How derived grade applications work
Students complete a derived grade application form and give it to their school.
In the application form, students indicate if their application is for a medical reason, because of an event or because they have been selected for national representation.
Download a derived grade application form [PDF, 121 KB]
Students give completed application forms to their school’s Principal’s Nominee. The Principal’s Nominee lodges each application online in the Applications section of the MyNZQA school portal.
We review all derived grade applications and approve or decline them based on the eligibility criteria.
Students, try to take your exams whenever possible. If we approve your application for a derived grade but you still take the exam, you will receive the higher of the 2 grades.
On this page
When derived grade applications are due
Derived grade applications are due no more than 2 weeks after the student’s last affected exam or assessment.
Students selected for national representations must apply for pre-approval. Pre-approval applications are due by 1 November.
Students who have pre-approval must also provide evidence that they attended the event, such as a photo of them there. Principal’s Nominees then share this evidence with us.
Make sure an application meets the eligibility criteria
Supporting evidence
All applications for derived grades must include supporting evidence.
For medical and event applications, this evidence will show why, for circumstances beyond their control, the student:
- couldn’t attend an examination or assessment
- submitted an incomplete portfolio
- attended an examination but their performance was significantly impaired.
For national representation applications, this evidence will show:
- that the student has been selected
- the national body that selected them
- the dates the student is unable to attend assessments.
Examples of supporting evidence for a medical application include:
- a doctor’s certificate or report from a registered professional like a psychologist
- a hospital admission or discharge notice
- a statement from the school’s Principal’s Nominee or Exam Centre Manager confirming the student fell ill during an exam.
Students applying for a medical reason must ask an independent, New Zealand-registered professional to fill out the medical section of the application form.
Examples of supporting evidence for an event application include:
- a report from the school nurse or guidance counsellor
- a police or traffic report
- a funeral service order or death notice
- confirmation from the school’s Principal’s Nominee that the student experienced a significant event or trauma that negatively affected them
- a newspaper report about an event that directly impacted the student, such as a house fire or major traffic accident.
If an event happened before an exam or assessment, the student’s evidence must show that they couldn’t prepare effectively and were under continuous care from a registered professional.
Examples of supporting evidence for a national representation application include:
- the letter from the national body verifying the student’s national selection for the team or event
- the dates of the competition or event
- a copy of the student’s planned travel arrangements.
We allow for reasonable travel time to and from the event. But if a candidate chooses to go early or stay longer for leisure reasons, the examinations or assessments they missed in this time aren’t eligible for a derived grade
Derived grades can’t be used to compensate for missed study or preparation time.
Principal’s Nominees, if you’re not sure if supporting evidence meets the eligibility criteria, please contact us for advice:
derivedgrades@nzqa.govt.nz
What schools need to do
When lodging an application for a student, schools need to:
- consider the information in the student’s application against the derived grade criteria
- decide if the provided information meets the criteria
- use the online application form to tell us if they support or do not support the student’s application based on the eligibility criteria
- make sure enough information is included in a student’s application so we can evaluate it
- make sure the student’s application only covers the affected dates (identified by the medical practitioner or professional)
- give us additional information promptly if we ask for it.
Successful applications
Students are not notified if their application is approved. If a student’s derived grade application is approved, the derived grade or grades will appear on their results notice when it’s released in January. They won't be labelled as derived grades.
Unsuccessful applications
If a student’s derived grade application doesn’t meet the eligibility criteria, we can’t approve it. Declined applications are carefully peer reviewed by our derived grades team.
We tell the student and their school’s Principal’s Nominee in writing when an application is declined.
Students can appeal an unsuccessful application.
Appealing an unsuccessful application
A student can appeal an unsuccessful application no more than 15 days after hearing from us by:
- telling us in writing they want to appeal the decision
- providing additional information or evidence to support their original application.
Our reply to your application tells you how to appeal.
Unsuccessful appeals
If an appeal is declined and a student doesn’t agree with the outcome, they can write to our Chief Executive and ask for a review of the appeal decision:
Students must do this no more than 15 days after hearing that an appeal was declined.
The Chief Executive’s decision is final.