NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement) is New Zealand’s main high school qualification. It is a credit-based system with three levels that are usually completed in Years 11, 12, and 13.
General Structure of NCEA
Learners earn credits in each of their subjects by completing assessments throughout the year and in exams. To pass each of the three level, learners need to collect a set number of credits, including some in literacy (reading and writing) and numeracy (maths).
Earning Credits
Learners earn credits by achieving standards. There are two types of standards:
- Achievement Standards (from curriculum subjects like English, Science, Maths).
These Standards are assessed either internally (by schools) or externally (by NZQA exams). Possible grades usually include; Not Achieved (N), Achieved (A), Merit (M), Excellence (E). - Unit Standards (from applied, vocational, or Māori-based learning).
Assessments usually award Achieved and Not Achieved grading.
Each standard is worth a set number of credits (often 3 – 4 credits). A subject may contain around 5 – 8 standards, requiring about 18 – 25 credits to pass.
Certificate Requirements
To achieve an NCEA certificate, learners must meet specific credit requirements at each level. Each level requires a total of 80 credits, but there are some key differences in how those credits are earned.
Level 1
- Total credits needed: 80 (can be from any level)
- Literacy requirement: 10 credits
- Numeracy requirement: 10 credits
Level 2
- Total credits needed: 80
- At least 60 credits must be at Level 2 or higher
- Literacy and numeracy: Must already have met Level 1 requirements
Level 3
- Total credits needed: 80
- At least 60 credits must be at Level 3
- Remaining 20 credits can be from Level 2 or higher
- Literacy and numeracy: Must already have met Level 1 requirements
Note: Credits from higher levels can count towards lower-level certificates. For example, Level 3 credits can help meet the requirements for a Level 2 or Level 1 certificate.
Endorsements: Merit & Excellence
Students can earn endorsement at either subject level or certificate level:
- Subject Endorsements (Merit or Excellence)
- Achieve 14+ credits in a subject in a single year (a mix of internal and external; Excellence endorsement needs all credits at Excellence).
- Certificate Endorsements (for the whole level)
- Merit endorsement: 50+ credits at Merit or Excellence at that level.
- Excellence endorsement: 50+ credits at Excellence level.
