About derived grades at scale
We can apply derived grades at scale when a group of students is significantly disadvantaged by extraordinary circumstances beyond their control.
Circumstances beyond students’ control means they are prevented from attending or completing an external assessment, or their performance in an external assessment is impaired.
For example:
- external assessments are not held because a school closes after an earthquake until buildings are declared safe
- students can’t attend an external assessment due to flooding, blocked roads or by order of a Medical Officer of Health
- students can’t complete a digital external assessment because of a power cut.
If we approve a circumstance and a student still attends an assessment, they will receive the higher of the derived grade or external assessment grade.
Derived grades at scale can only be applied with the approval of NZQA’s Chief Executive.
The Assessment Rules set out the derived grades at scale procedures we must follow.
On this page
Which students are eligible?
Students are eligible for derived grades at scale when:
- the school has evidence of the event and its effect on the impacted students
- NZQA agrees that derived grades at scale apply
- they have a valid entry for the affected standards at the external assessment’s date
- the school has pre-existing, authentic and standard-specific evidence that has been quality assured through the school’s own processes.
The derived grades at scale process
The Principal’s Nominee should contact their NZQA School Relationship Manager and request a derived grades at scale situation.
Once we’re notified, and we agree it applies,, we can declare a derived grades at scale situation.
Schools, it’s important to keep up-to-date records of student grades from practice and other formal assessments in your data file. You need these records in case there’s an unexpected event.
We will contact you to verify grades and indicate the impacted students.
Depending on the event’s scale, we may initiate a process to check the quality assurance of submitted grades.
Students don’t need to apply for derived grades at scale
Unlike other derived grades, students don’t need to apply when there’s a derived grades at scale event.
Schools, let affected students know that derived grades at scale have been submitted on their behalf and nothing additional is expected of them.
Make sure student entries and grades are up to date
1
Log in to MyNZQA
Log in to the MyNZQA school portal. Open the 'Grades Reported for use as Derived Grades at Scale' file
Log in to MyNZQA
2
Check your records
Make sure all the derived grades are accurate, up to date, and that there’s a result reported for each external entry
3
Identify students and standards
Identify the students that derived grades at scale apply to, and which of their entered standards will receive a derived grade
Schools must report results
All candidates with an entry in an externally assessed standard must have a result reported.
Schools must report results through their student management system (SMS) before the external assessment period starts.
Web entry schools can enter derived grades at scale directly. Web entry instructions are in the school’s MyNZQA account.
The possible results are:
- Not Achieved (N)
- Achieved (A)
- Merit (M)
- Excellence (E)
- Absent (Y)
- Void (Standard Not Assessed) (V)
Not Achieved grades
Not Achieved is a valid assessment outcome. If a student received Not Achieved for a practice assessment, this grade must be reported to NZQA in the derived grades at scale process.
If there is insufficient standard-specific evidence
If a school has insufficient standard-specific evidence for the candidate or none, provide a Standard Not Assessed (V) result or an Absent (Y) result as appropriate.
Not Achieved, Absent or Standard Not Assessed grades aren’t included on a student’s Record of Achievement.
If fewer than 10 students are affected by an event
If fewer than 10 students are affected by a single unexpected event, a school’s Principal’s Nominee can contact their NZQA School Relationship Manager and ask to submit a normal derived grade application through the MyNZQA school portal.
If approved, list the reason as 'derived grade at scale event of …' and describe the event. Students don’t need to complete an application form.
Appealing a derived grade at scale result
A student can appeal to their school if their final result was a derived grade at scale and the correct grade wasn’t reported to NZQA or wasn’t applied.
Because schools are responsible for deriving the grade and reporting the result to NZQA, their internal appeal processes apply.
Schools, if a student’s derived grade at scale appeal is upheld, contact your School Relationship Manager so we can adjust the student’s grade.
Appealing if the result isn’t a derived grade at scale
If a student receives a derived grade at scale, but manages to attend an external assessment, they may receive a derived grade that’s the same as or lower than their assessment grade.
In this situation, the student receives the higher of the two grades, which isn’t a derived grade at scale. Students can apply for a review or reconsideration in the normal way: