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
18 August
Data file submission deadline for entries into event 2 of Literacy/Numeracy and Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau assessment. Schools will not be able to request more than 5 Lit/Num entries during the assessment period.
19 August
Te Ao Haka 91978 TAPā
Toi Ataata 92085 TAPā
20 August
Te Ao Haka 91982 TAPā
Toi Puoro 92090 TAPā
21 August
Te Ao Haka 91987 TAPā
Ngā Mahi a te Rehia 92063 TAPā
22 August
Date nominations due for Literacy and Numeracy assessment event 2
22 August - 5 September
Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau (assessment event 2)
1-12 September
Literacy and Numeracy (assessment event 2)
1 September
Data file submission due:
- Deadline to submit entries for externally assessed standards including NZ Scholarship for candidates to receive personalised exam materials.
- Final date for withdrawals from externally assessed standards including NZ Scholarship.
- Confirm entries for international fee-paying students.
- Check timetable clashes and confirm with candidates how two-way clashes will be resolved. Three-way clash letters will be sent to PNs by end of Term 3.
5 September
Visual Arts L1 and L2 start entering provisional results
8-12 September
L2 and L3 DCAT assessment event
9 September
Te Reo Rangatira 92075 TAPā
Hauora 92059 TAPā
10 September
Te Reo Rangatira 92076 TAPā
Hangarau 92054 TAPā
11 September
Pūtaiao 92072 TAPā
12 September
L1 DCAT submission deadline
On this page
1 September data file submission
All external standard candidate entries should be submitted to NZQA by 1 September. This deadline enables schools and NZQA to plan and prepare for end-of-year examinations.
Submitting entries by this date ensures:
- candidates receive personalised examination materials where applicable
- timely completion of the attachment of Special Assessment Conditions
- effective management of examination clashes
- accurate and timely withdrawal of entries, if needed
- correct invoicing for international fee-paying students (the invoice will be based on this data).
Please carefully check and confirm all entries before sending to avoid the need for multiple submissions, which can delay processing.
The data file must include:
- all confirmed entries for externally assessed standards
- the assessment method for each entry (paper or digital)
- entries for New Zealand Scholarship, where applicable.
Data files submitted to NZQA after 1 September will only be processed from 15 September. We encourage schools to wait until the end of the second week of September to submit updated data files.
Schools will receive further information after 1 September on how to manage any late entries for externally assessed standards.
Co-requisite Assessment Event 2 – Date nomination tool
A reminder for schools to advise NZQA of their nominated dates and estimated numbers before 22 August, using the date nomination tool under the Key Indicators.
Marking approach guidelines – top-down or bottom-up?
Teachers have sought guidance from NZQA about differing approaches to making assessment judgements against standards. NZQA uses two distinct approaches for internally and externally assessed standards.
We have developed advice for teachers, explaining the reasons behind these differences and providing guidelines for teachers assessing against internally assessed standards.
Results release dates confirmed for Literacy and Numeracy and Te Reo Matatini me Te Pāngarau
NZQA will release results for the Reading standard for Assessment Event 2 at 3pm Thursday 9 October.
Results for the Writing, Numeracy, Te Reo Matatini and Te Pāngarau standards will be released at 3pm Monday 20 October.
Results release dates confirmed for intra-year assessments
Results for intra-year assessments will be released at 3pm Thursday 9 October.
This includes TAPā (Tūmahi Aromatawai Pātahi) for Te Ao Haka Levels 1, 2 & 3, Te Reo Rangatira, Hauora, Hangarau, Pūtaiao, Toi Ataata, Toi Pūoro and Ngā Mahi a te Rēhia.
Information available for students/ākonga
When results are released, students/ākonga will be able to access them through the MyNZQA Learner login.
Students/ākonga who did not achieve one or more of the Literacy or Numeracy standards will be able to download personalised feedback reports as usual.
Information available for schools and kura
From 9 October, the provider portal will have the Reading standard results file, and consolidated feedback reports for students/ākonga who did not achieve available, for download.
From 20 October, the provider portal will have the Writing or Numeracy standards results file, and feedback reports for students/ākonga who did not achieve, available for download.
On 21 October the assessment tasks will be available through your school login. Versions with copyrighted material redacted (blacked out) will also be available from NZQA’s website.
