Further details of new senior secondary qualifications
Today the Government has released further details about the new qualifications that will replace NCEA, including how students will be graded, recognised and assessed from 2028 onwards.
The new subject based qualifications are designed to be easier to understand, credible, and internationally comparable. They will be aligned with the refreshed, knowledge rich senior secondary curriculum that is being finalised this year and rolled out progressively across schools and kura from 2028.
New qualifications framework
From 2028, NCEA will be replaced with two new national qualifications:
- New Zealand Certificate of Education (NZCE) for Year 12
- New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education (NZACE) for Year 13.
Alongside these, a new Foundational Award, focused on literacy and numeracy and benchmarked at Year 11, will be introduced from 2028.
NZCE will roll out in 2029, followed by NZACE in 2030. This staged approach is designed to give teachers and school leaders time to become familiar with the updated curriculum and qualifications before they are fully implemented.
All aspects of the new qualifications have been developed with sector representatives and assessment specialists, and feedback from the 2025 public consultation has informed the design.
More information
For the full details of the new qualifications, including details about recognition of achievement, enrolment requirements, assessment, grading and transitional arrangements, go to the Tāhūrangi website.
Today the Government has released further details about the new qualifications that will replace NCEA, including how students will be graded, recognised and assessed from 2028 onwards.
The new subject based qualifications are designed to be easier to understand, credible, and internationally comparable. They will be aligned with the refreshed, knowledge rich senior secondary curriculum that is being finalised this year and rolled out progressively across schools and kura from 2028.
New qualifications framework
From 2028, NCEA will be replaced with two new national qualifications:
- New Zealand Certificate of Education (NZCE) for Year 12
- New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education (NZACE) for Year 13.
Alongside these, a new Foundational Award, focused on literacy and numeracy and benchmarked at Year 11, will be introduced from 2028.
NZCE will roll out in 2029, followed by NZACE in 2030. This staged approach is designed to give teachers and school leaders time to become familiar with the updated curriculum and qualifications before they are fully implemented.
All aspects of the new qualifications have been developed with sector representatives and assessment specialists, and feedback from the 2025 public consultation has informed the design.
More information
For the full details of the new qualifications, including details about recognition of achievement, enrolment requirements, assessment, grading and transitional arrangements, go to the Tāhūrangi website.