A digital-first approach to assessment

About Aotearoa's move to digital assessment, including our research and findings from our trials and pilots

Moving towards digital assessments

We’ve been giving students a chance to do some of their NCEA exams online since 2015. Students tell us that they prefer it.

NZQA will keep working with schools and students to make sure technology delivers a good user experience for a subject before it's offered as a digital assessment that counts towards NCEA.

A digital-first approach means external assessments can be modified. This leads to an enhanced student experience and more equitable access.

Most new and revised achievement standards are digital, and digital assessments will eventually account for most externally assessed standards.

As these new standards are rolled out, digital assessment will become the norm for most students.

Which subjects have digital assessments?

You can see which subjects offer digital submissions or end-of-year digital examinations in the exam timetable.

National secondary examination timetable

Literacy and Numeracy and Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau assessments are also digital.

Our digital assessment vision and research

Digital assessment vision: A design principles approach

Learn more about NZQA's vision for digital assessment and the principles behind it

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Research, innovation and enhancements

What we're doing to meet the increase in digitally enabled teaching and learning

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Evaluating digital external assessment

How we evaluated digital assessment and findings from our trials and pilots

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Get more information or give us feedback