Consultation on proposal to replace NCEA

On this page

Overview
About the proposal
Have your say
Implementing the change

Have your say on NCEA

We want to make sure every student has a pathway to qualifications that will help them reach their potential.

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(Text on screen: Shaping our future: Have your say.

Proposed changes to NCEA)

(The presenter is standing and talking, facing the camera.)

When young people leave school they should leave with the skills knowledge, and values they’ll need for life.

(Text on screen: Skills, knowledge, and values)

The qualifications they leave with are a key part of that journey.

(Text on screen: Reach their potential)

We want to make sure that every student in secondary school has a pathway to qualifications that will help them reach their potential.

Research shows NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3 are too flexible, making it hard to tell what knowledge and skills people have based off their qualifications.

And we've heard from frustrated parents that the way NCEA is graded can make it hard to understand how your children are doing.

(Text on screen: Internationally comparable)

(Text on screen: Easier to understand)

(Text on screen: Employers can trust)

(Text on screen: Skills and knowledge)

That's why we're suggesting replacing NCEA with new qualifications that are internationally comparable, easier for you to understand, that employers can trust, and that help give young people the skills and the knowledge they need to reach their full potential.

(Text on screen: View our website)

All the changes that are being proposed are on our website.

Please take a look.

Let us know what you think.

We need you to have your say on our plans for a qualification pathway that sets young people up for success.

(Text on screen: Your feedback is essential)

Your feedback is essential in shaping our future.

(Background music)

(Text on screen: Shaping our future: Have your say!

Visit: www.education.govt.nz/consultation-ncea

Email: [email protected] )

Kōrero mai

Mō ngā panonitanga ki ngā mahi NCEA.

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(Text on screen: Te hanga o ngā rā ki tua: He whakaputa whakaaro.

Mō ngā panonitanga ki ngā mahi NCEA)

(The presenter is standing and talking, facing the camera.)

(Text on screen: Ngā pūkenga, ngā mātauranga me ngā uara)

Ka wehe ana te taiohi i te kura, me whai pūkenga, whai mātauranga me ngā uara ka hiahiatia mō tō rātou ao.

(Text on screen: E eke ai ki tōna pitomata)

Ko ngā tohu kei a rātou ka wehe ana he mea nui mō te ara kei mua,

he hiahia nō mātou kia whai ia ākonga i ngā kura tuarua i tētahi ara tohu hei āwhina i a rātou kia puta te ihu.

E kī ana te rangahau he hāngore rawa ngā NCEA Kaupae 1, 2 me te 3, e uaua ai te kite

he aha ngā mātauranga me ngā pūkenga kei ngā ākonga e ai ki ō rātou tohu.

Kua rongo anō mātou kei te pōnānā ngā mātua i ngā āhuatanga ka whakainea te NCEA

he mahi nui kia Mārama kei hea ō tamariki i ngā akoranga.

(Text on screen: He ōrite ki ngā mahi ā-ao)

(Text on screen: He mārama ake)

(Text on screen: He mea pono nā te kaituku mahi)

(Text on screen: Ngā pūkenga me ngā mātauranga)

Koinei te take kei te whakahoutia te NCEA me ngā tohu hou whai mana ki te ao, he māmā kia mārama ai koe, e whakapono ai ngā kaiwhakarato mahi, me te āwhina i te rangatahi ki te whai pūkenga me te mātauranga ka hiahiatia e rātou kia ekea ngā taumata.

(Text on screen: Tirohia tō mātou paetukutuku)

Ko ngā panonitanga katoa kua whakatakotohia kei tō mātou paetukutuku.

Tēnā tirohia,

ka whakamōhio mai i ō whakaaro.

(Text on screen: He mea hiranga ō urupare)

He mea nui ki a mātou kia whai wāhi koe ki te whakaputa i ō kōrero mō ā mātou mahere ara tohu e angitu ai te rangatahi.

He mea nui ō kōrero mō ngā rā kei mua.

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(Text on screen: Te hanga mō ngā rā āpōpō:

He whakaputa whakaaro!

Tirohia te: www.education.govt.nz/consultation-ncea

Īmēra: [email protected] )

New Zealand Sign Language video: Have your say on NCEA

Watch an introduction to the proposal to replace NCEA in New Zealand Sign Language.

