Literacy and Numeracy assessment information

Literacy and Numeracy assessments are digital-first. Students complete the assessments on a computer using the Assessment Master platform.

This page contains information about preparing for the assessments, and links to helpful documents and online content.

Prepare students for Literacy and Numeracy assessments

Teachers, use the NZQA resources below to help your students prepare for digital assessments.

Students should familiarise themselves with the format and delivery of the assessment using past digital assessments.

Digital assessment preparation for students

Check your device is compatible with the assessment (external link)

Past digital assessments (external link)

Delivering Literacy and Numeracy assessments

Schools manage the delivery of Literacy and Numeracy CAAs. They can choose when to deliver a CAA, so long as it’s in the 2-week assessment period we set.

Students have a minimum of 60 minutes to complete each assessment. But they can take as long as they need provided the assessment is delivered in a single session.

Best practices

It's best practice for schools to assess students for a single co-requisite (Reading, Writing or Numeracy) on the same day. But schools can stagger these throughout the day to protect each assessment's integrity.

If schools can't assess all the students who are ready to be assessed in one single session, they can assess in multiple sessions during the 2-week assessment period.

Schools, kura and other NCEA providers decide: 

• which school staff supervise CAAs
• when CAAs are held during the 2-week assessment period
• if students who are ready to be assessed complete the Reading, Writing and Numeracy assessments at the same time, different times on the same day, or across multiple days
• how the room is set up for assessments
• if learners require Special Assessment Conditions.

Entering students into Literacy and Numeracy assessments

Schools should enter students for the assessments when they have full mastery over curriculum Level 4 and are ready to work at Level 5.

The Ministry of Education provides guidance to help you determine when students are ready for the assessments:

Determining ākonga readiness (external link) - MoE

Students don’t have to be entered into every assessment during the assessment period. They may only be ready for Literacy Reading or Numeracy, for example.

Remember, students can be assessed from years 9 to 13. In some tertiary institutions, you may decide a student is not ready to be assessed until the following year.

How to enter students for Literacy and Numeracy assessments

Schools submit their entries for Literacy and Numeracy assessments the same way they submit entries for other standards:

• by sending us a datafile if the school uses a School Management System, or
• through the web entry process.

Making a data submission to NZQA

If you’re unsure how your school handles entries, talk to the school’s Principal’s Nominee.

Schools need sufficient time to complete preparation tasks in Assessment Master, such as checking entries, assigning students to rooms, and allocating supervisors. Schools also need to ensure students know their National Student Number (NSN). 

Late submission of entries make these tasks even more challenging.

Entries for tertiary students

You can enter tertiary students in Literacy and Numeracy assessments.

Download the tertiary entry template [XLSX, 41 KB]

Email the completed template to:

litnum@nzqa.govt.nz

Special Assessment Conditions

Special Assessment Conditions (SAC) for Literacy and Numeracy co-requisites