This document provides guidance to organisations that have been granted registration as a private training establishment (PTE) by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA).
It provides information about starting out as a PTE and the requirements for maintaining registration.
On this page
NZQA Rules
Section 348(1) of the Education and Training Act 2020 (the Act)
It is a condition of registration that the PTE will at all times comply with the NZQA rules made under section 452 of the Act.
PTEs need to be familiar with the NZQA rules and ensure that they always comply with them.
NZQA rules that apply to PTEs
Private Training Establishment Registration Rules 2022 (Registration Rules)
Consent to Assess Against Standards on the Directory of Assessment and Skill Standards Rules 2022
Micro-credential Approval and Accreditation Rules 2022
Offshore Programme Delivery Rules 2022
Programme Approval, Recognition, and Accreditation Rules 2022
PTE Enrolment and Academic Records Rules 2022
Qualification and Micro-credential Listing and Operational Rules 2022
Quality Assurance (including External Evaluation and Review (EER)) Rules 2022
Student Fee Protection Rules 2022
Student Funds Trust Deposit Exemption Rules 2022
The Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 (the Code)
First steps
Confirm your NZQA contact person
If you have any questions, your Approvals and Accreditation or Quality Assurance Māori contact person is there to help. They will usually be the evaluator for the PTE registration application. If you are not sure who it is, contact us:
Check also that the PTE's contact people, for Quality Assurance, Code of Practice, and NZQA Moderation systems (if applicable) are listed correctly on the PTE's profile.
Confirm your provider code
Your provider code is usually a 4-digit number used by the Ministry of Education (MoE) to identify your organisation. It is allocated as part of the registration process.
A provider code might be referred to as an EDUMIS number, MoE school code, NZQA number, Institution number or an Organisation number.
Get an Education Sector Logon with the appropriate access for your needs
Your PTE needs to apply to the Ministry of Education for an Education Sector Logon account at the following link:
Catalogue of tools & online services (external link) - Ministry of Education
This login will give you online access to your organisation profile. It is also where you will apply for most NZQA approvals. You will need different levels of access for different tasks, for example:
- checking learner RoAs
- reporting results
- applying for approval of programmes, micro-credentials or consent to assess.
If you need help getting this logon or the right level of access, contact the Ministry of Education:
service.desk@education.govt.nz
Sign up to eQuate
NZQA’s newsletter, eQuate, covers regulation changes, ongoing requirements, upcoming events, and other information that may be important to know.
First year
Deliver at least one programme or micro-credential
Develop a programme or micro-credential, submit it for approval through your TEO logon and, once accreditation is approved, start delivering the micro-credential or programme. (You must wait until the application has been approved by NZQA before enrolling students.)
Go to the application guidelines:
Guidelines for micro-credential listing, approval and accreditation
Apply for consent to assess against any unit standards you want to assess
If you are planning delivery that will include standards, seek support from the workforce development council (WDC) or Standard Setting Body (SSB) that looks after the standards. Consult the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) document that covers the standards and make sure your application refers to how you will meet each of the general and industry criteria.
Go to the application guidelines:
Lapse of registration
Your PTE registration lapses if you do not provide an approved programme or micro-credential to enrolled students within one year of registration or during any twelve-month period. (Section 352(1) of the Act).
Extensions to PTE registration
NZQA expects PTEs to proactively plan and monitor when they deliver their approved programmes and micro-credentials.
If unforeseen events delay enrolling learners on an approved programme or micro-credential in the first 12 months, you may apply to NZQA for an extension of your registration status.
This will be considered by the Manager Approvals and Accreditation or Manager Quality Assurance Māori.
Talk to your NZQA contact person as soon as possible.
Deliver other education
PTEs are allowed to develop, deliver, and enrol domestic students on courses that are not NZQA-recognised.
Ensure that the promotional material for non-approved courses does not imply or suggest that those courses are endorsed or approved by NZQA in any way. See Section 4.4 Public information.
The PTE Annual Declaration checks what you have delivered
NZQA checks if your PTE has provided an approved programme or micro-credential each year by asking you to declare it in the PTE Annual Declaration form.
Your PTE must declare:
- whether you have provided at least one programme or micro-credential in the preceding 12 months, and
- if there are any approved programmes or micro-credentials that you have not provided.
Advise NZQA if the accreditation has lapsed, or you wish to withdraw accreditation.
Your PTE can contact NZQA at any time to request the withdrawal of a programme or micro-credential accreditation.
Validation
All newly registered PTEs are required to undergo a validation visit within 6 months of the first student enrolment. If the PTE does not have any enrolled students 6 months after registration, NZQA can agree to delay the validation visit.
The validation visit focuses on selected aspects of the Registration Rules and related provisions of the Act. The purpose of the validation visit is to check that the PTE is meeting registration requirements by operating as it has ‘promised’ in the application.
Validation includes the day-to-day operation of the PTE and may include sampling student enrolment records, checking the website and other information provided to students is correct, checking moderation system results, and other systems for quality management and self-assessment.
The validation work is charged at $190 (excluding GST) per hour, in the same way applications are charged. NZQA preparation for the visit and any follow up work is charged. The PTE must also cover NZQA travel costs.
Steps in the validation process
- NZQA and PTE agree when the validation will take place.
- NZQA carries out a ‘desk review’ of the PTE, from documentation NZQA holds on file and from the PTE’s public information, in relation to selected Registration Rules:
- 6.1.1. Status, ownership, interests, sites, and environment
- 6.1.2. Public information
- 6.1.3. Business management
- 6.1.4. Information to students
- 6.1.5. Student interests
- 6.1.6. Staff
- 6.1.7. Quality management system
- 6.1.8. Assessment and moderation.
- NZQA contacts the PTE to begin the process, share documentation and information via email.
- A decision on whether the validation visit will be in person/on site, or virtually, is made and visit arranged.
- The visit is undertaken by two NZQA evaluators.
- Any non-compliance is addressed.
- Validation is completed.
- The PTE is put on the schedule for its first EER.