Key dates and information
The online key dates will be updated in December with information for 2026:
Key dates for secondary assessment
28 November
NCEA and NZ Scholarship exams end
1 December
Final data file submission for 2025 – include all final verified internally assessed results and derived grades at scale for an unexpected event. This file is the last opportunity to correct any remaining errors and warnings
Final date for withdrawals from internally assessed standards
Final date for assigning internally assessed standards to courses
Do not withdraw leavers
Update school emergency contacts with NZQA
4 December
Data file submissions close at midnight. No further 2025 data files can be uploaded to NZQA after 11:59pm
Visual Arts Level 1 – last day for entry of all final results
9 December
Assessment specifications for 2026 external assessment available via search database
11 December
Provider access to Late Internally Assessed Results for 2025 opens
15 January
Results release
On this page
2025 external moderation submissions
Submissions for 2025 External Moderation are now past due. Please submit any remaining external moderation now or contact your School Relationship Manager if you have an issue with submitting the work.
We will prioritise submissions received in October, with the aim of returning Moderation Reports by 24 December 2025. Submissions received after the due date will be processed once all on-time submissions have been completed. These late submissions are likely to have Moderation Reports returned in February 2026.
Digital platform security and monitoring
A growing number of potential breaches related to digital external assessment are being reported. To assure the authenticity of assessments, we have a wide range of proactive and reactive security measures in place, involving our exam supervision teams, processes and technology systems.
Recognising that evolving technologies create new opportunities for breaches, we also have a project underway to continue improving the authenticity of assessment.
This project is looking at a combination of technology and changes to existing systems and processes to safeguard the integrity of qualifications.
We will be engaging with the sector and providing updates as this work progresses.
Derived Grade application process
Derived grade applications must be submitted no later than two weeks after a student’s last exam.
The final date to submit an application is 12 December.
Late derived grade applications may be accepted in exceptional circumstances that are beyond the control of the student.
Please note, no applications can be accepted after results have been released in January (in accordance with Assessment Rule Schedule 2 3.1.5).
Reviews and reconsiderations
Review and reconsideration process
Students will be able to apply for a review or reconsideration of their 2025 externally assessed achievement standards and New Zealand Scholarship responses after results are released in 2026. These options are available for those who believe their results may be incorrect.
Before applying for a reconsideration, students are encouraged to review the assessment reports, assessment schedules and cut score documents to make an informed decision.
NCEA reviews and reconsiderations
Application fees waived for students who meet income criteria
The application fee may be waived for students who meet the income criteria and apply for reconsideration of an NCEA or New Zealand Scholarship result. The reconsideration fee waiver application form is available through the Student Login.
The fee will be waived for students:
- whose parent or guardian (or a person with relevant care responsibilities) is receiving a Work and Income or Study Link benefit; or
- where the joint family income would entitle the family to receive a community services card (as set annually by the Ministry of Social Development).
Students will receive information with their results release and alongside assessed responses on the NZQA website. You may wish to use your own communication channels to let students and their families know.
Some students may seek your advice about how to apply in late January, once their papers are available.
New Zealand Certificates
Schools need to report completion
Schools with programme accreditation must report the successful completion of a New Zealand Certificate to NZQA. The school is the awarding body.
Reporting the achievement will enable us to issue the certificate to the student and maintain the student's New Zealand Record of Achievement.
How to report completion
Schools will need to:
- enrol their students in the normal way, through the submission of student enrolment data in a data file by 1 December each year
- submit a spreadsheet of students and certificate completions by 8 December each year.
New Zealand Qualifications template for schools (external link)
If you have any queries, email your School Relationship Manager. We will verify that any standards-based New Zealand Certificate has been correctly awarded.
For more information go to:
End of Year online PN support sessions
Please see below the information for the remaining Term 4 webinars. All resources from PN webinars are available in the 2025 online PN sessions Google folder.
You will need to be logged in to a Google account to access the folder.
Resources for 2025 online PN sessions (external link)
Results & data Q&A
Agenda
- Downloading results
- Adding late 2025 results
- Questions and answers
Dates and links
Weds 3 Dec, 11-11.45 am (external link)
Thurs 4 Dec, 11-11.45 am (external link)
We look forward to seeing you there. No need to register, just click on the link to join.
Myths about NCEA assessment
The Myths have been updated and are available on our website. The 10 Myths include important facts about assessment practice.
We recommend you use them to support professional learning for your teachers, and you may wish to check them before you review your assessment handbooks for 2026.
2026 Assessment specifications
The 2026 Assessment Specifications have been published and can be found here until 9 December:
A2025/14 Assessment specifications for 2026 external assessments
After 9 December, the 2026 Assessment specifications will be available via the search database.
Digital Technologies 2026
The following standards (previously submissions) have now become end-of-year examinations, as signalled in the Assessment Specifications for 2026:
- Level 1 92007 Design a digital technologies outcome
- Level 2 91899 Present a summary of developing a digital outcome
- Level 3 91909 Present a reflective analysis of developing a digital outcome
Health Level 2 Assessment specifications
Level 2 91238 Analyse an interpersonal issue(s) that places personal safety at risk:
- Correction of credit value to 4, which now matches the achievement standard.
RAMP 2026
What is RAMP?
RAMP stands for Review and Maintenance Programme, a process run by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with NZQA, to ensure that NCEA Achievement Standards remain current, clear and fit-for-purpose.
This initiative involves a systematic review of standards across all NCEA levels, focusing on improving clarity, consistency and alignment with curriculum expectations.
