The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has released finalised attainment data from 2020, showing that attainment of NCEA and University Entrance increased despite the disruption from COVID-19.
Secondary Statistics Consolidated Data Files for 2021 (external link)
“Support from schools, teachers and whānau – alongside the interventions put in place by government – helped students keep studying and have their learning recognised,” says NZQA Deputy Chief Executive Assessment, Andrea Gray.
Overall attainment of NCEA Level 1 in Year 11 grew by 1.2 percentage points, of NCEA Level 2 in Year 12 by 2.6 percentage points, and of NCEA Level 3 in Year 13 by 4.8 percentage points. Attainment of University Entrance (UE) rose by 4.1 percentage points from 2019.
“The extraordinary effort put in by students, teachers and whānau to stay engaged with education during and after COVID-19 lockdowns last year made a major difference,” Ms Gray says.
“The interventions put in place to address the disruption from COVID-19, including Learning Recognition Credits, adjustments to UE and endorsements, changes to exam and portfolio submission dates – along with a range of measures to support teaching, learning and assessment – supported the work of schools and students.”
“While the ability to earn Learning Recognition Credits and changes to thresholds only applied in the 2020 school year, flexibility in how students can be taught and assessed is a key strength of NCEA; and is relevant even outside of COVID-19 situations.”
NZQA continues to analyse data from 2020 and anticipates releasing its Annual Report on NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship Data and Statistics at the end of May 2021.