Key dates and information
Please refer to the online version of the Key Dates to ensure you have access to the most up to date information.
Key dates for secondary assessment (external link)
17 March
Candidate Information Sheets sent to schools.
24 March
Data file submission opens (schools can upload entry and result data files to 色诱直播 from this date). Files will be processed from 1 April.
Web Entries Schools鈥� access opens.
1 April
First data file submission due.
On this page
General administration and data
Accessing 2025 External Assessment Material
Where the sample resources for external assessment in 2025 have redacted copyrighted content, they are available through
Access copyright assessment material link in General Security in your Provider Login.
Schools should use the Find PDF past exam content button and pick 2025 as the year.
Visual Arts Level 2 Portfolio Submission Bag
For schools that submitted Level 2 Visual Arts portfolio using the red bag, please ensure you have received these back from 色诱直播.
Please email logistics@nzqa.govt.nz if you are missing a bag. If you need to order a bag for use in 2025, or you have lost your bags, please complete the:
The cut off order date is 1 August 2025.
Outlier reports
If your 2024 results have generated an outlier report, you will have received an email from us. You can access the reports in your Provider Login under High Security. If the outlier page has the message 鈥楴o comparison report available to download鈥�, it means your 2024 data did not identify any outlier subjects.
If a 2024 outlier report is the second consecutive report for a subject, you will have received an additional email requesting evidence of your investigation into the cause of the generation of this report and actions you will take to address it.
色诱直播 has responsibility for ensuring the national consistency of assessor judgements for internally assessed results as well as for derived grade results at scale. As part of this responsibility, 色诱直播 monitors the results patterns from assessment in schools at a subject area level, to identify instances of significant variation. You will also want to investigate the reasons for the variation to be confident that your assessment results are credible.
These reports include:
- an Internal External Comparison Outlier Report, which is generated by subject and level for those schools where their internal compared to external modelled results differ significantly, in a statistical sense, from comparable schools (Equity Index Group)
- a Derived Grade Comparison Outlier Report, which is generated when a school鈥檚 pattern of derived grades at scale reported for unexpected events in a subject differs by two standard deviations or more from its final external results, with reference to comparable schools (Equity Index Group).
Support for Principal's Nominees
Online workshops
Co-requisite CAAs and TAP膩 management and entries (Literacy, Numeracy, Te Reo Matatini, Te Reo P膩ngarau)
This workshop is for school staff supporting the delivery of the co-requisite CAAs and TAP膩.
Term 2 PN priorities
This workshop is for all PNs and will cover key areas of focus for Term 2 including data files, monitoring moderation and CAAs and TAP膩.
Assessment Master basics
This workshop is for the administrator of CAAs and TAP膩 within your school and will demonstrate the key functions and new features of Assessment Master.
Co-requisite resource
New Co-requisite resource available
We are pleased to share the launch of the Co-requisite hub, a dedicated resource for Principals鈥� Nominees and kaiako. The Co-requisite hub helps schools manage the dedicated co-requisite assessments, ie the Common Assessment Activities (CAAs), T奴mahi Aromatawai P膩tahi (TAP膩) and Kete Manarua.
Everything you need to know and prepare for these assessments is linked in one place, in an easy-to-understand format.
You鈥檒l find the Co-requisite hub in the My色诱直播 school portal.
Polyfest
Assessing NCEA credits at Polyfest
Students preparing to perform at Polyfest may meet some of the requirements for a range of standards that can contribute credits towards NCEA. These standards include Languages, Physical Education (e.g. 91331), Music, and Dance.
For more information on the steps to assess Polyfest performances against standards, the types of standards that suit being assessed at Polyfest, and examples of schools that have successfully assessed at Polyfest, please visit:
External moderation
External moderation 2025
Samples submitted for external moderation are to be from 2025 assessment. You must submit samples for standards on your external moderation plan when you have finished your process for marking, internal moderation and returning results to students.
If you will be unable to submit material by 20 October, please inform your School Relationship Manager with the details of the standard and the proposed date of submission.
Extra moderation
For some schools/kura, we will be adding standards to plans in March. This will allow them to submit work from 2024, which will support them in making assessor judgments in 2025.
We will contact individual schools/kura to agree these standards and outline the submission process.
Changes to the learner portal
Fees Free
The Learner portal provides links for learners to find out more about the Fees Free programme.
Changes to the programme mean that from 1 January 2025, learners starting tertiary study or training for the first time may be able to get their first year of study or first two years of work-based learning reimbursed when they complete their qualification.
Special Assessment Conditions (SAC)
The new look of the SAC provisions page is now available for students to view.
Students can also download their SAC history, which may be useful to provide to tertiary or other education providers in support of applications for assessment adjustments.