RAMP 2026
38 standards will be updated across Levels 1-3 for 2026 assessment. The changes are largely focused on improving clarity in the Explanatory Notes (ENs) of the standards.
The updated standards will be published on the NZQA website on 9 December 2025.
Supporting materials RAMP 2026
2026 Assessment Specifications and final Literacy and Numeracy Reports for Event 1 and Event 2 have been published on the following page:
Literacy and Numeracy past assessments and exemplars
Additional supporting materials will be released through Feb-Mar 2026, with a final publication date of 20 March. This includes sample Assessment Item(s) or guidance for externally assessed standards.
Other support materials that no longer align with the revised standards will either be removed from the NZQA website (internal standards) or labelled accordingly (external standards). This includes:
- Exemplars
- Standard-specific online resources on Pūtake
- Alternative Evidence Gathering Templates
- Clarification documents for Level 2/3 internally assessed standards.
Updated supporting documents will be published once suitable student work from 2026 assessment is available.
Transition from batch files to Application Programming Interface (API) for all SMS
NZQA is working closely with all SMS vendors to transition away from secondary batch processing to APIs, allowing your SMS to communicate directly with NZQA systems.
The benefits of the API include:
- no generation and manual uploading of batch files throughout the year
- immediate update of data at NZQA
- immediate error responses for invalid data values or invalid requests
- automatic transfer of a previous school’s results for a transferring student
- ability to continue to enter internal results through the SMS until late February, and no need to manually enter late results through the Late Result Entry portal
- ability to retrieve the current data held at NZQA.
We expect that all SMS vendors will have completed their development and testing in time for 23 March 2026, when NZQA will open data submission links for the 2026 academic year. We will be in a position to confirm this in the February EmaiLink.
Each vendor will have a slightly different approach to how they implement their API solution, and their instructions to schools will vary accordingly.
Your SMS vendor will contact you directly about the onboarding process.
Please direct any queries to your SMS vendor in the first instance. If you have any questions for NZQA, please email schools@nzqa.govt.nz or contact your School Relationship Manager.
External assessment
2026 publishing dates
The following assessment materials for all NCEA and Scholarship standards will be published on the dates below:
Thursday 15 January
Cut scores - NCEA subjects (Level 1-3)
Monday 9 February
Assessment reports - NCEA subjects (Level 1-3)
Assessment schedules and cut scores - NCEA subjects (Level 1-3)
Friday 13 February
NZ Scholarship subjects.
Lists of names of:
- Premier awards
- Top Subject Scholar
- Outstanding Scholar
Overall Scholarship results and cut scores
Tuesday 24 February
Assessment reports - NZ Scholarship subjects
Assessment schedules - NZ Scholarship subjects
Friday 20 March
Exemplars for selected standards - NCEA subjects (Level 1-3)
Samples for standards significantly affected by RAMP
Exemplars - NZ Scholarship, Top Scholar, Outstanding
Aromatawai Māori
2026 Ngā Tautuhinga Aromatawai | Assessment specifications (Provisional)
Provisional assessment specifications are now available on the NZQA website for:
- Te Marautanga o Aotearoa
- Te Reo Māori
- Te Ao Haka
- Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau
2026 NCEA and NZ Scholarship assessment specifications
The final versions of these Assessment Specifications will be published on Monday 9 February 2026.
2026 publishing dates
The following assessment materials for all Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (TMoA) wāhanga ako, Te Reo Māori, Te Ao Haka and Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau standards will be published on the dates below:
Monday 9 February
2025 Pūrongo Aromatawai | Assessment reports - All 2025 TAPā and Kete Manarua assessments
Mahere Aromatawai | Assessment schedules:
- All TMoA wāhanga ako
- Te Reo Māori
- Te Ao Haka
2026 Kete Manarua - Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau
2026 Tautuhinga Aromatawai (Final versions):
-
All TMoA wāhanga ako
-
Te Reo Māori
-
Te Ao Haka
Tuesday 24 February
2025 Pūrongo Aromatawai - Te Hiranga | NZ Scholarship for Te Reo Māori, Te Reo
Rangatira, and Te Ao Haka
Mahere Aromatawai
Monday 2 March
2026 Kete Manarua:
-
All TMoA wāhanga ako
-
Te Reo Māori
-
Te Ao Haka
Friday 20 March
Tauaromahi (Exemplars) for Aromatawai ā-Waho (External) and Aromatawai ā-Roto (Internal) assessments:
- All TMoA wāhanga ako
- Te Reo Māori
- Te Ao Haka
School Code signatories and international course approval
We are streamlining attestation processes for schools by merging the ‘Code self-review’ attestation and ‘Consent to Assess and International Course Approval’
This change will enable schools to submit a single form covering both processes. The combined attestation form will be due on 6 March 2026.
Checklist
The following checklist provides a quick reference of the actions associated with information in this email link.
Action items for Principal’s Nominee by calendar month
1 December data file (can submit until midnight 4 December)
Ensure results for candidates studying with Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu and a Health School have been reported.
Check results from other providers have been reported with the external provider's number.
Check whether unassigned standards should be attached to courses. Remember for course endorsement, results in standards assigned to courses must have been assessed this year.
Internal results
Remind teachers that following the 1 December data file, results for internal standards can only be entered by the PN using the late entry process.
External exams
Review external examination processes with your ECM.
External moderation
Submit your assessment plan for 2026 external moderation.
School personnel
Remove access to school secure area for staff who are leaving.
Ensure that NZQA has up-to-date school contact details in the event that this information is needed after school closure.