Results confirmation process
You can request confirmation of one or more student’s grades if you feel students’ results do not match their school-based assessments.
Please use the following form:
Literacy, Numeracy, Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau Results Confirmation (external link)
International fee-paying students
Schools should ensure the entry data provided to NZQA accurately reflects the NCEA assessment programme for their international fee-paying students. This includes reporting results for any internal assessments undertaken.
Reporting results for candidates
A NCEA fee is payable to NZQA when an international fee-paying student engages in assessment against any standard listed on the Directory of Assessment and Skills Standards, or any qualification on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework.
This includes the use of standards and associated assessment activities as part of a teaching, learning and assessment programme, even if the results are intended only for reporting to parents.
After 1 September, NZQA will invoice schools for the relevant fees for all international fee-paying students entered in assessment standards, including New Zealand Scholarship.
Schools must pay this invoice by 31 October. The relevant fees are outlined in:
Aromatawai Māori - NZQA
Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (TMoA) | NZC kaupapa ako Māori – Te Reo Māori, Te Ao Haka | Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau
To view the 2025 Tautuhinga (Assessment Specifications) for TAPā and Kete Manarua assessments, Kete Manarua Tūmahi (Task), and Tauaromahi (Exemplars), and other assessment material for the above subjects/wāhanga ako, please visit Te Pā Mātauranga and navigate to the subject page(s) you require.
About TAPā and Kete Manarua
For general information about TAPā and Kete Manarua methods of assessment, visit:
Upcoming TAPā - Guide to preparing for Tūmahi Aromatawai Pātahi (TAPā) external assessments
To help manage the delivery of TAPā external assessments, we have summarised a list of important information and resources to prepare ākonga and kaiako for the TAPā.
Reminder – 2025 Wānanga Aromatawai – register for upcoming drop-in sessions
Following the online workshops held during Term 1, NZQA is hosting online drop-in sessions in the lead up to assessments to support kura and kaiako working with the new TMoA and NZC kaupapa Māori Level 1 achievement standards and Field Māori unit standards. These will cover both internal and external assessment.
The drop-in sessions will be open for an hour and provide kaiako with a chance to discuss any assessment-related questions with a subject-matter expert.
To sign up for a drop-in session or view the workshop recordings please:
Ringa Toi Exhibition 2025 – Celebrating 10 Years – Submit artworks for consideration
Artwork submissions for Ringa Toi 2025 close on Friday 22 August.
If you are interested in submitting student work to be considered for this year’s exhibition, please complete and submit the artwork submission form as soon as possible.
For more information, please visit:
Please send any pātai/kōrero to ringatoi@nzqa.govt.nz.
Te Ao Haka ki te Ao Symposium – Ōtautahi/Christchurch – 1-2 October 2025 – Register now
A second Te Ao Haka Symposium will be held in Ōtautahi on 1-2 October. The symposium is open to all kaiako wanting to know more about assessing Te Ao Haka. NZQA will be present to provide support around assessment.
To attend the symposium, please visit the events page on our website and complete the registration form by the due date.
Te Ao Haka ki te Ao Symposium – Ōtautahi/Christchurch – 1-2 October 2025
Special Assessment Conditions (SAC)
Attaching SAC provisions to exam sessions
Check previously published SAC Updates 2 and 3 for advice on attaching SAC provisions to exam sessions. Please complete this as close to the submission of your last data file (due 1 September) as possible.
Guidelines on how to complete this process can be found on page 38 of the:
SAC online tool guide [PDF, 1.9 MB]
Exam Centre Manager (ECM) liaison
Please meet regularly with your ECM and SENCO to ensure that your ECM is well-informed about the needs of SAC students, and to check the progress towards attaching SACs to exam sessions (as well as any changes).
This will aid your ECM’s planning for exam sessions and ensure the smooth provision of SAC for your students.
Support
Please email sac@nzqa.govt.nz if you have any questions or need support on SAC processes.
Design and Visual Communication
Reminder for all schools with entries for Design and Visual Communication to ensure the entries are flagged correctly as digital or physical submissions. This is especially important for schools who wish to receive physical materials in October.
The default setting for standards that can be submitted in either digital or physical format is for ‘Digital Submission’.
Digital Technologies
Level 1 Digital Technologies 92007
The submission deadline for Level 1 Digital Technologies 92007 is 12 September, to be submitted to NZQA via the:
Candidates are also required to complete the Digital Cover page as part of the submission.
