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NZQA rules
NZQA operates under the following legislation: The Education and Training Act 2020 and the Crown Entities Act 2004.
Authority
All of NZQA's rules are made under section 452 of the Education and Training Act 2020 and have been approved by the NZQA Board and, when required, the appropriate Minister of the Crown.
Assessment and examination rules
The following rules are concerned with assessment (internal and external) of learning at secondary school level:
- Assessment and examination rules for schools (2022)
- Assessment and examination rules for TEOs with Consent to Assess Entering Candidates for Externally Assessed Achievement Standards (2022)
- Assessment and Examination Rules for Home-schooled students (2022)
- Offshore Provision of NCEA Rules 2020 (PDF, 227KB)
The rules which applied in 2021 (PDF, 406KB) will continue to be available while Reviews and Reconsiderations or other challenges of 2021 results are resolved.
Private training establishment and Industry Training Organisation rules
The following NZQA rules are concerned with the establishment and operation of private training establishments (PTEs):
- PTE Registration Rules 2021
- Annual fee rules 2021
- PTE Enrolment and Academic Records Rules 2021
- Student Fee Protection 2021
- Student Funds Trust Deposit Exemption Rules 2021
- Refund Criteria for Courses of Less Than Three Months - Gazette notice 2003 (Note that the parts of this Notice relating to exempt courses has been replaced by the Education (Exempt Training Schemes) Notice 2012
- NZQA specified withdrawal periods and refund amounts for domestic students on courses of under 3 months (PDF, 230KB) (applies to enrolments on or after 30 September 2018)
- Education Refund Requirements for International Students Notice 2012 (for courses of 3 months or more).
Transitional Industry Training Organisation Prescribed Quality Assurance Requirements Rules 2021
Quality Assurance (including External Evaluation and Review (EER)) rules
Quality Assurance (including External Evaluation and Review (EER)) Rules 2021 - for all Tertiary Education Organisations other than Universities.
Transitional Industry Training Organisation Prescribed Quality Assurance Requirements Rules 2021
New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) rules
The following NZQA rules relate to the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF).
Standards and assessment rules
The following NZQA rules relate to the assessment of standards listed on the Directory of Assessment Standards.
Training scheme rules
The following NZQA rules apply specifically to training schemes. A training scheme is any study or training that leads to an award but does not, of itself, lead to an award of a qualification listed on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF).
Expired / Revoked rules
The following policies, criteria and rules have expired and thus are no longer in force.
Assessment and examination rules
Schools with consent to assess
- 2013 (PDF, 15MB)
- 2014 (PDF, 16MB)
- 2014 Amendment No 1 (PDF, 2.3MB)
- 2015 (PDF, 58MB)
- 2016 (PDF, 17MB)
- 2017 (PDF, 2.9MB)
- 2018 (PDF, 33MB)
- 2018 Amendment No 1 (PDF, 920KB)
- 2019 (PDF, 16MB)
- 2020 (PDF, 16MB)
- 2020 Amendment No 1 (PDF, 1.3MB)
- 2020 Amendment No 2 (PDF, 2.8MB)
- 2020 Amendment No 3 (PDF, 1.9MB)
- 2021 (PDF, 612KB)
- 2021 Amendment No. 1 (PDF, 166KB)
- 2021 Amendment No. 2 (PDF, 6MB)
Tertiary education organisations with consent to assess
- 2013 (PDF, 634KB)
- 2014 (PDF, 800KB)
- 2015 (PDF, 4.1MB)
- 2016 (PDF, 4MB)
- 2017 (PDF, 2.8MB)
- 2018 (PDF, 3.8MB)
- 2019 (PDF, 3.9MB)
- 2020 (PDF, 3.3MB)
- 2021 (PDF, 245KB)
Home schools
- 2013 (PDF, 1.2MB)
- 2014 (PDF, 1.1MB)
- 2015 (PDF, 1.3MB)
- 2016 (PDF, 1.3MB)
- 2017 (PDF, 1MB)
- 2018 (PDF, 1.3MB)
- 2019 (PDF, 1MB)
- 2020 (PDF, 769KB)
- 2021 (PDF, 129KB)
Private Training Establishment and Industry Training Organisation related Rules
Annual fees
Annual fee rules 2015 (PDF, 732KB)
Industry training organisation prescribed quality assurance requirements
Industry Training Organisation Prescribed Quality Assurance Requirements Rules 2015 (PDF, 648KB) (and 2018 amendments (PDF, 96KB))
NZ Diploma in Business
Assessment rules and procedures for granting the NZ Diploma in Business 2009 (replaced by conditions imposed under section 250A (4) and (5) of the Education Act 1989 on 21 December 2012)
Private training establishment enrolment and academic records
The PTE Enrolment and Academic Records Rules 2012 (PDF, 3.7MB) , with the following amendments:
Private training establishment registration
Policies and criteria for ongoing registration of PTEs (PDF, 121KB) (replaced by the Private Training Establishment Registration Rules 2013).
The Private Training Establishment Registration Rules 2013 (PDF, 677KB) had the following amendments:
- 2014 amendment (PDF, 633KB)
- 2015 amendment (PDF, 734KB)
- Version 3 including 2014 and 2015 amendments (PDF, 852KB)
- 2016 amendment (PDF, 617KB)
- 2017 amendment (PDF, 712KB)
These were replaced by the Private Training Establishment Registration Rules 2018 (PDF, 1MB).
Here is the signed version of the 2018 Rules (PDF, 3.4MB).
