Key dates and information
Please refer to the online version of the Key dates to ensure you have access to the most up to date information:
Key dates for secondary assessment
14 October
Candidate admission slips sent to schools
Co-requisite assessment results release for Reading 32403
16 October
Assessment specifications for 2027 external assessment published online
21 October
Level 1 Visual Arts submissions due and provisional results entered
28 October
Final date for submitting external portfolios and reports to 星空传媒
2 November
Level 3 and Scholarship Visual Arts submissions due
On this page
Latest circulars
A2026/4 - Feedback opportunity for NZ Scholarship Business Studies draft performance standard
A2026/3 - 2027 Examination timetable date range
A2026/2 - Updates to 2026 assessment specifications
A2026/1 - Special Assessment Conditions (SAC) Notification Gateway
Update on the audio-recording functionality trial
星空传媒 has completed a trial of audio-recording functionality for digital Te Hiranga (Scholarship) Te Reo Rangatira assessments and has confirmed that it will proceed to a pilot for the 2026 end-of-year examinations. The pilot will involve using the functionality in a live examination setting in a deliberately limited way, enabling 星空传媒 to learn more before considering any wider implementation.
The trial provided valuable insights into the experience of 膩konga, schools and kura, Examination Centre Managers, markers, and other assessment personnel. This feedback is informing the operational processes, technical support, guidance, contingency arrangements, and communications being developed for the pilot.
Schools and kura with 膩konga digitally entered into Te Hiranga Te Reo Rangatira will receive further information outlining what they need to know and any preparation required ahead of the examinations.
Find guidance and updates on the Te Hiranga Te Reo Rangatira page
星空传媒 thanks all schools and kura, 膩konga, teachers, Examination Centre Managers, markers, and other personnel who have contributed to the trial. Their feedback has been invaluable in informing the pilot and supporting its successful delivery.
Webinars for Principal鈥檚 Nominees
All presentations and supporting materials are available in Google Drive:
- Drive
You will need to be logged into a Google account to access the Drive. The first session in each series is recorded and available in the Drive.
There is no need to sign up, just log in to the session that suits you. Some sessions on the same topic are offered more than once. You only need to attend one. You are welcome to share invitations with others on your staff.
PN priorities at the start of each term will cover the key dates and processes for each term.
Kura PN priorities will be in Te Reo M膩ori.
Term 4 PN priorities
- Entry and data checks
- Exam processes
- Quality Assurance 鈥� derived grades and external moderation
Term 4 kura PN priorities
- Entry and data checks
- Exam processes
- Quality Assurance 鈥� derived grades and external moderation
Submitted portfolios and kete manarua
Saving, uploading and submitting portfolios and kete manarua
Exams
- Working with your ECM
- Exam processes 鈥� derived grades and breaches
- Exam conditions 鈥� the PN's role
Term 4 kura PN wrap-up
- 1 December data deadline
- Review quality assurance completion
Term 4 kura PN wrap-up
- 1 December data deadline
- Review quality assurance completion
Results and data Q&A 2026
- Accessing results
- Adding late results
- Reconsiderations
- Reports and statistics
- Qualifications and awards
Results and data Q&A 2027
- Accessing results
- Adding late results
- Reconsiderations
- Reports and statistics
- Qualifications and awards
2026 candidate admission slips and exam information
Exam information
Candidate information sheets and admission slips will be sent to schools in hard copy form, and digital versions will be available in the Provider and Learner Portals from 14 October 2026.
Late entries
Late entries made after 1 September 2026 will not show on a candidate鈥檚 original exams admission slip. You will need to print and sign an updated copy.
Lost exams admission slips
If a candidate loses their Exams Admission Slip, you can print a copy from the school portal (Reports > Exam Reports) from 14 October 2026.
Candidates can also reprint their exam admission slip from 14 October 2026 through the My星空传媒 learner portal (External Assessments > Exam Timetable > Print Admission Slip).
Any re-printed exams admission slips must be signed by the Principal鈥檚 Nominee.
Return of marked NCEA and NZ Scholarship exam booklets
If candidates sit an NCEA or NZ Scholarship exam, their assessed exam can be accessed through their My星空传媒 account in late January 2027 (for NCEA) and February 2027 (for NZ Scholarship). It is important your candidates have created a My星空传媒 account if they do not have one. Exam booklets will not be returned in the mail.
Notifying 星空传媒 of an exam clash resolution involving a digital exam
To resolve an exam clash between a Scholarship exam and a digital exam, or 2 digital exams, it is possible to move a digital exam session.
To ensure that the change to the digital session is put in place, the details of the change must be communicated to 星空传媒 so that the exam will be made available at the new time.
