Conversation
Read this page in Te Reo Māori.
NCEA was established as a flexible, inclusive model and has become one of the most open and transparent school qualification systems in the world. Instead of passing and failing a set percentage of students every year, any learner who shows that they have met the standard succeeds.
NCEA has three qualification levels - Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3.
While NCEA is traditionally seen as a schooling qualification, many students get NCEA in other settings, like tertiary education organisations, or in work places through industry training.
More about NCEA on the NZQA website.
What we’ve heard - Kua rongo mātou
NCEA is designed to empower students to pursue their passions through relevant learning tailored to their strengths.
Some of the challenges we have heard:
- It can be hard to understand NCEA
- NCEA could encourage more learning based on the curriculum
- Some students do more assessment than they need to
- Not every student has the same access to quality learning that responds to their identity and culture
- Timetabling and moderation practice can limit innovation
- Teachers don’t always have time or resources to tailor courses or learning programmes
- All students should have the same opportunities to succeed
