Teachers and other NCEA providers must ensure that all assessment in 2025 continues to use the current 2025 versions of Achievement Standards and supporting materials. 

A number of Achievement Standards and supporting materials have been updated for 2026 following the annual review and maintenance programme of the NCEA subjects across all three levels. 

There are no changes to the competencies being assessed by the Achievement Standards. Most of the updates are very minor and have been made to improve clarity and interpretation. It is important to note that the Conditions of Assessment have been updated for all internal assessments to provide clearer guidance around authenticity.  

All updated Achievement Standards and supporting materials are now available for 2026 planning purposes on the NCEA.Education website. Draft External Assessment Specifications for 2026 will be available on the NZQA website.

NZC Level 1: Updated Ministry of Education materials are available on each subject page’s Learning tab as PDFs and are watermarked “For 2026 Planning”.

NZC Levels 2 and 3: The updates are available as PDFs, organised by subject, on the NCEA Support page.  

NZC Te Ao Haka: All updated materials for Levels 1, 2, and 3 will be provided as PDFs on the subject Learning Tab during Term 4.  

NZC Te Reo Māori: All updated materials will be provided as PDFs in Term 4.

Te Marautanga o Aotearoa: Kaupae 1 Te Reo Rangatira, Pāngarau, and Hauora updates to Paerewa Paetae | Achievement Standards and supporting materials will be published before the start of Term 1, 2026.  

The updated content is for use from 2026.

In January 2026, the existing Level 1 materials will be replaced with the updated materials on the NCEA.Education website; for Levels 2 and 3 the materials will be updated on the TKI website. Once this has happened, the PDFs will be removed from NCEA.Education.

The Achievement Standards hosted on NZQA’s website will also be updated in January to reflect any updates.