Key dates
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
23 March
Access opens for sending entry and result data to NZQA.
24 March
Information sheets available for students entering externals.
1 April
Entries due for event 1 of Literacy and Numeracy assessment and Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau.
Online process opens for Memorandum of Agreement between NZQA and schools.
2 April
First deadline for SAC first time applications for approval, rollover, and changes
On this page
Principal's Nominees webinars
Please note the following webinar topics and dates. These are delivered by School Relationship Managers.
Feel free to share the invitation with relevant staff members.
Get presentations and recorded sessions (external link)
Leading National Assessment seminar – Online
Leading National Assessment seminar content
Join on Tuesday 10 March 2:30 pm - 4 pm (external link)
Special Assessment Conditions (SAC)
- Questions and answers for new PNs, SENCOs
- Introduction to SAC
- Making applications/notifications
- Evidence and record-keeping
Join on Tuesday 17 March 11 am - 11:45 am (external link)
Join on Thursday 19 March 3:30 pm - 4:15 pm (external link)
Data and entries Q&A
- 2026 courses and entries
- Using the API
- 2025 cleanup
Join on Tuesday 24 March 3:30 pm - 4:15 pm (external link)
Join on Thursday 26 March 3:30 pm - 4:15 pm (external link)
Literacy and Numeracy and Te Reo Matatini me Te Pāngarau
- Common Assessment Activities/Tūmahi Aromatawai Pātahi
- Preparing for the CAAs and TAPā
Join on Tuesday 31 March 3:30 pm - 4:15 pm (external link)
Join on Wednesday 1 April 3:30 pm - 4:15 pm (external link)
Term 2 PN priorities
- Monitoring moderation
- Following up on MNA action items
- CAAs and TAPā
Join on Tuesday 21 April 3:30 pm - 4:15 pm (external link)
Join on Thursday 23 April 3:30 pm - 4:15 pm (external link)
Term 2 Kura PN priorities
- Monitoring moderation
- Following up on MNA action items
- CAAs and TAPā
- Data errors and warnings
Join on Wednesday 22 April 3:30 pm - 4:15 pm (external link)
Aotearoa New Zealand Principals’ Nominees Network (ANZPNN)
A notice from the ANZPNN Executive
Established by Principals’ Nominees for Principals’ Nominees, the Aotearoa New Zealand Principals’ Nominees Network (ANZPNN) aims to connect and support Principals’ Nominees.
The goals of the Network are to support, advocate for, and raise the profile of the role of Principals’ Nominees nationally, by:
- supporting Principals’ Nominees to develop and share best practice in assessment for NCEA qualifications
- fostering collaboration and information sharing between Principals’ Nominees
- creating a library of resources to support the work of Principals’ Nominees
- providing a platform for the professional learning, support and development of Principals’ 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’ Nominees.
There are currently over 350 members. If you haven’t already joined, you may like to consider joining the network.
Fill in the form to be added to the membership database (external link)
If you have any questions or would like to be involved, please email anzpnn@gmail.com.
External moderation 2026
After you complete the internal assessment process (marking student work and carrying out internal moderation to ensure consistency), you must submit work for the standards that have been selected on the moderation plans. We then review samples through External Moderation to confirm that the teachers marking aligns with the national standard. You must submit these samples within 10 days after results have been sent to NZQA.
Publication of External Moderation Plans is almost complete. This year’s moderation mainly focuses on Level 2 and Level 3 standards and standards that have recently changed, plus a few others to support national consistency.
Only 2026 student work can be used for moderation. If your school is not assessing a standard listed on your plan, contact your School Relationship Manager so it can be updated.
If a standard is still being assessed and you will not be able to submit the material by 19 October, please notify your School Relationship Manager, including the proposed submission date.
Further information about submitting moderation is available on our website, and the guide provides step‑by‑step support for the moderation application.
If confirmatory moderation (moderation and possible action from moderation undertaken prior to finalising of results) is required for any of your standards, your School Relationship Manager will contact you.
Specialist Workforce Moderators
Assessment and Moderation are seeking applications from teachers of Pacific Languages to join our Moderation Team. After initial training, the work can be completed online at times to suit your schedule.
