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Ministry of Education New Zealand

Have your say on NCEA

An introduction to the proposal to replace NCEA.

Kōrero mai

Mō ngā panonitanga ki ngā mahi NCEA.

New Zealand Sign Language video: Have your say on NCEA

An introduction to the proposal to replace NCEA.

Overview#

Evidence shows us that the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) isn’t working as well as it could for students, families, teachers, and employers. It’s more confusing and less reliable than it needs to be, and we’re proposing changes to make sure that the qualifications students leave school with set them up well for what comes next – whether that be work, training, or study. That’s why we’re proposing to replace NCEA with a new national qualification system that is easy to understand, credible, and internationally comparable.

Between now and 15 September 2025, we’re inviting you to learn more about the proposal and let us know what you think. Everyone has a stake in the success of our young people, which is why it’s important that everyone gets a chance to have their say.

About the proposal#

Discussion document#

The main document explaining the proposal in detail, including information about why a new qualification system is needed and how it would be implemented.

A te reo Māori version of the discussion document will be available in the coming week.

pdf thumbnailNCEA Discussion document
DownloadPDF2.7MB
pdf thumbnailEasy Read – NCEA Discussion document
DownloadPDF2.5MB
docx thumbnailAccessible NCEA Discussion document
DownloadDOCX3.4MB

English videos

1. Vocational Education and Training

Improve qualifications for our students is working with industries to bring VET subjects into the qualification system.

2. Foundational Skills Award

Introduce the Foundational Skills Award for students.

3. Clear, consistent qualifications

Replace NCEA with qualifications that are clear, consistent and set our young people up for success.

4. Strengthening the requirements

One of the most exciting proposals on the table is strengthening the attainment requirements for the new qualifications.

New Zealand Sign Language videos

How did we get here and what is the problem?

Proposal to replace NCEA with a new national qualification.

Proposal 1

Proposal to replace NCEA with a new national qualification.

Proposal 2

Proposal to replace NCEA with a new national qualification.

Proposal 3

Proposal to replace NCEA with a new national qualification.

Proposal 4

Proposal to replace NCEA with a new national qualification.

Implications and next steps

Proposal to replace NCEA with a new national qualification.

What you need to know#

These documents are built specifically to help parents and families, teachers and kaiako, and employers understand what the proposal means for them.

pdf thumbnailFor parents and whānau – Summary of NCEA proposal
DownloadPDF1.2MB
pdf thumbnailFor teachers – Summary of NCEA proposal
DownloadPDF1.1MB
pdf thumbnailFor employers – Summary of NCEA proposal
DownloadPDF1.4MB

Summaries of the discussion document#

Short versions of the discussion document help you quickly understand the proposal.

Short versions of the discussion document in te reo Māori, Tokelauan, Cook Island Māori, Niuean, Tongan and Samoan will be available in the coming weeks.

Have your say#

There’s an online survey open to families | whānau, students, educators, and industry. Share your thoughts with us.

Parent, family and student survey

Employer and industry survey

Teacher survey

If you're responding on behalf of a group or organisation, email us to request a template that can help you prepare your submission.

Email: [email protected]

Here are the full lists of survey questions by audience, for those who prefer to submit their responses by post or email.

pdf thumbnailSurvey questions for parents and whānau
DownloadPDF363KB
pdf thumbnailSurvey questions for teachers and kaiako
DownloadPDF451KB
pdf thumbnailSurvey questions for employers
DownloadPDF446KB

We will be looking at all of your feedback once consultation closes, and making sure that your voice is heard before making any final decisions.

Webinars#

We are holding a series of webinars from 11 August to help kaiako and leaders understand the proposed changes and how they might impact your practice. You can sign up for those here:

Implementing the change#

Once the consultation has closed, feedback will be used to inform final decisions on the change. We will make sure that you have a clear understanding of what comes next once the changes have been finalised. That includes providing students, families, educators, and employers with the support they need to make the change confidently.