How to apply for an extension of consent to assess

Schools can submit an application to extend their consent to assess by adding standards that they wish to deliver beyond their current scope. 

To demonstrate the process, we'll log in to the school portal as a Principal’s Nominee. 

From the main navigation panel on the left, select School administration and then Applications. Here, you can view all applications previously submitted by your school, including their submission dates and current statuses. 

To begin a new application, select Create a new application, choose Extension of consent to assess from the drop-down menu and then click Create application. 

Before starting the application, please pay attention to the link. Clicking the hyperlink will open detailed step-by-step guidance on the application process in a new window. It also contains templates for supporting documents that will be required as determined by the standards that are being applied for. Once you have familiarised yourself with these resources, return to the school portal and continue with the application.  

The application process begins by entering your contact details, including your first name, last name, and email address. Once these details have been entered, select Next to continue. 

The next step is to select the standards you wish to add. We assume you already know the standard numbers for which you are applying, but you can also search by keyword. Search for and select the relevant standards. Once you have made your selections, click Next page. 

The following screen shows whether your school can apply for the selected standards. In this example, three standards can be included in the application, while two others cannot. 

You’ll see the reason for each restriction. For example, a standard may already be covered by an existing accreditation under a domain, or it may already be included within the school's current base scope. Once you have reviewed what you can apply for, continue to the next page.  

This section is used for uploading supporting documents. 

The system will indicate which document types are required based on the standards selected. In most cases, the Principal's Covering Letter and the Quality Management System (QMS) Attestation are mandatory for all applications. 

Any additional supporting documents that may be required will be identified during the standards selection process. On-screen examples are provided to help you determine which documents are needed for different application scenarios.  

[Image on screen reads: If the application includes an NZQA standard, a CMR form must also be provided. If the application includes an Industry Skills Board (ISB) standard, an ISB support letter is required. If the application includes an NZQA Level 4 Field Māori standard, a subfield-specific CMR form instead of document 1 is needed]

In this instance, both the CMR form and the ISB letter are required, as both governing bodies (NZQA and ISB) are captured in the application. 

After completing the required documentation, you upload the documents by selecting Upload documents. If you prefer, you can save all 4 documents in one PDF, or upload them individually. 

As documents are uploaded, select the relevant checkboxes to confirm that you have provided the required documentation. Note, the application can’t proceed until all required document types have been confirmed. Click Next page. 

In this section, you may enter any additional comments that could assist NZQA in assessing the application. 

The final page provides a summary of the application, including: 

• Applicant contact details 
• Selected standards and their subject areas 
• Uploaded documents 
• Additional comments 

Carefully review all information before submitting the application. Once you are satisfied that everything is correct, select Submit. 

If you now return to the applications list, you will see the newly submitted application displayed at the top of the list. 

What happens next? 

After submission, you will receive an automatically generated email from NZQA containing the application reference number. 

Information about the remaining stages of the assessment process can be found in the application guidance page referenced at the beginning of the application.  

That concludes our overview of the extension of consent to assess application process. 

Thank you for your attention.