Social Studies

Social Sciences|New Zealand Curriculum

About Social Studies

Social Studies is about people — who they are, what they do, how they change, and what happens to them.

This page contains resources and tools to help support: 

  • internal and external assessment (exams)
  • teachers delivering this subject
  • learners taking this subject.

Read more about this subject on NCEA.education (external link)

Changes to Social Studies

Sample resources for 92051 for external assessment in 2025

Assessor Support

See how our online resources and workshops can support and improve your assessment practice.

Assessor Support home

Social Studies standards

Level 1 standards

Social Studies achievement standards

Find Level 1 standards

Level 2 standards

Social Studies achievement standards

Find Level 2 standards

Level 3 standards

Social Studies achievement standards

Find Level 3 standards

Exemplars, reports, past exams and assessment schedules

Level 1

Past exams, exemplars, assessment schedules and reports

Level 1

Level 2

Past exams, exemplars, assessment schedule and reports

Level 2

Level 3

Past exams, exemplars, assessment schedule and reports

Level 3

Cut scores

Past scores for exams for all levels

Get cut scores

Past digital assessments

Access digital exams

Find past assessments

Assessment specifications

Level 1

Get the latest assessment specifications

Level 1

Level 2

Get the latest assessment specifications

Level 2

Level 3

Get the latest assessment specifications

Level 3

2025 assessment specifications

View next year's assessment specifications

Assessor support materials for internal assessment

Internal exemplars

See exemplars for internally assessed Social Studies standards

Go to exemplars

National moderator's report

Annual reports on issues and trends in assessment

View moderator's report

Clarifications

Updates on assessment and moderations

Find Social Studies clarifications

Request clarification form

Teachers can request clarification of a standard with this form

Open request clarification form

Remote assessment matrix

Guidance for teachers if learning and assessment needs to be completed remotely

Download matrix [PDF, 149 KB]

Alternative evidence gathering templates

Templates for student results when direct assessment is not possible

Get templates

Social Studies resources on Pūtake

Online learning modules available for this subject

Go to resources

Tools

Level 1 assessment matrix

Use this Social Studies matrix on NCEA.education with new standards in 2024

Go to the matrix

Level 2 and 3 assessment matrix

Use this Social Studies matrix for Level 2 and 3 standards

Download matrix [DOCX, 36 KB]

Career guidance

Career information and tools to help your students on careers.govt.nz

Go to careers.govt.nz

Log in to MyNZQA school portal