About these guidelines
These guidelines are for tertiary education organisations (TEOs) seeking consent to assess against standards on the Directory of Assessment and Skill Standards.
They set out the New Zealand Qualifications Authority’s quality assurance process for granting consent to assess and explain the application requirements.
Tertiary education organisations that can apply for consent to assess are:
- private training establishments (PTEs)
- Te Pūkenga
- wānanga
- government training establishments.
Download a PDF version of these guidelines [PDF, 622 KB]
Information for schools and kura seeking consent to assess
Consent to assess for secondary schools
Guide to Requirements for Consent to Assess for Schools [PDF, 564 KB]
On this page
Context
TEOs must apply to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) for consent to assess against standards in accordance with the consent to assess rules.
Quality assurance
NZQA quality assures applications for consent to assess.
Consent is granted on the evidence that the TEO has the capability and resources to assess a learner’s level of knowledge and competency fairly, equitably, consistently and with authenticity.
NZQA will be clear about the information and evidence on which decisions have been made. An application outcome of approved, not approved, or request for information (RFI) will be provided based on the overall quality of the application.
Te Hono o Te Kahurangi quality assurance
Te Hono o Te Kahurangi is a whare ako framework and methodology NZQA uses for quality assurance in the non-university tertiary sector.
If your organisation uses kaupapa Māori and teaches mātauranga Māori, Te Hono o Te Kahurangi lets you engage with NZQA using Māori approaches and values. The framework also contains practices that will add to learner success by assuring national consistency.
Te Hono o Te Kahurangi guidelines for evaluative quality assurance inform TEOs how NZQA quality assures educational outcomes. They also show how NZQA prioritises Mātauranga Māori and the acceleration of Māori learner success in the tertiary education context.
What is consent to assess?
Consent to assess means that a TEO can assess learners against standards on the Directory of Assessment and Skill Standards and report their achievement to NZQA.
A TEO with consent to assess can:
- use those standards as part of their education delivery
- offer an approved programme or micro-credential that includes those standards.
TEOs with consent to assess must engage in a system of national external moderation to ensure assessment is at the national standard.
Consent to assess may be granted for individual standards or standards classified in a domain up to a specified level.
Standards on the DASS
Standards-based assessment is about recognising learner achievement. A standard describes what a learner who has achieved the standard knows and can do.
Standards are used to assess knowledge, skills, and abilities against quality assured criteria.
All standards have a unique ID, are assigned level and credits, and a classification.
There are three types of standards:
- skill standards
- unit standards (being phased out)
- achievement standards.
Skill standards are the newest type on the DASS. Progressively, skill standards will replace unit standards. Standard setting bodies (SSBs) will work through a programme of transition to include skill standards in qualifications and micro-credentials.
Skill standards will be mandatory where specified in qualifications and micro-credentials. They will be a common building block that all providers use to support portability of learning and consistency of graduate outcomes.
Skill standards and unit standards are developed by SSBs for use across the secondary and tertiary sectors.
Achievement standards are developed by the Ministry of Education primarily for use by secondary schools and kura. TEOs seeking consent to assess for achievement standards must comply with the following rules:
DASS classification system
The DASS has a three-tier classification system comprising fields, subfields and domains. All standards are classified in a domain.
Consent to assess may be granted for individual standards, or for all standards classified in a domain up to a specified level. Consent is not normally granted for sub-fields or fields.
The DASS is searchable by standard number or title:
Search Framework (external link)
And can be browsed by classification:
Explore Framework (external link)
The use of each standard is governed by a system called 'Consent and Moderation Requirements'.
A Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) document is linked to every standard on the DASS.
The CMR
The CMR for a standard outlines the specific requirements that TEOs must meet to be granted, and to maintain, consent to assess.
CMRs include general criteria applying to every standard they cover. They may also include industry specific criteria for standards or domains where there are, for example, additional health and safety or legislative requirements. It is important that TEOs check for industry specific criteria:
- industry specific criteria may be set out in appendices to the CMR
- for Field Māori standards, industry specific criteria include requirements for organisations to ensure staff have relevant knowledge and skills of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and te ao Māori where appropriate.
CMRs are developed by SSBs such as Workforce Development Councils (WDCs), NZQA and the Ministry of Education.
SSBs are responsible for setting and maintaining the national standard. They do this through the CMR.
The CMR:
- Sets down the requirements for TEO capability - the particular skills and knowledge of teachers and assessors, any special resources required for assessing against the standards, learner access to resources, and practical experience.
