This page contains information relevant to the 2020 school year.
The changes noted below (including changes to thresholds and requirements, and the earning of Learning Recognition Credits) do not apply for study undertaken in the current school year.
The government has made additional changes to NCEA for students in Auckland, to recognise the 13 days of classroom time lost during the recent Alert Level 3 lockdown.
These changes will help ensure you have a fair opportunity to achieve NCEA this year.
These are in addition to changes made to NCEA earlier in 2020, which apply for students anywhere in New Zealand.
On this page
Extra Learning Recognition Credits
Learning Recognition (LR) credits were introduced this year to recognise the classroom time lost during the nationwide lockdown earlier this year.
Extra LR credits are now available to students in Auckland because of the additional COVID disruption in August.
Changes to earning rate and LR credit maximums
| NCEA Level | LR credit maximum | LR credit earning rate | Total number of credits required from assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Up to 16 LR credits | 1 for 4 credits achieved | 64 |
| Level 2 | Up to 12 LR credits | 1 for 4 credits achieved | 68 (48 + 20 from another level) |
| Level 3 | Up to 12 LR credits | 1 for 4 credits achieved | 68 (48 + 20 from level 2 or higher) |
These changes apply to all the credits you achieve after 1 March 2020 (in the 2020 school year), including credits earned before the recent lockdown, and cover internal assessment, exams and portfolios.
Changes to certificate endorsements
Instead of 46 credits, you will now need 44 credits to earn Merit or Excellence Certificate Endorsements.
Support for students
Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (Te Kura) will offer extra places in their Summer School in 2020. Talk to your school if you are interested.
If you need extra help to achieve your NCEA goals this year, or have stopped attending school during lockdown, extra places will be available in programmes led by Te Kura (the Correspondence School) from Term 4.
Preparing students for success
If another COVID-19 disruption prevents you from sitting end-of-year examinations, there are steps in place to ensure you can still receive a grade.
Your teachers have been gathering assessment evidence from the course work you have been doing that shows whether you have met the requirements of the standard.
Changes to University Entrance (UE) were announced in June, meaning students need to achieve 12 credits, rather than 14 credits, in each of 3 University Entrance Approved Subjects.
There are no extra changes to UE, but universities and other tertiary education providers are also taking the unique circumstances of 2020 into account in their discretionary entry requirements for 2021.