(Text on screen: Shaping our future: Have your say.

Proposed changes to NCEA)

(The presenter is standing and talking, facing the camera.)

When young people leave school they should leave with the skills knowledge, and values they’ll need for life.

(Text on screen: Skills, knowledge, and values)

The qualifications they leave with are a key part of that journey.

(Text on screen: Reach their potential)

We want to make sure that every student in secondary school has a pathway to qualifications that will help them reach their potential.

Research shows NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3 are too flexible, making it hard to tell what knowledge and skills people have based off their qualifications.

And we've heard from frustrated parents that the way NCEA is graded can make it hard to understand how your children are doing.

(Text on screen: Internationally comparable)

(Text on screen: Easier to understand)

(Text on screen: Employers can trust)

(Text on screen: Skills and knowledge)

(Text on screen: View our website)

All the changes that are being proposed are on our website.

Please take a look.

Let us know what you think.

We need you to have your say on our plans for a qualification pathway that sets young people up for success.

(Text on screen: Your feedback is essential)

Your feedback is essential in shaping our future.

(Text on screen: Shaping our future: Have your say!

Visit: www.education.govt.nz/consultation-ncea

Email: [email protected] )

Overview#

Evidence shows us that the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) isn’t working as well as it could for students, families, teachers, and employers. It’s more confusing and less reliable than it needs to be, and we’re proposing changes to make sure that the qualifications students leave school with set them up well for what comes next – whether that be work, training, or study. That’s why we’re proposing to replace NCEA with a new national qualification system that is easy to understand, credible, and internationally comparable.

Between now and 15 September 2025, we’re inviting you to learn more about the proposal and let us know what you think. Everyone has a stake in the success of our young people, which is why it’s important that everyone gets a chance to have their say.

Why change is needed

NCEA was introduced in 2002 as a flexible and standard-based national senior secondary qualification. It offered a wider range of assessment opportunities, including for students looking for future work in vocational pathways like trades, hospitality, and tourism.

The changes were designed to have a positive impact on students, but recent national and international evidence show us that the current system is far from perfect:

International data shows that young adults in New Zealand have below average literacy and numeracy achievement despite many of them having an NCEA qualification – suggesting it does not accurately represent students’ understanding of those foundational skills.
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) tells us the quality of a student’s education depends too much on which school or kura they attend, because they decide what and how to teach and which NCEA standards they offer to students.
A report from the Education Review Office (ERO) explains that NCEA isn’t as credible as other countries’ senior secondary qualifications. It recommends that we reduce its flexibility so that it’s clearer about what students know, understand, and can do.
A report from the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) showed that less than a third of employers believed that NCEA worked well, likely because they cannot trust it to be a reliable picture of students’ knowledge and skills.
Parents and caregivers have told us that NCEA is hard to understand, making it more difficult to support teaching, learning, and assessment from home.

The evidence is clear

The amount of flexibility in NCEA means there is not enough consistency in what students are learning or how they are assessed. That makes it hard to guarantee every student leaves school with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful.

It is also tough for employers and tertiary providers to trust that the qualifications accurately show how prepared students are for future work, training, or study.

We want to make sure that our national qualification system incentivises the important skills and knowledge that students need for life after school and clearly represents what they know and can do.

Understanding the proposed changes

The proposal to replace NCEA focuses on 4 key changes:

working with industry skills boards to make sure students in vocational pathways get the real-world knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the industry
removing Level 1 to focus on 2 years of assessment instead of 3, and introducing a new award that focuses specifically on foundational literacy, numeracy, te reo matatini, and pāngarau skills
moving to a structured subject approach to assessment, and introducing required subjects to make sure students do not miss out on important learning
making grades easier to understand and changing how students get their qualifications so they accurately represent students’ knowledge and skills.

We plan on introducing the new qualification pathway during 2028 to 2030. That would give schools and kura the time to familiarise themselves with the updated curriculum and the new qualifications so they can confidently prepare students for them.

We would also make sure that students would either be assessed through the current NCEA and national curriculum, or the new qualifications pathway and the updated curriculum – never a combination of both.

About the proposal#

Discussion document#

The main document below explains the proposal in detail, including information about why a new qualification system is needed and how it would be implemented.