Private training establishment registration fee
PTE Annual Registration Fee Rules 2011 (PDF, 608KB)
PTE Annual Registration Fee Rules (No.2) 2011 (PDF, 576KB)
Student fee protection
Student fee protection policy (replaced by the Student Fee Protection Rules 2013)
The Student Fee Protection Rules 2013 (PDF, 860KB) had the following amendments:
- 2015 amendment (PDF, 840KB)
- 2016 amendment (PDF, 616KB)
- 2017 amendment (PDF, 778KB)
- Version 4 including 2015, 2016 and 2017 amendments (PDF, 717KB)
- 2018 amendment (PDF, 1.2MB)
- Version 5 including 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 amendments (PDF, 719KB).
Here is the signed version of the 2013 Rules (PDF, 972KB).
These were replaced by the Student Fee Protection Rules 2018 (PDF, 719KB).
Student funds trust deposit exemption
Student Funds Trust Deposit Exemption Rules 2016 (PDF, 675KB)
Quality Assurance (including External Evaluation and Review (EER)) rules
The External Evaluation and Review (EER) Rules 2013 (PDF, 715KB) had the following amendments:
These were replaced by the Quality Assurance (including External Evaluation and Review (EER)) Rules 2016 (PDF, 805KB), which had the following amendments:
- 2017 amendment (PDF, 808KB)
- Version 2 including 2017 amendment (PDF, 713KB)
- 2018 amendment (PDF, 151KB)
- Version 3 including 2017 and 2018 amendments (PDF, 715KB)
- 2020 amendment (PDF, 1.3MB)
- Version 4 including 2017, 2018 and 2020 amendments (PDF, 5.1MB).
New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) rules
Qualification listing and operational rules
The NZQF Qualification Listing and Operational Rules 2012 (PDF, 923KB) had the following amendments:
These were replaced by the NZQF Qualification Listing and Operational Rules 2016 (PDF, 860KB), which had the following amendments:
- 2017 (PDF, 888KB)
- Version 2 including 2017 amendment (PDF, 771KB)
- 2018 amendment (PDF, 96KB)
- Version 3 including 2017 and 2018 amendments (PDF, 771KB)
- 2020 (PDF, 1.3MB)
- Version 4 including 2017, 2018 and 2020 amendments (PDF, 5.1MB).
Programme approval and accreditation
Criteria for programme approval and accreditation (replaced by the NZQF Programme Approval and Accreditation Rules 2013)
The Programme Approval and Accreditation Rules 2013 (PDF, 858KB) had the following amendments:
- 2013 amendment (PDF, 991KB)
- Version 2 including 2013 amendment (PDF, 869KB)
- 2015 amendment (PDF, 723KB)
- 2016 amendment (PDF, 714KB)
- 2017 amendment (PDF, 975KB)
- Version 4 (PDF, 320KB)
- Version 5 including 203, 2015, 2016 and 2017 amendments (PDF, 7.5MB).
These were replaced by the Programme Approval and Accreditation Rules 2018 (PDF, 893KB), with the following amendments:
- 2018 version (PDF, 1.9MB)
- 2019 Amendment to Rule # 18 (PDF, 290KB)
- Version 2 including 2019 amendment (PDF, 757KB)
- 2020 (PDF, 1.3MB)
- 2020 amendment (PDF, 1.3MB)
- Version 3 including 2019 and 2020 amendments (PDF, 893KB)
Incentives and sanctions
Statutory policies for incentives and sanctions (PDF, 112KB) (incorporated into various of the rules above).
Offshore programme delivery
Offshore Programme Delivery Rules 2012 (PDF, 649KB), with the following amendments:
Industry training programme
Industry Training Programme Rules 2012 (PDF, 672KB), with the following amendments:
- 2017 amendment (PDF, 677KB)
- Version 2 including 2017 amendment (PDF, 630KB)
- 2018 amendment (PDF, 83KB)
- Version 3 including 2017 and 2018 amendments (PDF, 629KB)
- 2020 (PDF, 1.2MB)
- Version 4 including 2017, 2018 and 2020 amendments (PDF, 672KB).
Standards and assessment rules
Directory of Assessment Standards listing
Directory of Assessment Standards Listing and Operational Rules 2011 (PDF, 604KB), with the following amendments:
- 2014 amendment (PDF, 572KB)
- 2017 amendment (PDF, 680KB)
- Version 3 including 2014 and 2017 amendments (PDF, 628KB)
- 2018 amendment (PDF, 91KB)
- Version 4 including 2014, 2107 and 2020 amendments (PDF, 628KB).
Consent to assess
Consent to Assess Against Standards Rules 2011 (PDF, 1.3MB), with the following amendments:
- 2017 amendment (PDF, 741KB)
- 2018 amendment (PDF, 1.3MB)
- Version 3 with 2017 and 2018 amendments (PDF, 660KB)
- 2020 amendment (PDF, 1.2MB)
- Version 4 with 2017, 2018 and 2020 amendments (PDF, 4.3MB).
Training scheme rules
Training Scheme Rules 2012 (PDF, 687KB), with the following amendments:
- 2017 amendment (PDF, 692KB)
- Version 2 including the 2017 amendment (PDF, 677KB)
- 2018 amendment (PDF, 1.3MB)
- Version 3 including the 2017 and 2018 amendment (PDF, 673KB)
- 2020 (PDF, 1.3MB)
- Version 4 including the 2017, 2018 and 2020 amendment (PDF, 687KB).
Here is the original signed version (PDF, 755KB).
2017 signed versions
2017 Rules Amendments - ministerial sign off (for 12 rule sets) (PDF, 942KB)