National Certificate of
Educational Achievement
(NCEA)
St Peter’s College
STUDENT HANDBOOK
2 016
Keep this Booklet for Reference
CONTENTS
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Introduction
What is NCEA and How Does It Work?
Endorsements
Scholarship, Course Outlines and Authenticity
University Entrance
Reporting and Costs
NCEA App Information
Absences and Lateness
Appeals
Breaches of Rules and Authenticity
Opportunities for Assessment and Reassessment
Special Assessment Conditions, Derived Grades and Advice
Tracking Sheet
Copy of the Authenticity Statement
2016 Exam Timetable
Student NQF Information Booklet 2016
Introduction
NCEA is New Zealand's national secondary school qualification and provides students with pathways
to tertiary education and workplace training.
This year you will be gaining qualifications through standards at NCEA Level 1, 2 or 3 in all subjects.
You may also work towards other National Certificates, such as those in Early Childhood. Your credits
can be applied towards more than one qualification.
This booklet contains guidelines that will help you to achieve success this year.
During the year, your teachers will be collecting evidence that shows that you have achieved the
standards so it is important that systems for assessment are consistent and fair. It is also important that
you are aware of your rights and responsibilities for assessment.
The guidelines in this booklet apply to all the internal assessments that provide evidence that you have
reached the standards. They also apply to practice exams and to work that you complete for other
external assessments like portfolios.
It is essential that you – and your parents – understand how NCEA works. Please read this handbook,
carefully and keep it handy to answer questions throughout the year. This information is also available
on the school website.
If you have any concerns about the information in this booklet, or NCEA or the NQF generally, do
not hesitate to talk to me. All staff wish you the best for a very successful year’s study.
Mrs J Lynch
NQF/NCEA Co-ordinator
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Student NQF Information Booklet 2016
WHAT IS NCEA?
The National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA) is the national qualification on the New
Zealand Qualification Framework (NQF) for secondary school students.
It is part of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) which includes a range of other certificates and
Qualifications such as National Certificates in:

Early Childhood
o
Electronics Technology
o
Mathematics
NCEA is administered by the NZ Qualifications Authority (NZQA) which runs the external exams and
makes checks on schools to ensure that internal assessments are done fairly and consistently across all
schools in New Zealand and includes moderation by National Moderators.
HOW DOES NCEA WORK?


