What is a derived grade?
Derived grades are evidence-based grades reported by school for students who, for an approved reason:
- couldn't attend an exam or assessment or submit a completed portfolio
- believe their performance in an external assessment was significantly negatively affected
- is selected for national representation in a sport, academic or cultural event and is pre-approved for a derived grade.
More information
On this page
The derived grade process for schools
Gather authentic, standard-specific evidence
Run practice assessments for external standards to gather authentic, standard-specific evidence during the year. Make sure emergency grades are submitted in your monthly data file.
Students selected for national representation need pre-approval
Pre-approval applications close a week before the start of exams.
If approved, schools still have to submit an online application in the MyNZQA school portal. These should be submitted at the time of the affected assessments.
National selection and pre-approval
Download a pre-approval form [DOCX, 85 KB]
Advise students
Tell candidates about the derived grade process before exams. You need to also advise them about who to contact for questions, advice and application forms.
Provide application forms
Provide application forms to students and parents. Make a record of who requests a form so you can follow-up later.
Download the derived grade application form [DOCX, 103 KB]
Collect completed forms
Collect the completed application forms and check that they are complete with the required information and supporting documents.
Supporting evidence for derived grade applications
Check applications against eligibility criteria
Check applications against our derived grade eligibility criteria. Let students know if you think their application will be accepted or declined.
Apply online
Lodge students’ derived grade applications in the MyNZQA school portal. Select the Derived grades link. You must lodge all student applications by the December due date.
Log in to the MyNZQA school portal (external link)
Provide additional information
Our derived grade team may ask you to provide additional information to support an application.
If an application is declined
We notify students and the Principal's Nominee if an application is declined. Students can appeal a declined decision.
Quality assurance and derived grades
What schools need to know about quality assuring student evidence for derived grades
Learn moreThe principles that apply to derived grades
When we accept or decline derived grade applications, we make sure that:
- we're being fair to the applicant and other students
- there's credible evidence of the illness or event and how it impacted the student
- grades are based on authentic, standard-specific evidence that was quality assured through the school’s own process.
Students should sit an assessment if possible
If a students derived grade application is approved and they also sat the examination, they will receive the higher result of the 2 grades.
The student is the applicant
Schools should let students know whether their applications meet our eligibility criteria and guidelines but shouldn’t prevent students from applying.
If the school doesn’t support an application, they note this on the student’s application form.
Students specify the standards they’re applying for
Schools should tell students if there is a valid grade available for each standard, what the grade is, and let them know that they don’t have to apply if a Not Achieved grade will be reported.
NZQA may accept applications after the December closing date
In extenuating circumstances, we may accept late applications after the due date because of reasons beyond the student’s control.
The Principal's Nominee must contact their School Relationship Manager to discuss the reason for the late application and request a Late Application Form.
We can’t accept any derived grade applications after results are released in January.
Find out more in the Assessment Rules
Derived grades are different to derived grades at scale
Derived grades are for individual students and students must apply for them.
Derived grades at scale (derived grades for unexpected events) are generally applied to groups of students affected in a similar way by a common, single event. These are applied at our discretion.
Highly sensitive situations or unforeseen events
Highly sensitive situations
Highly sensitive situations can be kept confidential, where appropriate. Contact your School Relationship Manager in the first instance to discuss the process to follow.
Situations that should be investigated or advice sought
The following situations should be investigated, or advice sought from our derived grades team or your School Relationship Manager:
- transport delays, for example a bus breakdown, car accident or motorway blockage.
- the Exam Centre Manager states that a translated examination paper didn’t arrive.
- there is a prolonged disturbance, such as a fire evacuation, during the examination.
- a candidate is concerned about the quality of the technology used to record or play information during the examination session.
- a reader or writer is suddenly unavailable for special assessment conditions.