A te reo Māori version of the discussion document will be available shortly.

NCEA Discussion document

DownloadPDF2.7MB

Easy Read – NCEA Discussion document

DownloadPDF2.5MB

Accessible NCEA Discussion document

DownloadDOCX3.4MB

English videos

Watch videos about our 4 proposals for change.

1. Vocational Education and Training (VET)

The first thing we want to do to improve qualifications is work with industries to bring VET subjects into the qualification system.

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(Text on screen: Shaping our future: Have your say.

Vocational Education and Training)

(The presenter is standing and talking, facing the camera.)

The first thing we want to do to improve qualifications for our students is working with industries to bring VET subjects into the qualification system.

(Text on screen: Vocational Education and Training (VET) )

We're talking about Vocational Education and Training, or VET, becoming a core part

of what students can study in their senior years at school.

Think construction, automotive engineering, or trades, delivered in partnership with the experts in those fields.

That means your children get real world skills and a clear pathway to jobs or further study and training.

(Text on screen: World-leading VET subjects)

But how do we make sure VET subjects are world-leading?

Industry experts will help design subjects with a combination of new and existing standards to make sure students are engaged in learning skills and knowledge that are relevant to them and their future.

(Text on screen: Career-prepared)

Imagine your children being able to take a subject that teaches them to use the tools, materials and skills required on a work site, to properly prepare them for a career and building, construction or trades.

We'll work with Industry Skills Boards to make sure that VET subjects like that are high quality and practical for schools to offer.

(Text on screen: More advanced industry qualifications)

Working closely with industry professionals means students will have pathways into more advanced industry qualifications, setting themselves up for successful careers.

(Text on screen: What do you think?)

We want to hear what you think about our plan and if there's anything you think we should consider so that schools and kura across the country can deliver these VET subjects for their students.

We know access is key.

(Text on screen: Partnerships work)

Programmes like trades academies are showing us that partnerships between schools, tertiary providers and industry work.

This idea builds on that success.

So every student, no matter where they are, can benefit.

So, what do you think?

Could this be the future of learning that truly prepares our young people for life beyond school?

(Text on screen: Have your say)

Have your say, because shaping education means shaping our future.

(Background music)

(Text on screen: Shaping our future: Have your say!

Visit: www.education.govt.nz/consultation-ncea

Email: [email protected] )

2. Foundational Skills Award

Our second suggestion for a better qualification system is to introduce the Foundational Skills Award for students.

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(Text on screen: Shaping our future: Have your say.

Foundational Skills Award)

(The presenter is standing and talking, facing the camera.)

(Text on screen: Foundational Skills Award)

Our second suggestion for a better qualification system is to introduce the Foundational Skills Award for students.

This is all about making sure every student has the essential literacy and numeracy or Te Reo Matatini and Pāngarau skills they need to thrive in life and work.

(Text on screen: A standalone award)

It would replace the current co-requisite assessment as a standalone award.

Meaning, if a student leaves school before Year 12, they still leave with a credible award that recognises those foundational skills.

It can be earned anytime from Year 9 to Year 13, but it's mainly focused on Year 11.

That's supported by our fourth proposal, which includes making some foundational subjects compulsory at Year 11 to guarantee your children are getting the understanding of the basics they need.

(Text on screen: Goodbye to NCEA Level 1)

That brings us to the next part of this proposal, saying goodbye to NCEA Level 1 after 2027.

Most of the countries we compare ourselves too, don't require three years of assessment.

We're hearing from schools, kura, and young people that three years of high stakes assessment is just too much.

And most employers tell us that

NCEA Level 1 doesn’t show what students know or can do or reflect how hard they work.

That's why we want your thoughts on the value of a simple, standalone Foundational Skills Award and what other areas of learning or achievement that could be a part of it.

For example, should attendance be factored in?

Now here's the big shift.

(Text on screen: Two new national qualifications)

(Text on screen: New Zealand Certificate of Education (NZCE))

(Text on screen: New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education (NZACE))

Two new national qualifications to replace NCEA: The New Zealand Certificate of Education, NZCE, for Year 12 and the New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education, NZACE, for Year 13.

(Text on screen: Deeper learning)

(Text on screen: More classroom time)

(Text on screen: More preparation time)

This change is all about deeper learning in subject areas, more classroom time and more time to prepare for the first year of high-stakes assessment in Year 12.

There'll be more time in school because Year 11 students won't need study leave in Term 4 and there'll be more reason for them to stay for Year 12.

That's important because we know that the longer young people stay in school, the better prepared they are for work or study.

(Text on screen: What do you think?)

So, what do you think?

Do you agree that replacing NCEA Level 1 with a Foundational Skills Award makes good sense?

(Text on screen: Have your say)

Have your say.

Because shaping education means shaping our future.

(Background music)

(Text on screen: Shaping our future: Have your say!

Visit: www.education.govt.nz/consultation-ncea

Email: [email protected] )

3. Clear, consistent qualifications

The third part of our proposal is to replace NCEA with qualifications that are clear, consistent and set our young people up for success.

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(Text on screen: Shaping our future: Have your say.

3. Clear, Consistent qualifications)

(The presenter is standing and talking, facing the camera.)

(Text on screen: Clear, consistent, set up for success)

The third part of our proposal is to replace NCEA with qualifications that are clear, consistent and set our young people up for success.

Right now, your children can get a qualification from a mix of standards in unrelated subject areas.

It was initially designed to be flexible, but in reality, it's not working for everyone.

It's made it hard to tell what somebody really knows in any one subject.

It also means there's a lack of consistency between what a student learns in a subject from school to school, because they could be doing a completely different set of standards!

This means that English in one school could look completely different to English in another.

That's making it hard for employers, polytechs and universities to understand what your children know when they leave school.

(Text on screen: Structured, subject-based approach)

That's why we're suggesting a more structured subject-based approach to the new qualifications.

Instead of collecting what could be random standards to make up 60 credits for a pass, students will focus on full subjects, like English, Maths, Science and industry-designed vocational packages.

That would give a much better sense of what students know and can do.

It would mean that your children would be using the same assessments in each of their subjects,

no matter where they go to school.

And to keep it simple, each subject will be assessed with a mark out of 100, and a grade from A to E.

But more about that in our fourth proposal.

(Text on screen: Subject-designed assessments)

We want overall marks for subjects to be made up of a mix of internal and external assessments designed for each subject.

For example, visual arts students might have three internal standards and one external portfolio

that contribute to their overall grade.

Where someone doing history would have two internal assessments and two exams at the end of the year.

That structure gives students an opportunity to showcase their knowledge and skills in ways that fit specific subject areas and stay consistent with what other students are doing across the country.

It also keeps people engaged in their learning.

Last year, a quarter of all students didn't sit the external assessments they were entered for, and they left more than 250,000 exam papers unattempted altogether. That's a lot of missed opportunities for learning.

That won't be possible under the proposed new system.

(Text on screen: Year 11: Five subjects)

In Year 11, students will also need to take at least five subjects that have to include English or Te Reo Rangatira and Maths or Pāngarau.

This will guarantee that every student gets the foundational learning they need.

(Text on screen: Kura kaupapa Māori)

And for kura kaupapa Māori? We are committed to working closely with representatives that can help make sure the design of the new qualification system meets their needs.

(Text on screen: Clearer, future-focused system)

Our goal? A system that's clearer and more future-focused.

(Text on screen: What do you think?)

(Text on screen: Have your say)

So, what do you think?

Have your say, because shaping education means shaping our future.

(Background music)

(Text on screen: Shaping our future: Have your say!

Visit: www.education.govt.nz/consultation-ncea

Email: [email protected] )

4. Strengthening the requirements

One of the most exciting proposals on the table is strengthening the attainment requirements for the new qualifications.

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(Text on screen: Shaping our future: Have your say.

Strengthening the requirements)

(The presenter is standing and talking, facing the camera.)

(Text on screen: Strengthening requirements)

One of the most exciting proposals on the table is strengthening the attainment requirements for the new qualifications.

This proposal is all about consistency. We want the time and effort that assessments take to be fair across all subjects.

That means internal and external assessments would contribute more fairly to students' final grades.

You'll be pleased to hear that we are saying goodbye to terms like Achieved, Merit and Excellence.

