How NCEA works

The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) is the main national qualification for secondary school students in New Zealand. NCEA is recognised by employers and used for selection by universities and polytechnics, both in New Zealand and overseas. Watch the following video that explains how NCEA works.

NCEA levels and certificates

There are 3 levels of NCEA certificate, depending on the difficulty of the standards achieved. At each level, you need a certain number of credits to gain an NCEA certificate. You can gain these credits over more than 1 year.

How to achieve NCEA

You only need to meet the Literacy and Numeracy or Te Reo Matatini and Te Pāngarau requirement once. After you've met the requirement, it counts for every level of NCEA.

Credits gained at one level can be used for (or count towards) more than one certificate. They may also be used towards other qualifications. For example, unit standards in the domain 'generic computing' might be used towards a Level 2 NCEA certificate, as well as towards a National Certificate in Computing (Level 2); or 20 credits gained at Level 1 can also count towards a Level 2 NCEA certificate.

Endorsements

Endorsements recognise high achievement

When students perform consistently above the Achieved level, their results can be 'endorsed' to reflect that high achievement.

Students can achieve an endorsement at the certificate or individual course level.

NCEA Certificate endorsement

NCEA certificates can be endorsed with Merit or Excellence.

To achieve an Excellence endorsement, a student must earn 50 credits at Excellence. Those credits must be at the level of the certificate or above.

To achieve a Merit endorsement, a student must earn 50 credits at Merit (or Merit and Excellence). Those credits must be at the level of the certificate or above.

Endorsement awards show on the student's Record of Achievement.

Certificate endorsement is calculated in January each year when external assessment results are released.

Course endorsement

Course endorsement provides recognition of student achievement in an individual course in a single school year. It can be awarded at Achieved, Merit, and Excellence.

Students can be awarded course endorsement even if they don't achieve an NCEA certificate for that level.

Achieving course endorsement

Students achieve course endorsement if, in a single school year, they achieve:

14 or more credits at Achieved or Merit or Excellence, and

at least 3 credits from externally assessed standards and 3 credits from internally assessed standards.*

*There are exemptions for Levels 2 and 3 Physical Education, Religious Studies, New Zealand Sign Language, Level 3 Visual Arts, and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa in domains without externally assessed standards.

Only one course endorsement can be gained from a course each school year. Course endorsement is an award, not a qualification.

For more information about how course endorsement works, see the Course Endorsement Guide.

A course endorsement can be awarded even if a qualification for that level is not achieved. For example, a student may achieve a Merit endorsement for their Level 2 Mathematics course regardless of whether they achieve NCEA Level 2. Scenarios may assist with further understanding.

Check your NCEA endorsement progress online

Download NCEA brochure

NCEA study help from real students and teachers https://studyit.govt.nz

Click HERE for practical information about NCEA for parents and carers.