Go to the Specialist Workforce career centre (external link)
LNA handbook reminder
It was great seeing so many of you at the Seminars.
A reminder that the Leading National Assessment handbook and presentation are available at:
Sample papers
Sample papers for these NCEA standards will be published on 20 March. The mode of assessment is changing from submission to examination.
- 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
Scholarship Technology 93601 – Change in specifications
Scholarship Technology 93601 has a change in specifications, to be published on 20 March. Along with the change to the specifications, a sample will be published on 20 March to show how the new format should look.
Visual Arts - Change to submission dates
The submission date for Level 3 and NZ Scholarship Visual Arts was brought forward to ensure that portfolios can be assessed to the standard required for high stakes external assessment. Entries in both Level 3 and Scholarship Visual Arts have grown significantly, and the previous timeframe did not provide sufficient capacity for robust and reliable marking.
The change has been discussed with markers and the Visual Arts subject association (ANZAAE), and communicated to the Principal’s Nominee Network. The 2026 Assessment Specifications have been updated to reflect the new 2 November submission date.
Visual Arts assessment specifications
It was also decided to leave the Level 2 submission date as 28 October, and to provide additional support to all schools regarding the challenges associated with changing from a physical submission to a digital submission. The Visual Arts subject association and NZQA will work together to provide this support.
Visual Arts – Level 2 Portfolio Submission Bags no longer required
Because Level 2 Visual Arts is now Digital Submission only, schools no longer need to send physical student portfolio bags to NZQA for verification.
University Entrance – Numeracy
A change was announced in 2023 that from 2024, University Entrance Numeracy can only be gained through co-requisite Level 1 Numeracy Unit Standard 32406 or Te Pāngarau Unit Standard 32412, or the limited list of achievement standards.
Read about the change in A2023/17
Download the limited list of Numeracy achievement standards [XLSX, 12 KB]
2024 and 2025 were a transition period, meaning students who had met the University Entrance Numeracy requirement for 2023 before the end of the 2023 academic year had also met the University Entrance Numeracy requirement for the 2024 and 2025 academic years.
New University Entrance numeracy requirements
Please ensure any student who wishes to gain University Entrance from 2026 onwards meets the current requirements. Note that this does not include the 266 series of Unit Standards.
Special Assessment Conditions (SAC)
Braille papers for May Co-requisite assessments
If you have a student who requires Braille papers for the May co-requisite assessments, please complete the actions below before 1 April:
- Email sac@nzqa.govt.nz as soon as possible to confirm what is needed.
- Submit a SAC application for students who currently do not have a Braille paper SAC provision, including Year 9 or 10 students. We cannot prepare Braille if we are notified after this date.
- Contact the SAC team if you need to discuss the student’s needs further.
SAC provision for the Co-requisite Literacy and Numeracy |Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau assessments
Instructions on the provision of SAC for these assessments can be found at:
Amending SAC requirements
Sometimes a change is needed to what has been approved or notified. Click on the student’s NSN and scroll down to the Notes & Messages section to make the request and the reason for it. The SAC team will receive the request and respond.
Update contact information
Please check the contact details of your SENCO and/or SAC Contact (name and email) via your school’s MyNZQA portal at the School Administration/School Profile link. This will ensure that they receive information relevant to their positions.
Support
Please email sac@nzqa.govt.nz if you have any questions or need support on SAC processes.
Admin fee and Co-requisite payments
During the next few weeks we will be paying the annual administration fee to schools and kura. At the same time we will also distribute a payment on behalf of the Ministry of Education to help offset the costs of administering assessments for the dedicated co-requisite standards.
Schools and kura that reported results for dedicated co-requisite standards will receive a base payment of $200, plus $5 per candidate for each standard where there was an assessed result. We will email Finance Managers a breakdown of how your school/kura payment will be calculated.
Requirement to nominate NCEA Co-requisite dates removed
To help streamline processes for schools and kura, you will not need to advise NZQA of your planned assessment dates for the co‑requisite CAAs, TAPā, or Kete Manarua in 2026.
We now have sufficient data to confidently predict system performance and support requirements.
Applications to become an exam centre are now open
Becoming a new Exam Centre
If your school/kura wishes to become an exam centre, you will need to complete an application form. Applications opened on 2 March 2026 and will close on 1 May 2026.
