Qualifications and standards

TEO issue of New Zealand qualification and micro-credentials achievement certificates

Most tertiary education organisations (TEOs) are now able to award and issue New Zealand qualifications listed at levels 1-6 on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF).

These TEOs include qualification developers, transitional industry training organisations (transitional ITOs), and providers (Te Pūkenga and its subsidiaries, wānanga, private training establishments and government training establishments) with accreditation to deliver a programme leading to a New Zealand qualification.

Printing qualification and micro-credential achievement certificates

All TEOs can print their own qualification and micro-credential certificates using the following specifications:

Printing specifications detailing what must appear on New Zealand certificates and diplomas can be accessed from: New Zealand Certificate/Diploma Specifications (PDF, 83KB)
Printing specifications detailing what must appear on micro-credential certificates can be accessed from: Micro-credential Specifications (PDF, 133KB)

Transitional industry training organisations

Transitional ITOs can print their own qualification documents using the printing specifications above.

Other TEOs

Other TEOs can print their own qualification documents using the above printing specifications, where permitted under the NZQF qualification specification. New Zealand qualifications listed at levels 1-6 have a qualification specification that includes any conditions for qualification award.

Where the qualification specification allows, qualification printing specifications are available to TEOs when NZQA grants accreditation for programmes of study (for providers) and approval of programmes of training (for transitional ITOs).

Qualification developers

Qualification printing specifications are also available to qualification developers when their qualification is approved for listing on the NZQF.

Options for TEOs

NZQA encourages TEOs to exercise their rights and responsibilities. However, some TEOs will not have the capacity to award qualifications or issue qualification documents.

This will include transitional ITOs that offer programmes leading to New Zealand qualifications where assessment occurs wholly against assessment standards on the Directory of Assessment Standards.

In these cases, following a request by a TEO, NZQA can:

undertake a QualCheck
record qualification completion on the New Zealand Record of Achievement (NZRoA)
print a qualification document, if required.

This option retains the status quo where it is the TEO’s preference and programme assessment occurs wholly against assessment standards on the Directory of Assessment Standards.

No change to NZRoA and Tertiary Education Commission reporting

The NZRoA will continue to record the achievement of standards and the completion of qualifications wholly assessed by standards.

NZQA will also continue to report standard and qualification completions to the Tertiary Education Commission for transitional ITO trainees.

Recording New Zealand qualifications on a learner’s NZRoA

TEOs can report the award of New Zealand qualifications to NZQA through the tertiary login so that learners benefit from having the achievement appear promptly on their record of achievement.

Under the heading ‘Submit Data’ there is a link titled ‘Report Qualification or Micro-credential Completion’.

See Submitting results and awarding qualifications and micro-credentials for more details.