Student Information Hub
Understanding How NCEA Requirements Are Changing
NCEA will transition from its current form into the new qualification. Here is what you need to know about transitioning to the new NCEA requirements as we get ready and plan for moving into 2024.
Ministry of Education a change programme that has been approved by the government and is now entering the implementation stage.
1. Make NCEA more accessible – zero fees, fewer barriers for learners with disabilities and learning support needs, and learners are able to see their culture, identity and language reflected in their learning.
2. Mana ōrite mō te mātauranga Māori (equal status for mātauranga Māori in NCEA) – ensure mātauranga Māori is equitably valued and resourced in NCEA, broadening access to mātauranga Māori pathways and increasing teacher capability
3. Strengthen literacy and numeracy | te reo matatini me te pāngarau standards and assessments – ensure students with an NCEA have functional literacy and numeracy skills that will ready them to transition into tertiary education or the workplace
4. Fewer, larger standards – new achievement standards and resources will be developed to replace all existing achievement standards and ensure that the most significant learning in each subject is credentialled
5. Simplify NCEA’s structure – credits can no longer be carried over to the next level. Sixty credits are required to pass each NCEA level along with Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau | Literacy and Numeracy co-requisite
6. Clearer pathways to further education or work – develop a Vocational Entrance Award to clearly signal when a student is ready to transition into higher level vocational education and strengthen vocational pathways through NCEA
7. Keep NCEA Level 1 optional – ensure Level 1 provides students with the broad, foundational learning needed to support further study at Levels 2 and 3 where there will be opportunities for greater specialisation.
Key Information
New standards that will directly assess foundational Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau | Literacy and Numeracy will become mandatory corequisites to NCEA in 2024. This means that students need to achieve the new standards to be awarded their NCEA qualification at any level.
The mandatory introduction of the new NCEA literacy and numeracy standards will occur at the same time as new standards for NCEA Level 1 are rolled out as part of the Review of Achievement Standards. This is also when all levels of NCEA will change from an 80-credit to a 60-credit qualification. Learners will only be able to receive the 60 credit qualification if they have achieved the co-requisites, or have achieved current literacy and numeracy requirements before the end of 2023.
In 2024:
NCEA will reduce in size from an 80-credit qualification to a 60-credit qualification for Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3.
Learners will only be able to receive this qualification if they have achieved the co-requisites, or the current literacy and numeracy requirements before the end of 2023. The current practice to ‘carry over’ 20 credits of Level 1 credits into Level 2 and 20 Level 2 credits into Level 3 will cease.
The new Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau | Literacy and Numeracy corequisite standards will become mandatory for Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3.
NCEA as a 60-Credit Qualification
Under the new NCEA:
Each level of NCEA will reduce in size from an 80-credit qualification to a 60-credit qualification.
Learners need to achieve 20 credits from new standards relating to Te Reo Matatini, Pāngarau, Literacy, and Numeracy. The 20 credits achieved from these standards are separate from the 60 credits needed to achieve each level of NCEA.
Any credits learners already have at the appropriate level can be used to meet the new requirements. Learners can use Unit Standards as well as Achievement Standards to meet the 60 credits required for each level of NCEA. Skills Standards set by Workforce Development Councils will also be able to be used towards an NCEA.
There is no time limit on completing the 60-credit qualification. If learners gain part of their qualification, they can return to study at any time.
Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau | Literacy and Numeracy Co-requisite
The new Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau | Literacy and Numeracy standards will become mandatory corequisites to NCEA in 2024. The new standards assess learners on important foundational skills that will help them succeed in NCEA, further learning, life, and work.
To achieve the corequisite, learners need to achieve:
10 credits from either the Te Reo Matatini OR Literacy standards
AND
10 credits from either the Pāngarau OR Numeracy standard.
The standards are available to learners from Year 9 onwards and are at Level 4/5 of the curriculum. Teachers will help learners to know when they are ready to be assessed against the standards.
Learners can work towards the corequisite at the same time as they work towards the 60 credits needed for each level of NCEA. But they need to achieve the new standards to be awarded their formal NCEA qualification at any level.
2024 and Beyond
In 2024, Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau | Literacy and Numeracy corequisites will be the only way a learner can meet the NCEA literacy and numeracy requirements.
If learners achieve the literacy or numeracy requirement before the new achievement standards are phased through, this achievement will be recognised towards the new corequisite. Learners will have until the end of 2026 for this recognition, giving learners a three-year grace period.
We expect these transition arrangements will also apply to NCEA qualifications delivered in tertiary and alternative education settings. However, final decisions on additional transition arrangements for these programmes have yet to be confirmed.
How does this impact you as a student at EmployNZ looking to work towards your NCEA levels?
EmployNZ is working closely with Ministry of Education and NZQA to understand how these changes will impact on our learners and we are expecting a transition plan in early May 2023.
In short, all programmes leading towards NCEA will be impacted and at its simplest explanation, we will be adding the new co requisite literacy and numeracy unit standards to our programmes and then we will need to adhere to the assessment method that is decided by the Ministry of Education and NZQA.