NCEA
L 1
L 2
credits
Achievement
Standards
Gain at an
Achieved,
Merit or
Excellence
level
L 3
Each year students study a number of courses or subjects.
In each subject, skills and knowledge are assessed against a number
of standards. For example, a Mathematics standard could be: Apply
numeric reasoning in solving problems.
 Schools use a range of internal and external assessments to measure
how well students meet these standards.
 When a student achieves a standard, they gain a number of credits.
Students must achieve a certain number of credits to gain an NCEA
certificate.
 There are three levels of NCEA certificate, depending on the
difficulty of the standards achieved. In general, students work
through levels 1 to 3 in years 11 to 13 at school.
 Students are recognized for high achievement at each level by
gaining NCEA with Merit or NCEA with Excellence. High
achievement in a course is also recognized.
Each year your teachers will gather evidence that shows you have gained
Achievement standards. Evidence about your achievement may be
collected in a variety of ways, for example, group tasks, tests, projects and
examinations. Some standards may be assessed during the year (internally
assessed) and others through examinations held at the year (externally
assessed) or by submissions of portfolios e.g. in Visual Art.
Each Achievement Standard is worth a set number of credits. If you meet
the set level you will receive all the credits for that Standard. You will have
the opportunity to be recognized as achieving it at either a satisfactory
(Achieved) level, a very good level (Merit), or at an outstanding level
(Excellence). The grade does not affect how many credits you get
however – if you pass at any level you will still receive all the available
credits for that Achievement Standard.
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Student NQF Information Booklet 2016
There are three levels of NCEA certificate. In general, you will work
through levels 1 to 3 in Years 11 to 13 at school. Some students may study
at a higher level in one or more subjects.
Level 1 NCEA
80 credits minimum at Level 1 or higher including 10 in Literacy (reading
and writing) and 10 in Numeracy.
( numeracy and literacy credits do not always have to come from Enlgish and Maths)
Level 2 NCEA
60 at NCEA Level 2 or higher + 20 credits from any Level 1 + Level 1
Literacy and Numeracy requirements.
Level 3 NCEA
60 credits at Level 3 or higher + 20 credits from Level 2 + Level 1
Numeracy and Literacy.
ENDORSEMENTS
You are recognised for high achievement at each level by gaining NCEA
with Merit or NCEA with Excellence. High achievement in a course is also
recognised. This is called Endorsement.
When you perform consistently above the 'Achieved' level, your
result(s) can be 'endorsed' to reflect that high achievement. This can occur
either for the whole Certificate or at individual course level.
Getting your certificate endorsed with Merit or Excellence is straight
forward and says a lot about the quality of the work you do
 At Level 1, 2 or 3 you must achieve 50 credits or more at Merit or
Excellence level
 If you have a combination of 50 or more Merit or Excellence
credits you will receive your certificate endorsed with Merit. A
combination of say 20 Excellence and 30 Merit credits will see
your certificate endorsed with Merit.
 For some academic scholarships having your certificates endorsed
with Excellence has become the minimum entry requirement for
consideration.
Courses can also be endorsed. You are required to gain 14 credits at Merit
(or Excellence) in a calendar year. This usually includes at least three
external credits - check with your subject teacher about whether your
course qualifies. Fully internally assessed courses such as Religious Studies
or Physical Education Studies are eligible for course endorsement.
Getting a course endorsed shows that you have a real strength in that area
of study and helps you to gain an overall course endorsement. The Record
of Achievement shows endorsement awards.
NZQA has a formal quality assurance process to ensure that the
assessment of each standard is fair across all students, regardless of the
school they attend. This includes internal moderation, external moderation
and assessment system checks.
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Student NQF Information Booklet 2016
SCHOLARSHIP
Scholarship is a monetary award to recognise top secondary school
students. Scholarship exams are externally assessed and are an additional
set of exams. They enable you to be assessed against challenging standards,
and are demanding for the most able students in each subject. They do not
attract credits, nor contribute towards a qualification, but the fact that a
student has gained a Scholarship appears on their Record of Learning.
Entries are called for around mid-year and you should speak to you subject
teachers and Mrs Lynch about possible entires.
COURSE OUTLINES
You will have access to a course outline for every NCEA subject you take.
The course outline will include important information about your course,
credits available, whether they are internal or external standards and other
crucial information.
AUTHENTICITY
All work submitted must be your own.
It is your responsibility to:






Keep all drafts and working documents, and hand them into your
teacher if required.
Keep a record of all resources that are used including hand written
plans and websites.
Acknowledge the source of all material in your assignment, citing
whether it is from text, electronic material or people.
Ensure your data is accurate.
Be prepared to discuss your work further with your teacher, if
required.
Sign the authenticity statement.
You must not:





Copy another student’s work.
Quote material from written or electronic sources without
acknowledging the source (plagiarism).
Allow someone else to copy your work.
Allow someone else to do your work.
Use forbidden technology in a test or exam (e.g. non-designated
printer, non-standard calculator, cell phone etc.)
Where there is an authenticity of work issue, there will be an investigation
of a Breach of the Rules.
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Student NQF Information Booklet 2016
WHAT ABOUT UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE?
University Entrance requires you to obtain Level 3.

Including a minimum of 14 credits or higher in each of
three subjects from the ‘approved’ subject list (see the
Senior Subject Handbook for a list).

Level One Numeracy (or better).

University Entrance Literacy can be gained through English
or Te Reo Maori.
It should also be noted that many universities are now requiring
much more than the above UE standard for guaranteed admission
into particular courses, so you should check with the relevant
institution early in the year for details.
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Student NQF Information Booklet 2016
HOW IS NCEA REPORTED?
Every student in New Zealand has a National Student Number
(NSN). This is used as a personal identity number when you complete
internal and external assessments for NCEA. It is also used to identify
each student and allows schools, and other agencies, to register &
track the progress of students. This allows NZQA to produce
personalised exam packs - that is exam papers for the standards you
are entered for. They will have your NSN on them. They can also be
tracked through all stages of handling and marking. External
examinations begin in November of each year. Once you have
received your NSN number you will be able to register on the NZQA
website to receive your results, look at your Record of Achievement
(ROA) and also make a request for an official You may have one of
these per year free of charge.
Printed NCEA results are NOT sent to students automatically. You
must log in and order one (free) by the 31st of December to receive it
mid-January. A Record of Achievement (ROA) lists all standards and
qualifications that a student has achieved.
You can order one free copy of your SRS or ROA. Additional copies
cost $15.30 (charge may be subject to change).
COSTS
The following are NCEA fees for NZ students in 2015 (note
International fees are much higher – please speak to the International
Director):

