NCEA is New Zealand's National Certificate of Educational Achievement main secondary school qualifications at Level 2 and 3. Please note, as the Ministry and government is making changes to the secondary school qualifications, things may/will change in the near future. However, the school (and HoD of teacher aides) will inform us of these changes so that we can better prepare our students for their future.
Structure
Students earn credits by achieving standards, with a total of 80 credits needed for each certificate, including 60 at that level or higher and 20 specific literacy and numeracy credits (meeting this once covers all levels). Students can study a mix of different levels and accumulate credits over time, with internal and external assessments contributing to their final qualification.
NCEA Level 2
The minimum qualification for some jobs and tertiary programmes.
NCEA Level 3
Prepares students for higher-level study at university or degree-level programs, and is a requirement for University Entrance (UE).
How to Earn Credits
Standards
Each subject is broken down into standards that outline what a student needs to know or achieve.
There are Unit Standards (US) and Achievement Standards (AS). It is important to note that US standards do not contribute to the ranking scores for University. Only AS standards do.
Credits
Meeting a standard earns a student credits, which count towards their national qualification.
Total Credits
To achieve each NCEA certificate, students need a minimum of 80 credits.
Literacy and Numeracy
60 of the 80 credits must be at the level of the certificate or higher. The remaining 20 credits must include a combination of literacy and numeracy credits.
Multi-Level Study
Students can study at a mix of levels, and credits can be earned over more than one year.
Assessment
Internal Assessment
Schools mark and grade some student work.
External Assessment
NZQA marks other work, including exams, portfolios, and reports.
Grades
Students receive grades for each standard: Not Achieved, Achieved, Merit, and Excellence.