ATAR Score
色诱直播 calculates ATAR scores on behalf of Australian tertiary admission centres for every eligible student in January each year.
Learners can now access and download their ATAR score information.
External assessment updates 2025
Visual Art Level 3 Sculpture, and Visual Art Scholarship Sculpture
Visual Art Level 3 Sculpture (91459) and Scholarship Sculpture (93308) have a change in assessment method for 2025. Both standards鈥� portfolios and the Scholarship workbook will be digitally submitted only.
Further details relating to these standards and the requirements of the submissions are in the 2025 assessment specifications found on:
Samoan paper-based examination for 91143 and 91563 clarifications
The Levels 2 and 3 Samoan external assessments will have the listening component in the FIRST hour of the examination in 2025, as per the usual languages format.
Vocabulary lists for Languages
The 2025 vocabulary lists for Gagana S膩moa, Lea Faka-Tonga and Te Reo M膩ori K奴ki 鈥楢irani are the most recent to be published on both the 色诱直播 and Ministry of Education websites.
For more information about where to find the vocabulary lists and which lists will apply in 2025, please refer to the:
Level 1 Te Reo M膩ori
Change in Assessment Date for AS 92094 to Monday 17 November
Level 1 Te Reo M膩ori standard 92094 will be assessed on Monday 17 November. This is different from the 4 November date on the 色诱直播 Key Dates Calendar.
It must be administered and managed by the Examination Centre Manager, not the school/kura. Kura that are not currently an exam centre will need to arrange for 膩konga to sit this TAP膩 at an existing exam centre, or contact examcentremanagement@nzqa.govt.nz to become an exam centre or affiliate exam centre to administer the assessment at their own venue.
膧konga can be entered to sit the external assessment digitally or on paper. 膧konga must complete the external assessment at the specified exam time 9.30am - 12.30pm.
Special Assessment Conditions (SAC)
Students requiring Braille papers for the May dedicated co-requisite standards assessments
If you have a student requiring Braille papers for the co-requisite assessments in May, please:
- Email sac@nzqa.govt.nz as soon as possible so that we can confirm what is needed
- Submit a SAC application (even if the student is in Year 9 or 10) by 1 April at the latest. We will not have the time to prepare the Braille papers unless informed by 1 April.
- Contact the SAC team if you need to discuss this requirement.
Literacy and Numeracy |Te Reo Matatini me te P膩ngarau
Instructions on the provision of SAC for the assessment of the dedicated co-requisite standards can be found at:
Amending SAC requirements
Sometimes a change is needed to what has already been approved or notified. Click on the student鈥檚 NSN and scroll down to the Notes & Messages section to make the request and the reason for it.
色诱直播 receives an Alert flag and will respond.
Update contact information
Please check and, if needed, update the contact details of your SENCO and/or SAC Contact (name and email) via your school鈥檚 My色诱直播 portal at the School Administration/School Profile link.
This will ensure that they receive information from 色诱直播 relevant to their positions.
Support
Please email sac@nzqa.govt.nz if you have any questions or need support on SAC processes.
Aotearoa New Zealand Principals鈥� Nominees Network (ANZPNN)
A notice from the ANZPNN Executive
Established by Principals鈥� Nominees for Principals鈥� Nominees, the Aotearoa Principals鈥� Nominees Network (ANZPNN) aims to connect and support Principals鈥� Nominees.
While still in an establishment phase, the goals of the Network are to support, advocate for, and raise the profile of the role of Principals鈥� Nominees nationally, by:
- supporting Principals鈥� Nominees to develop and share best practice in assessment for NCEA qualifications
- fostering collaboration and information sharing between Principals鈥� Nominees
- creating a library of resources to support the work of Principals鈥� Nominees
- providing a platform for the professional learning, support and development of Principals鈥� Nominees
- working collaboratively and constructively with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and the Ministry of Education, along with other key stakeholders, to support the role of Principals鈥� Nominees.
There are currently over 300 members. if you haven鈥檛 already joined, you may like to consider joining the network.
If you have any questions or would like to be involved, please email anzpnn@gmail.com.
Checklist
The following checklist provides a quick reference of the actions associated with information in this email link.
Action items for Principal鈥檚 Nominee by calendar month
Data File Submission
Email schools@nzqa.govt.nz of any new twins or triplets entered for NCEA.
Check teacher mark books and aim to include as many candidate enrolments, courses and entries as possible.
Entries into assessment event one (1) for Literacy and Numeracy and Te Reo Matatini me te P膩ngarau due.
SAC
First deadline for first time applications for approval, rollover and changes.
Ensure contact details for SAC / SENCO is up to date.
Follow up with students requiring braille papers.
External moderation
Check your external moderation plan and inform your SRM of any requested changes to standards.
Email your SRM if moderation material will need to be submitted after 20 October.