New Zealand to Return to Marking Students With As, Bs and Cs

New Zealand is abandoning its National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA)—a complex system which awards “credits” for even simple tasks—and returning to marking students out of 100, with grades it says will “make sense to parents,” like A, B, C, D, and E.

The changes were announced today by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford.

NCEA Level 1 (qualification for completing Year 11) will be replaced with foundation literacy and numeracy tests, while Levels 2 and 3 (for completing Years 12 and 13) will be replaced with a New Zealand Certificate of Education and an Advanced Certificate.

Students will be required to take five subjects and pass at least four to attain each certificate. They will also be required to take English and mathematics in Year 11.

It marks a complete reversal of the NCEA system, which was introduced between 2002 and 2004 and replaced School Certificate (Year 11), University Entrance and Sixth Form Certificate (Year 12), and University Bursary (Year 13). They had all been graded from A to E and relied on students passing exams, unless assessed by teachers as performing well enough to have the qualification accredited (in which case they were still awarded a grade in each subject).

“The evidence shows NCEA is not consistent and can be hard to navigate. It doesn’t always deliver what students and employers need,” Luxon said in a statement.

The change would introduce “a new internationally benchmarked national qualification,” which would show young people had “the skills to succeed in the modern global economy.”

Chasing Qualifications at the Expense of Learning

Stanford said that while NCEA was flexible, allowing students to attain Level 1, 2 or 3 qualifications from building blocks of credits, “for many students that flexibility has encouraged a focus on simply attaining the qualification. This has come at the cost of developing the critical skills and knowledge they need for clear pathways into future study, training, or employment.”

Speaking to media later in the day, she said she believed NCEA was being “gamed.”

“Credits are being used to get students across the line, like participating in a group activity or filling out a form. The previous Labour government changed Level 1, but nothing has changed. Students are still pulling together an ad hoc range of credits [in order to pass a level],” she said.

The new qualification will be underpinned by a new national curriculum for Years 9 to 13, which will clearly outline what students need to learn in each subject and when, providing greater consistency.

“This is about making sure our national qualification opens doors for every young person, whether they’re heading into a trade, university, or straight into work,” Stanford said.

The poor reputation of NCEA and the fact that prospective employers found the results confusing to interpret had already led some of New Zealand’s top private schools to abandon it altogether.

Epsom Girls’ Grammar announced that it will offer Cambridge exams in 2026, and Mount Albert Grammar’s principal said his school was under pressure to do the same, while Auckland Grammar’s principal said he wanted NCEA “as we know it” entirely abolished.

Last year, the Education Review Office (ERO) said the revised version of NCEA Level 1, introduced that year, needed another overhaul as it was not fair or reliable.

The changes will be phased in from 2026, with the foundation award replacing level one from 2028. The new certificates will be in place for year 12 from 2029 and year 13 the following year.