If your organisation has developed its own micro-credential, such as for staff training, we can assess it and provide you with a statement of equivalency.
This statement compares your micro-credential with credits and level on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF).
This service is only available to organisations that are not recognised tertiary education organisations (TEOs) in New Zealand.
Organisations that can apply for a micro-credential equivalency statement include:
- employers
- regulatory and professional bodies
- international education providers.
On this page
Employers and micro-credentials
If your organisation has training needs that can be met through a micro-credential, you can consider:
- working with a TEO to deliver the training your business needs. With this option, the delivery and achievement of a micro-credential is quality assured by us
- having your own micro-credential assessed by NZQA for equivalency.
The benefits of equivalency statements
An equivalency statement from NZQA gives you valuable information you can share with employees, stakeholders and customers. For example, we may determine that your micro-credential is equivalent to earning 20 credits at Level 4.
This can benefit your business by encouraging and supporting your employees to gain the skills and knowledge needed for your business' future success.
For your employees, it can help them understand the value of the micro-credential and encourage them to plan their careers and invest in continuous learning.
We also keep a list of all the micro-credentials that we have evaluated for equivalence.
Note that under this service, we only assess the micro-credential's equivalency with the NZQCF. We do not assess its quality or how it is delivered.
Register of equivalency
Applying to have your micro-credential assessed for equivalency
To determine the equivalent level and credits of a micro-credential, we'll need some information from you, including:
- the aims of the micro-credential
- the content of the learning (teaching) programme
- how your employees or students will be assessed.
You can apply for micro-credential equivalency by completing the application form and emailing it to us. You need to pay the fee when you apply.
micro-credentials@nzqa.govt.nz
Download the application form [DOCX, 94 KB]
We will process your application within 20 working days.
Fees
For 1 application, we charge $900. Additional costs are charged at $190 per hour if the application takes longer than 4 hours to process.
For 2 to 10 (maximum) applications, we charge $1820. Additional costs are charged at $190 per hour if the applications take longer then 8 hours to process.
These fees do not include GST.
Additional information
We periodically review the register of micro-credential equivalency to make sure it's up to date. Please note that the micro-credentials on the register are not part of the NZQCF.
Changes to a listed micro-credential that affects its equivalent level and credits will require a new equivalency assessment.
We will investigate any concerns we're made aware of. This could result in the micro-credential being removed from the list.