One off cost all domestic students pay for
NCEA (this includes external exams)

Scholarship
$76.70
$30.00
per extra subject
Financial assistance is available for:
 Families having more than two students entering NCEA
 Community Service Card holders
 Those depending on a Work and Income or Study Link benefit
as their main source of income
Currently financial assistance reduces the fee to $20 per student, or
$30 for all students in a studying for NCEA qualifications and who
meet the community service or benefit criteria.
School must collect the fees on behalf of NZQA so you will be
asked to pay the fee later in the year – usually late July.
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Student NQF Information Booklet 2016
SCHOOL PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES
Absences and Lateness
Except for circumstances
clearly beyond your control
late work will not be
assessed for NCEA
purposes….
In exceptional
circumstances an extension
may be granted by the
NCEA Co-ordinator... You
need to apply on the
‘Request for an Extension’
form on the first
appropriate day (with)
supporting evidence…
…if you are away on the
day of assessment due to
sickness your parent/
caregiver must ring and
inform the office of this
assessment and your
absence before 9.00 am that
day…
Except for circumstances clearly beyond your control late work will
not be assessed. You are expected to attend class regularly to ensure
educational progress and to fulfil course requirements. It is important
that appointments (e.g. orthodontist, doctor…) are not made during
times when assessments are to be handed in, or when there is a test or
practical assessment.
In exceptional circumstances (e.g. severe illness, bereavement…) an
extension to the due date for work may be granted by your teacher (in
very clear cases) or the school NCEA Co-ordinator, Mrs Lynch. You
will need to apply to your teacher using the ‘Request for Extension’ form
on the first appropriate day after the work was due or before the date
if the reason can be foreseen (get the form from Mrs Lynch). Time
Management is important and too many assignments is not a reason
for extension. In those cases talk directly to your teacher well before
(weeks if possible) to see if an alternate timeframe can be arranged.
If you are away on the day of an assessment due to sickness your
parent/caregiver must ring and inform the office of this assessment
and your absence before 9.00 am that day. The person in the office
will then notify the teacher.
Often you will need supporting evidence from an independent source
(such as a Medical Certificate). You will be informed of the decision
of your application for an extension in writing.
Teachers have a responsibility to give fair and reasonable time to
complete assessment work, and to let you know relevant assessment
dates well in advance.

“My parents are taking me to Australia with them during the holidays, but they want to
leave three days before the school term ends because air tickets are cheaper. What should I
do?”
Talk to each of your teachers to see if there are any tests or assessments that
will be due during the time you will be in Australia. If any assessments are due,
they will need to be handed in before you go. Late work will receive no credit.

“If I hand my assignment in late, how many marks do I get penalised?”
If you do not have a legitimate reason (e.g. illness) you will not gain any credit
for the assessment. Marks (or grades) will not be deducted – either the work is
accepted and you get what you deserve, or it is rejected and you receive no
credit.

“What happens if I ‘wag’ a test because I needed more time to study?”
You will get no credit for the assessment and you will not be given a chance to
re-sit the test. (It is the same penalty if you ‘wag’ school to finish an assignment
– if it is late then no credit.)
 “I have got really ‘bogged down’ with work because I travelled to a family funeral in
Hamilton, and I can’t make a good job of my research assignment and finish it on time. What
should I do?"
You must apply for an extension several days before the assessment is due – to
the NCEA Co-ordinator, Mrs Lynch, she will give you a form to complete. It
must be signed by a parent/caregiver, and evidence provided and then you give
that to your teacher to work through finding an appropriate time frame.
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Student NQF Information Booklet 2016
 “My assessment is due to be handed in today, but I am really sick and can’t make it to
school. What should I do?”
1.
Get a parent/caregiver to ring the school to inform us that you
are absent on that day.
2.
It if is possible, get a friend or family member to hand in your
assignment to your classroom teacher. If this can’t be arranged, hand your
assignment in the same day you get back to school, along with a note
from your parent/caregiver and a doctor’s certificate.

