endorsement of an NCEA certificate is issued to Candidates who
have achieved 50 or more credits from standards with a grade of Excellence at thesame or higher Level as the NCEA Certificate being endorsed.
d. A Merit endorsement of an NCEA certificate is issued to Candidates who haveachieved 50 or more credits from standards with a grade of either Merit or
Excellence at the same or higher Level as the NCEA Certificate being endorsed.

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e. Where a Candidate qualifies for a NCEA Certificate at more than one Level inJanuary of a year, each of those Certificates will be checked for endorsement.
f.

8.5

A Candidate may apply for NCEA Certificate endorsement in a year subsequent to
the year the Candidate received an NCEA Certificate, where the Candidate achieves
the required 50 or more credits at either Excellence or Merit at the Level of that
NCEA Certificate.

Course Endorsement

a. A Course eligible for Course endorsement at Excellence or Merit or Achieved is a
School-approved programme of assessment for a Candidate at Levels 1, 2 or 3
undertaken within one school year which:i. consists of Assessment Standards;
ii. follows NZQA guidelines and is notified to NZQA; andiii. meets the assessment requirements in paragraph b. of this Rule 8.5.
b. Subject to the exemptions in paragraph d of this Rule 8.5, for the purposes ofparagraph a.iii of this Rule 8.5, the School-approved programme of assessment
must contain a minimum of 14 credits from Assessment Standards, with:i. a minimum of three of those credits from internally assessed standards; andii. a minimum of three of those credits from externally assessed standards.
c. The course endorsement is gained at the Level of the lowest standard making up theeligible 14 credits. Subject to the exemptions in paragraph d. of this Rule 8.5, NZQA
will grant a Candidate a Course endorsement of:i.

Excellence where a Candidate achieves 14 or more credits fromstandards within the Course with a grade of Excellence, including at least
three of those credits from internal standards and three of those credits
from external standards:
ii. Merit where a Candidate achieves 14 or more credits from theassessment within the Course at Merit or Excellence, including at least
three of those credits from internal standards and three of those credits
from external standards.
iii. Achieved where a Candidate achieves 14 or more credits from theassessment within the Course at Achieved, Merit or Excellence, including
at least three of those credits from internal standards and three of thosecredits from external standards.
d. The following exemptions from the internal and external credit requirements for
Course endorsement are applicable:i.
For Courses where all the standards are from the subject area Physical
Education there is no requirement for 3 credits from externally assessed
standards:ii.

For Courses where all the standards are from the subject area Religious Studies
there is no requirement for 3 credits from externally assessed standards:iii.

For Courses where all the standards are at level 3 and from the subject area of
Visual Arts:

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1.

There is no requirement for 3 credits from internally assessed standards
where the Candidate has achieved a single 14 credit externally assessed
standard within the Course:

2.

There is no requirement for 3 credits from externally assessed standards
where the Candidate has achieved 14 credits from internally assessed
standards within the Course.

e. The credits recorded on a Candidate’s New Zealand Record of Achievement for aparticular standard are eligible to be used only once towards a single Course
endorsement for the year in which the credits were gained.
f.

A Candidate is eligible for only one endorsement for each Course.

g. Where a Candidate qualifies for both an Excellence and Merit Course endorsement
for a Course, only the Excellence endorsement will be issued.
h. Where a Candidate qualifies for both a Merit and an Achieved endorsement for a
Course, only the Merit endorsement will be issued.
i.

8.6

A Course endorsement is recognised on the Candidate’s New Zealand Record ofAchievement.

Award of other School Qualifications

a. NZQA will award qualifications on the School qualifications list using credits on the
Candidate’s New Zealand Record of Achievement as part of the release of external
results in January 2022.

8.7

University Entrance

8.7.1 New Zealand University Entrance Minimum Requirementsa. A student will have met the minimum requirements for entrance to a university in
New Zealand if the Student has obtained at least:i. NCEA Level 3; andii. 14 credits in three of the Approved subjects published on the NZQA website, andiii. a minimum of 10 literacy credits at Level 2 or above from the list of Literacy
requirements for University Entrance (published on the NZQA website) made upof 5 credits in reading and 5 credits in writing; andiv. a minimum of 10 numeracy credits at Level 1 or above from the Level 1
numeracy Achievement Standard list (published on the NZQA website), or
achievement of all three numeracy unit standards (26623, 26626, 26627).
b. Credits for the minimum requirements may be accumulated over more than one year.
c. Where two or more Assessment Standards assess the same learning outcome andare used for the minimum requirements, they are mutually exclusive for the
University Entrance award.

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8.7.2 University Entrance Recognition
a. A Student who meets the minimum requirements set out in Rule 8.7.1 will have
University Entrance recognised on the Student’s New Zealand Record ofAchievement as part of the release of external results in January 2022.
b. On application to NZQA Candidates may request a mid-year recognition of University
Entrance achieved in order to gain entrance to a tertiary institution in the second
semester of 2021.

8.8

Vocational Pathways

a. NZQA will recognise a Candidate’s achievement of a Vocational Pathway based on
Applicable credits.
b. University Entrance and Vocational Pathways are recognised on the Candidate’s
New Zealand Record of Achievement.

8.9

Production and issue of NCEA Certificates and transcript of New
Zealand Record of Achievement

a. Candidates who apply for one or more different NCEA Certificates are entitled to one
free copy of each Certificate applied for, with a fee as set out in the Fee Schedule
applying to further copies of NCEA Certificates requested.
b. Candidates may order one free hard copy of their New Zealand Record ofAchievement for each year that they undertake study, with a fee as set out in the Fee
Schedule applying to further hard copies of their New Zealand Record ofAchievement.
c. The New Zealand Record of Achievement is available free of charge in electronic
format (PDF) via NZQA’s secure web portal. A PDF authenticity verification service isalso available via NZQA’s website.

8.10 Credit Inclusion
The provisions for credit inclusion will be reviewed following the NCEA Review and the
Review of Achievement Standards. No new applications for Credit Inclusion will beconsidered until then. The published list of provisions applies until 31 March 2022.
a. NCEA has provision for recognition of credit equivalents from other qualifications orawards that are quality assured.
b. NZQA publishes an approved list of awards recognised for credit inclusion.
c. Credit equivalents from credit inclusion will not appear on the New Zealand Record ofAchievement, may be used only once, and do not contribute to the University
Entrance Level 3 requirements.
d. If a School wishes to access credit inclusion for any students, it should complete thecorrect NZQA form and send it to NZQA with the applicable student results.
e. Credit equivalents from awards on the approved list are only recognised if they were
gained within two years prior to the year of application for credit inclusion.
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8.10.1 Approved List for NCEA Credit Inclusion
The following awards are on the approved list: Asdan Youth Awards Scheme (Silver, Gold and Universities/Platinum) Certificate in Microsoft Office – Specialist
 Cisco Certified Networking Associate
 Young Enterprise Scheme Young Enterprise Examination
 Zayed College for Girls’ – Arabic Course.

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