Download the Digital Cover page [DOCX, 82 KB]
Digital Technologies Level 2 91899 and Level 3 91909 Common Assessment Task (DCAT) for week of 8-12 September
Reminder for all schools with entries into the Level 2 91899 and Level 3 91909 DCATs that schools are not required to nominate a date, as there is only one Assessment Event.
Downloading of DCAT assessment materials
The DCAT assessment materials will be available for download from 3 September from the Provider login under ‘High Security Features – Non-end of year Assessment Download’ from the old portal, or ‘Exams and assessments – Non-end of year assessment download’ in the new portal.
An access code is required to open the file. Upon downloading it, an automated email will be sent to the Principal’s Nominee email address.
For the validity of the assessments, all assessment materials provided by NZQA must:
- be kept securely until the day of the assessment and after the assessment
- not be kept on a drive or device where candidates or teachers can access the materials before the assessment date
- not be shared with teachers or candidates from other schools.
Submission of DCAT assessment
The standard will appear in the ‘Digital submissions’ section of a student’s MyNZQA page and in the Provider Login for schools on 8 September.
Please see the submission instructions for how to upload the completed assessments to NZQA for marking.
Changes to requests for clarification
Requests for clarification of an internal standard are now via a web-based form instead of a downloadable PDF. This is a quicker, easier way for schools to ask questions about an internal standard.
Find the form on:
Request clarification of an internal standard
The information is then sent to a team mailbox and redirected to a subject moderator for a response.
Requests for clarification of a Moderation Report can still be made by clicking on the ‘Query’ button below the report in the External Moderation Application.
This opens a chat dialogue with the moderator who prepared the Moderation Report.
Information for Level 1 Geography 91935 assessment 2025
A reminder that the assessment medium for candidates sitting Level 1 Geography (91935) has changed from digital assessment to a printed paper examination for 2025.
The pre-released material for 91935 will be available as a PDF to download from the ‘Download other external assessment and resources’ link in the High Security area of the Provider Login on Term 4 Week 1, as per the Assessment Specifications:
Level 1 Geography Assessment Specifications 2025 (external link)
Principals’ Nominees can then share printed or digital copies of this material with students.
Memoranda of Understanding with external providers
Thank you to schools/kura who have already uploaded their MOUs with external providers. A reminder that NZQA now requires these documents to be uploaded through the Provider login.
If you have not already done so, please ensure your MOU is uploaded as soon as possible. Information on how to do this was included with:
If you have any questions, please contact your School Relationship Manager.
Downloading PDFs required outside of the exam timetable period for external standards
We have produced a spreadsheet listing the secure assessment and resource PDFs that are available through the 'Download other external assessments and resources' link in your Provider Login.
Download the spreadsheet - Resources through secure login [XLSX, 12 KB]
It lists which standards have resources and when they are available.
Refer to the individual assessment specifications for further details.
Expression of Interest – Hosting Leading National Assessment (LNA) Seminars 2026
Planning is underway for the 2026 Leading National Assessment Seminars, and we are inviting expressions of interest from schools and kura able to host a seminar in their region.
- The seminars will be held between 17 February–7 March 2026.
- Specific dates for each location will be confirmed later in the year.
The deadline to express your interest is 30 August 2025. To register your expression of interest, please complete this form:
Expression of Interest to Host LNA 2026 (external link)
Please note it is essential that adequate parking is available.
Checklist
The following checklist provides a quick reference of the actions associated with information in this EmaiLink.
Also refer to:
Action items for Principal’s Nominee by calendar month
Assessment Event 2 (AE2)
Advise NZQA of your nominated dates and estimated numbers for Literacy and Numeracy AE2 through your Provider Login.
1 September data file
Ensure entries for external standards are accurate.
Check entry data for international students.
Submit data file.
1 September data follow-up
Check Batch Information after File Submission.
Check Key Indicators from Provider login.
Make any subsequent external entries using the Late External Entry Process.
External moderation
Inform your School Relationship Manager of any required changes to your moderation plan and if material will be submitted after 20 October.
SAC
Remind Learning Support staff that the deadline is the end of Term 3 for submitting SAC applications made under the Learning category.
Attach SAC to external assessments by end of Term 3.