Over the next few years, NCEA will transition from its current form into a new qualification. Although this information is intended for teachers, we encourage learners and whānau to use this guidance as well.

In 2024:

• The new NCEA Level 1 achievement standards will be fully implemented.

• Current Level 1 achievement standards expire at the end of 2023

• NCEA Level 1 will reduce in size from an 80-credit qualification to become a new 60-credit qualification

• The te reo matatini, pāngarau, literacy, and numeracy co-requisite, which sits outside of the new NCEA qualification, will become mandatory.

• Learners will only be awarded NCEA Level 1 once they have met the 20-credit co-requisite.

• NCEA Level 1 currently requires learners to achieve at least 80 credits at Level 1 or above. This includes the literacy and numeracy requirements of the qualification. From 2024, 60 credits will be required.

• The 60-credit NCEA Level 1 will not include the 20-credit te reo matatini, pāngarau, literacy, and numeracy co-requisite, which sits outside the qualification. This co-requisite will become mandatory in 2024.

• During 2024 and 2025, learners will be able to meet the 20-credit co-requisite through achieving either the new standards in Literacy-Writing, Literacy-Reading, Numeracy, Te Reo Matatini, and Pāngarau or gaining 20 credits from a small list of literacy- and numeracy-rich standards.

What stays the same?

• Unit Standards as well as Achievement Standards can be used towards the 60-credit NCEA Level 1.

• Any credits learners already have can be used towards NCEA Level 1.

• There is no time limit on completing an NCEA. If learners gain part of their qualification, they can return to study at any time

All NCEA subjects and wāhanga ako are being re-developed with four achievement standards – 2 internally assessed, 2 externally assessed – worth 20 credits in total. Kaiako are free to design NCEA courses using achievement standards from across two or more NCEA subjects. For the purposes of NCEA pilots during 2023 schools and kura must deliver courses that use all four achievement standards within a single subject. 

To be eligible for course endorsement, students must gain 14 or more credits from a single course, with at least one externally assessed standard achieved.

• From 2024, learners will need to achieve a 20-credit co-requisite using either the new literacy and numeracy, te reo matatini and pāngarau standards or a small list of essential literacy and numeracy-rich assessment standards to be awarded an NCEA. Further details on the assessment standards included in the list will be released soon.

• As of 19 April 2023, we can confirm achievement standards from NCEA Level 1 English, Te Reo Māori, Mathematics & Statistics, and Pāngarau will be included on the essential list.

• This means that, in addition to the new unit standards, learners will be able to choose to meet the co-requisite by gaining:

10 credits from new Level 1 English or Te Reo Māori achievement standards 

AND

10 credits from new Level 1 Mathematics & Statistics or Pāngarau achievement standards

If learners meet the NCEA literacy and numeracy requirements before the new Level 1 achievement standards are phased through (i.e., prior to 2024), this achievement will be recognised towards the new co-requisite.

This includes all current avenues, as well as the literacy and numeracy | te reo matatini me te pāngarau unit standards for schools, kura, and other providers who have used these between 2021 and 2023. Learners will have until the end of 2026 to take advantage of this recognition, giving them a three-year grace period.

The only time that a learner cannot use a standard towards an NCEA qualification is if they have already achieved a standard where the learning significantly overlaps. The term for this is an exclusion. As we develop new Achievement Standards, we will publish information about any exclusions.

The following table lists the standards excluded from the new literacy and numeracy standards.

Changes and new requirements for all three levels of NCEA come into effect from 2024. These changes have been signalled since 2020 when the seven NCEA changes were announced.

NCEA Level 2 will be implemented in 2026.

NCEA Level 3 will be implemented in 2027.

• From 2024, to be awarded any level of NCEA, learners will need to achieve the new 20-credit co-requisite for te reo matatini, pāngarau, literacy, and numeracy.

• From January 2024, NCEA Levels 2, and 3 will each require 60 credits at certificate level or above.

• The 60-credit NCEA does not include the 20-credit co-requisite, which sits outside the qualification.

• Credits used towards the co-requisite cannot be used towards the 60-credit NCEA

• The 20 credits ‘carry over’ mechanism will cease. The current state of 20 credits from Level 1 carried through to Level 2, and 20 credits from Level 2 to Level 3 will cease

• Essentially, the number of credits required to gain NCEA Level 2 and 3 remains the same.

• Course and certificate endorsement requirements remain the same. Students will be required to gain 14+ credits in a course (including at least 3 external credits) to gain an endorsement at Achieve, Merit or Excellence. Certificate endorsement continues to require 50 or more credits at Merit or Excellence level

Support from NCEA Implementation Facilitators is available. Contact your local Te Mahau office for more information: Local offices – Education in New Zealand

Or email us: ncea.review@education.govt.nz