The application form is typically completed by the Principal's Nominee (PN), and allows them to apply to NZQA for their school/kura to become an exam centre, so students can take the NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams at their own school/kura, managed by an Exam Centre Manager.
There are certain criteria that the school/kura need to meet to become an exam centre. The criteria and application form can be found under High Security > School’s Administration > Exam Centre through your Provider Login.
Questions?
If you have questions, please email the Assessment Delivery team on examcentremanagement@nzqa.govt.nz.
NZQA Owned Standards Review update
An updated version of each of the following Standards and Qualifications is now available on NZQA website.
This update reflects the most current set of registered standards and qualifications across the following areas.
Standards
Pacific Studies
- Pacific Change and Development
- Pacific Indigenous Knowledge
- Pacific Societies (3 standards)
- Niue Tradition and Culture
Social Studies
- Legal Studies (6 standards only)
Core Generic
- Work and Study Skills unit standards – Core Generic (266 Literacy/Numeracy standards)
- Financial Capability
Qualifications
Core Generic – Financial Capability
- New Zealand Certificate in Personal Financial Capability (Level 2)
- New Zealand Certificate in Personal Financial Capability (Level 3)
To view the specific changes to the qualifications and standards, please refer to the December 2025 and January 2026 Change Reports available here:
Change reports schedule (external link) - NZQA
If you require further information or support, please contact nqs@nzqa.govt.nz.
Revision to Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) Reference for Unit Standard 5236
Standard: 5236
Subfield: Mathematics
Domain: Trigonometry
Following consultation with the standard-setting body, Waihanga Ara Rau – Construction and Infrastructure Workforce Development Council (WDC), NZQA National Qualifications Services has transferred Unit Standard 5236 from CMR 0226 to CMR 0120.
Impact on Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR)
All accredited providers and providers applying for consent to assess against Unit Standard 5236 must now refer to the requirements outlined in:
School Rules for 2026
The Assessment and Examination for NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship Rules 2026 came into effect on 1 Feb.
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
School data
Ensure accurate entries for Common Assessment Activities (CAAs), Literacy and Numeracy assessment, and Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau.
Email schools@nzqa.govt.nz details of any new twins or triplets entered for NCEA.
External moderation
Check your external moderation plan and inform your SRM of any requested changes to standards and if moderation material will need to be submitted after 20 October.
Contact details
Ensure contact details for SAC/SENCO are up to date.
SAC
Submit applications for approval, rollover, and changes.
Complete a SAC needs analysis for students who had SAC provisions previously to decide whether to rollover, change, or remove the SAC for the current year.
Follow up with students requiring Braille papers.
Screen Year 9 and 10 students for potential SAC applications.
Learner login
Once entries are made, assist students to register with NZQA and create their MyNZQA Learner account.
Glossary
Acronyms and terms
- ANZAAE: Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Art Educators.
- ANZPNN: Aotearoa New Zealand Principals’ Nominees Network.
- CAA(s): Common Assessment Activities (used in Literacy & Numeracy).
- CMR: Consent and Moderation Requirements (rules providers must follow to assess certain standards).
- Confirmatory moderation: A check done before results are finalised to make sure assessment decisions are correct.
- Digital submission: Uploading student work electronically instead of sending physical portfolios.
- Exam Centre: A school/kura approved to host NCEA and Scholarship exams.
- Kete Manarua: A set of tasks used for assessing Literacy & Numeracy in Te Ao Māori contexts.
- MNA: Monitoring National Assessment (NZQA review of a school’s assessment systems).
- NSN: National Student Number.
- PN: Principal’s Nominee (the school’s NZQA liaison).
- SAC: Special Assessment Conditions (support for eligible students during assessment).
- SENCO: Special Education Needs Coordinator.
- SRM: School Relationship Manager (your NZQA regional contact).
- TAPā: Tūmahi Aromatawai Pātahi (assessment activities for Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau).
- Te Pāngarau: Mathematics in Māori-medium pathways.
- Te Reo Matatini: Literacy in Māori-medium pathways.
- WDC: Workforce Development Council (industry advisory body).