“What do I do if I have a test/field trip/speech/dramatic monologue … to do, but I am too
unwell to attend school?”
1.
Get a parent/caregiver to ring the school to inform us that you
are absent.
2.
On your first day back to school, bring a note signed by your
parent/caregiver with a medical certificate
3.
Your teacher will let you know if and when you are able to redo
the assessment. In some cases it may not be appropriate to redo the
assessment – this is especially true if it was a field trip or practical
assessment..

“What do I do if I have an inter-school sports trip on the day an assessment is due?”
You must hand in your work before the trip. However, where possible,
assessment dates will be set so as not to coincide with large school-based
activities.

“What do I do if I had to work late in the days before the assignment is due?”
This will not be a reason for an extension. Either it is handed in on the due date
or you miss out.

“I had three assignments due in the same week – surely I can get an extension for one of
them?”
Sorry, but no extension will be granted. Teachers will try and set dates to
minimise overlap, but depending on what subjects you do this is not always
possible. Talk to your teacher/Mrs Lynch or your C2S coach.

“I am going to be away for school exams but this doesn’t matter does it as they don’t count for
credits?”
School exams are vital preparation for success at the end of the year so they are
extremely important form a learning perspective. Also, if you need to make a
request for a derived grade at the end of the year, teachers may have to forward
to NZQA evidence of the external assessments you sat. If you did not show
you can meet the standard you will not get a derived grade.
Appeals
You have the right to lodge
an appeal if you believe that
you have been unfairly
disadvantaged in the
assessing or recording of
work completed for the
NQF…
You have the right to lodge an appeal if you believe that you have
been unfairly disadvantaged in the assessing or recording of work
completed for NCEA qualifications.
Grounds for appeal include:
 a mistake made by the marker
 alleged misconduct
 unfairness in the way marks were awarded
 incorrect recording or transfer of results to NZQA
 failure to be given a reassessment opportunity where it is practical
The main principle that will The main principle that will be considered is fairness.
be considered is fairness…
If you believe that you have grounds for appeal you must approach
the teacher within 3 days of receiving the assessment back (or the
incident occuring) and attempt to sort it out then.
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Student NQF Information Booklet 2016
If you are still dissatisfied, then you must approach the HOD of the
subject area (or if the HOD is your teacher, another teacher the HOD
nominates) with your concern. This second teacher will reassess the
work in question and let you know.
If you still believe that you have been wrongly assessed you may
appeal in writing to the NCEA Coordinator, Mrs Lynch, on the
‘Assessment Appeals Application’ form. The NCEA Co-ordinator will
investigate fully and let you know her decision in writing. The NCEA
Co-ordinator’s decision is final.
My work is heaps better than my friend but she got a higher mark than me. Can I appeal?”
Disagreement with a mark is not enough to base an appeal. You must
have clear grounds to indicate that you have been unfairly
disadvantaged over other students.
Breaches of Rules and Authenticity
Authenticity means that all work submitted must be your own. Not
doing so is considered cheating.
It is your responsibility to:
 Keep all drafts and working documents, and hand them into
your teacher if required. Make a copy and save as you go!
 Keep a record of all resources that are used including hand
written plans and websites.
 Acknowledge the source of all material in your assignment,
citing whether it is from text, electronic material or people.
 Ensure your data is accurate.
 Be prepared to discuss your work further with your teacher, if
required.
 Sign the authenicity statement.
You must not:
 Copy another student’s work
 Quote material from written or electronic sources without
acknowledging the source (plagiarism).
 Allow someone else to copy your work.
 Allow someone else to do your work.
 Use forbidden technology in a test or exam (e.g. nondesignated printer, non-standard calculator, cell phone etc.)
Where authenicity of work is an issue there will be an investigation of
a Breach of the Rules.
Breaches of Rules include: plagiarism, impersonation, flase declaration
of authenticity, using notes in an assessment or exam,
collusion (communicating with others, disruption or dishonesty
assisting or hindering others during an assessment or exam) or
dishonesty (lying about reasons for submitting late work, or altering
answers prior to seeking an appeal and authenicity issues).
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Student NQF Information Booklet 2016
Cheating is considered an
extremely serious offence…
This is about guaranteeing that the work you present for NCEA
assessment is your own. You are required to sign the authenticity
statement each year.
For many assessments it is appropriate to learn at home and gain
information from a variety of sources. This must be suitably
acknowledged. However, you must NEVER claim that work
necessary for assessment is your own when this is untrue.
It is vital that you are very clear how much outside help you are
allowed for any assessment work. CHECK WITH YOUR
TEACHER FIRST.
Teachers will use a number of different practices to reassure
themselves that the work you submit is legitimate.
The penalties for cheating – Cases of suspected cheating will be thoroughly investigated. If the
or helping someone else
cheating is confirmed you may suffer some or all of the following:
cheat – are very severe…
 no grade being awarded



