NCEA Information

NCEA Information

NCEA Exam Timetable 2022

NCEA Information

NCEA (Levels 1-3)
A National Certificate of Educational Achievement is available at Levels 1, 2 and 3 and is generally assessed in Years 11-13.
There are two types of standards that contribute to NCEA, and different levels of achievement for each.
 
Achievement Standards
These generally involve studying traditional curriculum subjects and your child gains these with grades of:
  • achieved with excellence (an excellent pass)
  • achieved with merit (a very good pass)
  • achieved (pass)
  • not achieved (fail).
 
Unit Standards
These generally involve studying vocational subjects and your child is awarded unit standards with grades of
  • achieved (pass)
  • not achieved (fail).

How many credits does my child need to earn at each NCEA level?

At every level of NCEA your child needs to achieve a total of 80 credits to have gained that NCEA level qualification as follows:

NCEA Level 1

80 credits at level 1 or higher, including

  • 10 credits in numeracy standards
  • 10 credits in literacy standards.

Assessment can be in English or te reo Māori.

Talk to your child’s teachers if you’re unsure about which standards give credits that meet the numeracy and literacy requirements for NCEA.

NCEA Level 2

A total of 80 credits made up of:

  • 60 credits at level 2 or higher
  • 20 credits at any other level.

NCEA Level 3

A total of 80 credits made up of:

  • 60 credits at level 3 or higher
  • 20 credits at level 2 or higher
 
 
How do scholarships fit in?

A scholarship is an external exam or assessment for top-performing secondary students. Students usually enter year 13, which is their last year of school. Scholarship exams are based on level 3 standards relating to areas of the New Zealand Curriculum studied in year 13.

A scholarship does not count towards your child’s NCEA credits or qualification, but the fact that your child has gained a scholarship appears on the student’s Record of Achievement.