- Describes the national external moderation (NEM) system to moderate assessment decisions made by TEOs.
These two systems are described in the CMR under the headings Consent Requirements and Moderation Requirements.
How to find a CMR
Go to the DASS search tool to find the CMR that applies to the standard. Enter the standard number and the CMR will appear in the results with the standard:
Search the DASS framework (external link)
Or, if you know the CMR number, select 'CMRs by ID' from the drop-down menu.
Consent requirements
Consent requirements provide assurance that providers have capable teachers and assessors, and the resources needed for assessing against the standards.
SSBs work with their stakeholders to establish these requirements for providers seeking consent to assess.
CMR documents are being transitioned into a new template from 2024. This means that the section headings for consent requirements will be different in recently published CMRs as set out below. The nature of the requirements under each heading are essentially the same.
Moderation requirements
The National External Moderation (NEM) system provides assurance that assessment decisions are consistent with the national standard across all organisations that have consent to assess against standards.
SSBs are responsible for managing NEM systems for the standards they set.
WDCs are responsible for the NEM of industry standards. NZQA runs the NEM systems for general education subjects, generic, and Field Māori standards.
NEM systems are designed to:
- ensure assessment practice is fair, valid, and consistent
- be appropriate to the nature of the learning outcomes and assessment evidence collected
- provide confidence that learners have achieved the specified standard
- provide confidence in the reliability and consistency of assessor judgements about learner performance
- be cost effective
- focus on improving assessment practice
- specify roles and responsibilities within the moderation system
- specify the requirements for collecting assessment samples and moderation activities.
TEOs with consent to assess must participate in the NEM system
The Moderation Requirements section of a CMR sets out the NEM system for the standards. This may include moderation selection criteria and sampling methods, the selection of standards for moderation, coverage and intensity of moderation, and the moderation process. Processes may be online, onsite or practical, or in communities of practice or cluster group meetings.
Some standards will be moderated every year, especially high use or high-risk standards.
Maintaining consent to assess
To maintain consent to assess TEOs must continue to meet the requirements of the CMR including:
- accurately reporting credits for learners within three months of assessment
- paying the credit reporting fee due by the end of the month following receipt of the invoice from NZQA.
TEOs must also meet the requirements of related rules:
PTE Enrolment and Academic Records Rules
Quality Assurance (including External Evaluation and Review (EER)) Rules
Changes to teachers and assessors
Organisations must ensure that CMR requirements continue to be met when teaching, assessing and moderation staff leave or are replaced.
These roles in the consented organisation must continue to be held by people with the minimum skills, subject expertise, qualifications and experience as set out in the CMR.
New staff must be made aware of the general and industry specific requirements of the CMRs before they commence teaching or assessing.
How to apply
A TEO can apply for consent to assess as a stand-alone application, or as part of an application for micro-credential accreditation or programme accreditation.
In both cases, the application must meet the relevant consent and moderation requirements.
TEOs are required to follow these guidelines.
Before you apply
Decide what consent to assess you need.
Check the CMRs. You need to show that you can meet these requirements in your application.
Contact the SSB to clarify any industry or sector-specific requirements; these may be in appendices. The SSB could be a WDC or NZQA’s National Qualifications Services or Māori Qualifications Services.
Contacting the WDC
Follow the process set out in the CMR and use the application forms found on the WDC websites. The WDC form will indicate the evidence you must provide.
The outcome of the assessment by the WDC will be provided to you in writing.
Confirm the following before you start an NZQA application:
- the scope of the consent sought covering classifications and standards, and levels
- evidence of the assessment by the relevant WDC
- evidence of how your TEO will carry out self-assessment and participate in external evaluation and review
- an explanation of how the scope fits with the TEO’s overall business planning and delivery intentions
- evidence to show your TEO can design study or training, particularly in respect of the standards in the application.
Submit a stand-alone application
Once you've logged in to the portal, fill in the online application:
- Select your organisation type and complete your login details.
- Go to TEO Applications
- Make an application
- Choose QA Māori for standards in Field Māori, choose QA division for all other standards
- Select ‘consent to assess standards’
- Go to Contact Details. The contact details page is prepopulated with your organisation’s details. Make any changes needed to make sure the details are appropriate for the consent to assess application.
- Go to Domain Consents. Choose ‘Yes’ if you're applying for all standards at the specified level or below and select the domain, otherwise select ‘No’
- On the Consent to Assess Standards page select ‘Yes’ if you're applying for individual standards and add these, otherwise select ‘No’
- On the Supporting Documents page, attach and upload:
- NZQA consent to assess cover sheet (optional) see bottom of this page for the link.