no opportunity for reassessment
be brought before the Board of Trustees Disciplinary Committee
and subject to any of the sanctions they have at their disposal
being barred by NZQA from entering other qualifications if the
breach occurs in external exams
Similarly, if you help another student cheat, such as by deliberately
allowing them to copy work you produced, this will result in the same
procedures being applied to you. In other words, the case will be
considered as if you had cheated yourself.

“I gave my assignment to Jane to look at and she copied it. Our teachers have found out
because they mark work together. Do I still gain credit for my assignment?”
NO!!! Both Jane and you will receive, at least, no credit for your assignments
and you will not be given an additional reassessment opportunity (you have
both been dishonest). It is not a good idea to give someone else your work
before it is assessed.

“Janine’s research assignment is great because her older sister helped her with it. I copied parts
that I thought were really good to help me gain a higher grade. Am I in trouble?”
Yes!! Work submitted for assessment must be your own work and your
teachers need to be able to verify this. Both you and Janine would not gain
credit for your assessments, because the work is not entirely your own.
Opportunities for Assessment
Unless there is good reason
not to, all students will be
given another opportunity
to gain credit for each
Achievement Standard.
A Reassessment is where a new assessment task is provided after
your first opportunity, and after additional teaching and learning has
taken place. For some tasks this may not be reasonable or practicable.
Time does not always allow for this to happen on a scheduled class
basis but you may ask your teacher for a reassessment opportunity.
A Resubmission may be offered for an assessment where a teacher
judges that a mistake has been made by you, and which you are
capable of discovering and correcting by yourself.
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Student NQF Information Booklet 2016

“The first time I did this Achievement Standard I got a Merit grade. The second one time I
did it I only got Achieved. Which grade counts?”
It is the best grade that will count.
Special Assessment Conditions
Special assistance may be
available.
We are all here to help!
If you have a permanent or long-term condition or learning
difficulties, which you believe will significantly impair your
performance in specified internal or external assessments - in
particular written examinations – you may apply for special
assessment considerations. Contact the HOD Learning Support for
assessment of your eligibility and speak to Mrs Lynch for further
information. As a result of a Special Assessment Condition (SAC)
being applied for and subject to approval, you may be provided with
valid and fair assessment conditions for both internal and external
standards.
Derived Grade
If you cannot sit your external examination due to a serious situation
e.g. illness - you must see Mrs Lynch immediately and collect a form.
This will need to be completed by a doctor or other appropriate
person. St Peter’s College must provide a grade based on pre-existing
standard specific evidence for each standard a Derived Grade is being
sought. The school recommends a derived grade based on your
performance in school examinations and other practice assessments
so you need to take these seriously.
GOOD ADVICE ABOUT NCEA
Getting enough credits for
my Level One (or Two or
Three) Certificate is just a
first step…
Initially you will be focussed on getting enough credits for your
NCEA certficiate:
However, you must not stop there, because:
 for future study or employment it is in your best effort to
show what you are able to do. To do this you need to show,
through assessment that you can do more.
 you may not be able to get into courses you want at higher
levels in the school if you haven’t got the right number of
credits in that subject. Some subjects also require you to gain
particular standards before you can advance to a higher level.
The grade of pass in an
Achievement Standard is
more important than the
number of credits it offers…
Some people make the mistake that it doesn’t matter what grade you
get – as long as you pass a standard that is all that matters. They think
this because if you pass a standard you get the same number of credits
regardless of what grade (Achieved, Merit or Excellence) you get.
This is a big mistake. Although it won’t affect the number of credits
you get, a Merit or Excellence pass in an Achievement Standard is
better than an Achieved because:
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Student NQF Information Booklet 2016

