Clarification details
Updated February 2026. This clarification has been updated to reflect version 2 of the standard.
The purpose of clarifications
We create clarification documents to help people understand the current requirements of achievement standards. Clarifications do not introduce new criteria, change the intent of the standard, or change what we expect from assessment.
These documents unpack and explain the language and intent of the standard so people interpret and apply the standard consistently. We provide examples or guidance as illustrations only. They are not prescriptions or requirements.
For official requirements, always refer to the current version of the achievement standard as published by NZQA.
Assessment guidance
Students need to demonstrate at least two complex techniques in their program. Examples of complex programming techniques are given in Explanatory Note (EN) 5. These provide guidance about the expectations for the level but are not an exhaustive list. Assessors may need to determine other techniques that are complex and should indicate what these are.
Students are required to test and debug their program. Testing should be clearly documented, and the evidence should show which tests the program has passed.
For Merit, the program should have been tested on both ‘expected’ cases and ‘boundary’ cases. The task must4 provide the opportunity for ‘boundary’ cases to be tested.
Students need to follow conventions for the programming language. Most languages have well-established conventions, particularly relating to naming, code layout, and organisation. There are automated tools to check conventions available for many popular languages.
For Excellence, the program needs to be flexible and robust. For example, using constants in place of numeric literals and the effective use of parameters. The program should also have been comprehensively tested.
Moderation requirements
All submissions require digital copies of the source code, as well as other evidence prepared to meet the standard.
For programs written in less commonly used languages, a video of the program being run is required for moderation. The video should include voice-over or subtitles that describe what is happening.
Students who are using commonly used languages such as Python, Java, JavaScript, and C# are also encouraged to supply video evidence. Version control solutions, such as GitHub, can also be used to reduce the workload so that students can focus on producing the testing and debugging evidence discussed above.
Assessors will need to ensure that the prepared supporting evidence, such as voice-over video files, online version control tools, or separate testing documents, is accessible to the moderator. When files are password-protected, the access settings should be changed appropriately to allow the moderation process to occur.