Understanding NCEA
Understanding NCEA
The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) is New Zealand’s national qualification for senior secondary students. NCEA is part of the National Qualifications Framework. It is the main secondary school qualification. It provides a pathway to tertiary education and to workplace training.
ACHIEVEMENT STANDARDS
The NCEA measures students against set standards; progress is measured in credits achieved rather than marks or percentages. Some standards, such as practical work, will be assessed by the school (internals). Others will be assessed nationally at the end of the year (externals).
CREDITS
You collect credits when you achieve the standard. Credits are like points towards a qualification. Each time you are assessed for an achievement standard, and you succeed, you will achieve the standard, or achieve it with ‘Merit’ or achieve it with ‘Excellence’. Achieving at ‘Merit’ or ‘Excellence’ level does not increase the number of credits gained, but it tells you how well you have performed.
UNIT STANDARDS
Some subjects assess using unit standards. These help you work towards various National Certificates and they also give you credits that count towards your NCEA certificates. Unit standards differ only in that you either get the credits or you don’t – no ‘Merit’ or ‘Excellence’ grades are available. You can choose a full year course whose subjects are assessed either by achievement standards or unit standards, or by a combination of both.
NCEA – GAINING THE CERTIFICATES
LEVEL 1: To achieve a Level 1 Certificate you need 80 credits. This can be achieved in one year or over two years. Students also need to achieve 20 credits in literacy and numeracy (10 credits in literacy and 10 credits in numeracy).
LEVEL 2: To achieve a Level 2 Certificate you need 80 credits – at least 60 from Level 2 standards. The remaining 20 credits can come from any level, even if you have used them in another certificate.
LEVEL 3: To achieve a Level 3 Certificate you need 80 credits – at least 60 from Level 3 standards. The remaining 20 credits can come from any level, even if you have used them in another certificate. You can gain other national certificates and diplomas using your standards at school and with further study in the workplace.
Please see: https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-ncea/how-ncea-works/ncea-levels-and-certificates/
ENDORSEMENTS OF NCEA CERTIFICATES AND COURSES
Endorsements are a way for NZQA to recognise high achievement, either at Merit or Excellence level. Endorsements can be gained in individual courses and/or the certificate at Level 1, 2 or 3.
For further information about Endorsements visit: http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications-standards/qualifications/ncea/understanding-ncea/how-nceaworks/endorsements/
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