- QMS excerpts that show you meet the relevant CMRs
- a letter of support from the appropriate WDC
- other supporting evidence.
Submit an application with a micro-credential or programme accreditation application
Make sure your accreditation application refers to and covers the CMR.
Follow the submission process for the application you need to make:
Application process for programme accreditation (external link)
Application process for micro-credential accreditation (external link)
Include with the rest of the accreditation application:
- NZQA consent to assess cover sheet (optional)
- QMS excerpts that show you meet the relevant CMRs
- a letter of support from the appropriate WDC
- other supporting evidence.
Evaluation
When the application is received, an email with an NZQA case number will be sent to you. This number stays with the application through to its outcome.
The application will be assigned to the Approvals and Accreditation team or Quality Assurance Māori team.
The Evaluator will commence evaluation and will contact you if the submission lacks sufficient evidence for the evaluation to be carried out.
After evaluation applications will be approved or not approved, or a request for further information (RFI) may be made.
NZQA will process applications within 45 working days.
The work on the application is charged at a rate of $190 per hour plus GST.
Agreements between organisations
Sub-contracting
A consent holding TEO can arrange for another organisation to deliver education and assess standards on their behalf. This is deemed to be a sub-contracting arrangement.
There are different requirements when consent holders engage a sub-contractor depending on whether the sub-contractor involved holds consent for the standards to be assessed.
Notification of a sub-contract
If a consent holder proposes to use a sub-contractor, and both have consent to assess, then the consent holder proposing the arrangement should notify NZQA of the arrangement prior to the assessment being undertaken and provide a copy of the memorandum of understanding or agreement between the two parties. The memorandum of understanding or agreement must:
- outline the responsibilities of both parties,
- provide the reason for the arrangement,
- the duration for the arrangement,
- confirm that the any marketing, advertising or other information provided to prospective learners clearly shows the study or training is provided under a subcontracting arrangement.
Either party can report the credits (this should be set out in the MOU or agreement).
Application for approval of a sub-contract
If the TEO is a consent holder but the sub-contractor is not, the consent holder must apply to NZQA for approval of the sub-contracting arrangement and must provide the following information:
- the name of the sub-contractor
- the assessment standards to be assessed under the arrangement.
- the reason for the proposed sub-contracting arrangement
- a copy of the sub-contracting arrangement between the consent holder and the sub-contractor
- evidence of internal quality assurance approval of the sub-contracting application, by the consent holder, through an Academic Board or similar facility.
The sub-contracting arrangement must specify:
- the formal names of the parties to the arrangement
- the entity number or NZBN (or offshore equivalent) of the sub-contractor
- the title, level and credit value of the standards or domains concerned.
- where applicable, the title, level and credit value of the programmes, micro-credential(s), or vocational pathways the standards are used in, under the arrangement.
- the term or duration of the arrangement
- procedures for resolving any differences which might arise between the parties to the arrangement
- compliance with the arrangement and NZQA rules and Pastoral Care Code
- the ongoing monitoring of the arrangement and delivery
- assessment and moderation arrangements
- provision of resources (both physical and human resources)
- arrangements for maintaining and reporting student academic records
- a clear process for reviewing and terminating the arrangement, and
- procedures for protecting learners if the arrangement is terminated.
What is not subcontracting:
If a consent holder arranges for an individual (that is, not the person’s business or company) to deliver or assess on its behalf and the consent holder contracts that person via an individual contract for services agreement, then the contracted person is considered an employee of the consent holder, and this is not considered subcontracting.
Criteria for approving a sub-contracting application
NZQA will grant approval to an application where it is satisfied that it meets the requirements of the relevant Rules in all sub-contracting arrangements:
- The consent holder remains responsible for the sub-contractor meeting all of the obligations that are relevant to the consent, including all relevant obligations in the Education and Training Act 2020 and rules made under section 452 of the Act.
- There is a formal documented arrangement between the consent holder and the sub-contractor that includes provisions to ensure that NZQA is able to exercise its quality assurance and enforcement powers, and functions in relation to the sub-contractor’s assessment of standards.
- The information and advertising for the assessment of standards related to the consent must clearly state that it is provided through a sub-contracting arrangement.
- All student enrolments are through the consent holder, which must also maintain academic information.
- The consent holder will report credits for the learners and pay the relevant credit reporting fee.
Optional cover sheet
NZQA Cover sheet for TEO consent to assess applications [DOCX, 86 KB]