(Text on screen: Detailed marks out of 100)

(Text on screen: Clear subject grades, A–E)

Instead, your children will receive detailed marks out of 100 and clear subject grades from A to E.

Why?

Because it's easier to understand, meaning everyone gets a better picture of how students are achieving and what's really being learnt.

We also want to make sure that students are showing their knowledge and skills across multiple subjects to get their new qualifications.

(Text on screen: Five subjects minimum)

(Text on screen: Pass four subjects)

(Text on screen: Foundational Skills Award)

(Text on screen: Endorsements to aim high)

To earn the new qualifications, students will need to take a minimum of five subjects and pass at least four of them as well as achieving the new Foundational Skills Award.

And there would still be endorsements to give our young people reason to aim high.

Students' top five subjects would contribute to their overall grade. And if they hit a high score, say 400 or more, they'll earn an endorsement with distinction.

(Text on screen: Flexibility where needed)

And there's still flexibility where it's needed.

If life throws them a curveball, your children can complete their qualification over multiple years.

And yes, cross-crediting between Year 12 and 13 will still be allowed.

(Text on screen: What do you think?)

So what do you think?

Do you agree with these new requirements?

What supports or changes do you think are needed to make this work for everyone?

Let us know.

(Text on screen: Have your say)

Your voice matters, because shaping education means shaping our future.

(Background music)

(Text on screen: Shaping our future: Have your say!

Visit: www.education.govt.nz/consultation-ncea

Email: [email protected] )

New Zealand Sign Language videos

Watch videos in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) about our proposal to change NCEA with new national qualifications.

How did we get here and what is the problem?

NCEA’s flexibility means that not all teaching and learning is coherent and consistent.

Proposal 1

Watch proposal 1 to replace NCEA with a new national qualification.

Proposal 2

Watch proposal 2 to replace NCEA with a new national qualification.

Proposal 3

Watch proposal 3 to replace NCEA with a new national qualification.

Proposal 4

Watch proposal 4 to replace NCEA with a new national qualification.

Implications and next steps

Managing the implications of replacing NCEA and taking the time we need to support the changes.

What you need to know#

These documents are built specifically to help parents and families, teachers and kaiako, and employers understand what the proposal means for them.

For parents and whānau – What you need to know about NCEA proposal

DownloadPDF1.4MB

For teachers – What you need to know about NCEA proposal

DownloadPDF1.3MB

For employers – What you need to know about NCEA proposal

DownloadPDF1.4MB

Summaries of the discussion document#

Short versions of the discussion document help you quickly understand the proposal.

Short versions of the discussion document in Tokelauan, Cook Island Māori, Niuean, Tongan and Samoan will be available in the coming weeks.

Te whakakapi i te NCEA ki ngā tohu hou

DownloadPDF1.6MB

Have your say#

There’s an online survey open to families | whānau, students, educators, and industry. Share your thoughts with us.

Parent, family and student survey

Employer and industry survey

Teacher survey

If you're responding on behalf of a group or organisation, email us to request a template that can help you prepare your submission.

Email: [email protected]

Here are the full lists of survey questions by audience, for those who prefer to submit their responses by post or email.

Survey questions for parents and whānau

DownloadPDF363KB

Survey questions for teachers and kaiako

DownloadPDF451KB

Survey questions for employers

DownloadPDF446KB

We will be looking at all of your feedback once consultation closes, and making sure that your voice is heard before making any final decisions.

Webinars#

We are holding a series of webinars from 11 August to help kaiako and leaders understand the proposed changes and how they might impact your practice. You can sign up for those here:

Implementing the change#

Once the consultation has closed, feedback will be used to inform final decisions on the change. We will make sure that you have a clear understanding of what comes next once the changes have been finalised. That includes providing students, families, educators, and employers with the support they need to make the change confidently.

Education professionals

Parents and caregivers

Suppliers and providers

Our work

Have your say on NCEA

Kōrero mai

New Zealand Sign Language video: Have your say on NCEA

Why change is needed

The evidence is clear

Understanding the proposed changes

1. Vocational Education and Training (VET)

2. Foundational Skills Award

3. Clear, consistent qualifications

4. Strengthening the requirements

How did we get here and what is the problem?

Proposal 1

Proposal 2

Proposal 3

Proposal 4

Implications and next steps