it shows an employer that you know the material better than
someone who just got an Achieved
 some courses at Level 2 or 3 require some Merit passes before
you are allowed to do them
 it is more challenging to get a higher grade and therefore more
rewarding when you do succeed
Some tertiary courses require higher grades – check with the Careers
Department.
Getting your certificate
endorsed with Merit or
Excellence
Getting your certificate endorsed with Merit or Excellence is
straightforward and says a lot about the quality of the work you do.
 At Level 1, 2 or 3 you must achieve 50 credits or more at
Merit or Excellence level.
 If you have a combination of 50 or more Merit and Excellence
credits you will receive your certificate endorsed with Merit.
 For some academic scholarships, having your certificates
endorsed with Excellence has become the minimum entry
requirement for consideration.
Keep good records of your
assessment and check
regularly…
There are huge administration demands on running assessment
programmes and sometimes mistakes happen. It is very important
that you keep track of:
 standards offered in each course
 what standards assessment activities relate to and when they
are coming up
Ways you can keep track of these include:
 making use of the tracking sheet in this booklet
 checking your results through the school portal
 regularly referring to the course booklets
 some other system that suits you
It is also important to check that results are recorded accurately by the
school. All results are entered onto the computer at school and these
are sent to NZQA. Therefore, if you think the results on the portal do
not show accurately everything you have done it is vital you see your
subject teacher about it and quickly sort it out. If there are any
problems that you can not resolve, see Mrs Lynch.
You will also be able to check online at the NZQA website. The
website has very good systems and will help you track your course and
overall certificate endorsement and course endorsements.
If you have concerns about NCEA you may talk to your subject
teachers, C2S learning Coach, a Dean or the NCEA Coordinator, Mrs
Lynch. We are all concerned that you are given the best opportunity
to show whether you can meet the standards required of this
qualification in a way that is fair to all.
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Student NQF Information Booklet 2016
Other things to note:
English and Literacy Credits are not the same thing.
10 Literacy Credits are required as part of NCEA Level 1. These may
come from a range of subjects such as History and Religious Studies.
English credits are generally literacy credits, but English is a subject
and you MUST gain sufficient English credits at Level 1 to move on
to Level 2 English. If you do not, you will have to repeat Level 1
English in Year 12.
NCEA certificates may be gained over more than one year.
e.g if you only gained 70 credits as a Year 11 student, your Year 12
assessments (at Level 1 or 2) will count towards completing your
Level 1 certificate. If they are Level 2 credits they will also count
towards your Level 2 certificate. It is the same for higher levels.
The NCEA fee is a flat fee for all standards paid yearly.
Whether or not you are sitting external examinations you still have to
pay the NCEA fee. It is for your qualification and you must be
“hooked on” each year you are in Senior School.
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Student NQF Information Booklet 2016
NCEA CREDIT TRACKING SHEET 2016
C
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Brief title
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Ext.
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Student NQF Information Booklet 2016
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Student NQF Information Booklet 2016
NCEA Authenticity Statement 2016
I, _____________________________________, state that all work I submit for assessment this year
will be my own work, completed without the unauthorised help of others.
I will not allow other students to copy my assessment work.
I will not allow somone else to do my work.
I will not quote material from written or electronic sources without acknowledging the source
(plagiarism) clearly.
I will not use use forbidden technology in a test or exam ( e.g. non-designated printer, non-standard
calculator, cell phone etc.)
I understand that if I hand in work that is not my own, I will receive no credit.
Signature:
_____________________________________________________
Please complete and hand to your C2S Learning Coach
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