Email the following information to acpt@nzqa.govt.nz:
- MoE School ID
- Exam Centre (School) name
- NSN
- Student full name
- Exam date
- Clash (subjects and levels)
- Shift (which subject and level is being moved)
Please also attach the signed student clash letter (2-Way or 3-Way clash).
Communicate all 3-Way clash details with your ECM and share the signed student 3-Way clash letters with your School Relationship Manager by 22 October.
If in doubt about how to resolve a clash, contact your School Relationship Manager.
Reminder to submit derived grades
You must report grades for all candidates entered into externally assessed achievement standards that are eligible for a derived grade so they can be used if required.
If your school has just completed practice exams, please ensure that the derived grades are quality assured and submitted to 星空传媒 before the start of exams in November. Templates are available on our website to support the monitoring of the quality assurance process. Grades are submitted through your school鈥檚 student management system.
You can confirm the derived grades that we hold through your Key Indicators using the Reported Derived Grades for Unexpected Events link. From this link, you can run an Excel report showing the derived grades held for each subject, standard, and student.
As a reminder, 星空传媒鈥檚 new derived grade application tool introduced in 2025, available through the school portal, will draw on these grades.
Digital submissions
Schools are encouraged to closely follow all submission instructions regarding end-of-year submissions, including required file types.
Ensure the material students complete and upload for digitally submitted external standards is checked before being submitted to 星空传媒 for marking. It is important that:
- the work is for the correct student
- the file type is accepted for that standard
- files such as videos can play properly
- the correct students are identified.
Further details and resources to assist students and teachers with submissions are available on our website:
There is also a link to digital submissions information in the Popular Pages section on our homepage.
Further subject specific details are in the assessment specifications or submission instructions on the individual subject pages.
Most submissions are due by 28 October. See our examinations timetable for further details.
Incorrect file types, broken or incomplete file paths, and links outside of the document require 星空传媒 to contact the school and request a new file upload. If schools are closed for the year when these are found during marking, the file is unable to be marked until the school is open again in the new year.
External assessment submissions
Visual Arts Level 1 and 2 verification
Refer to the submission instructions for key tasks and dates for verification of portfolios.
Visual Arts Level 1 and 2 submission instructions[PDF, 1.3 MB]
Level 1 Visual Arts: 7 samples must be submitted by Digital Submission by 21 October 2026. Enter all provisional results in the school portal and email the Submission Schedule.
Level 2 Visual Arts: 7 samples must be submitted by Digital Submission by 28 October 2026. Enter all provisional results in the school portal and email the Submission Schedule.
Schools will be notified if a verification report is issued. Reports will be uploaded to the school portal after verification:
- Level 1 on Friday 13 November 2026
- Level 2 on Friday 27 November 2026.
Final results are due by Wednesday 25 November 2026 for Level 1, and Thursday 3 December 2026 for Level 2.
The verification review report will remain in the school鈥檚 high security area until the end of December. Schools should print a copy before the end of Term 4 for their records. A School Relationship Manager may request it during an MNA visit to check actions taken to support marking and quality assurance.
Visual Arts Level 3 submission
Refer to the submission instructions for key tasks and dates that schools need to meet to ensure portfolios are sent for marking. Courier deliveries will only be accepted from 2 November 2026.
Visual Arts Level 3 submission instructions [PDF, 803 KB]
Useful exam information
Visual Arts Level 1 and 2 submission instructions [PDF, 1.3 MB] [PDF, 1.3 MB]
NCEA Level 3 and NZ Scholarship Visual Arts Submission Instructions [PDF, 803 KB] [PDF, 803 KB]
NCEA Level 3 and NZ Scholarship Visual Arts authenticity declaration [PDF, 109 KB] [PDF, 109 KB]
Submission instructions for Design and Visual Communication and Visual Arts
Reminder that printed copies of submission instructions are not included in the materials sent out to schools. However, schools can scan the QR code on the packing letter or visit the appropriate subject page to access submission instructions digitally.
2027 assessment specifications
Assessment specifications for 2027 for externally assessed NCEA achievement standards and NZ Scholarship performance standards, based on the New Zealand Curriculum, are now available online.
2027 NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship assessment specifications
This is a late addition to the original EmaiLink, and was not included in the version sent directly to Principal鈥檚 Nominees. We apologise for any inconvenience or confusion.
Visual Arts 2027 submission dates
As previously announced, we have worked with ANZAEE to review the Visual Arts submission dates for 2027. A circular will be published with the revised dates once submissions have been completed this year, to provide time to prepare and plan.
Hosting full-time Te Kura 膩konga for end-of-year exams
This is included at the request of Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu.
Ng膩 mihi nui to all the schools who have kindly agreed to host our 膩konga for their end-of-year exams 鈥� your support is greatly appreciated.
- Our 膩konga will bring photo ID and their Exam Admission Slip to each session.
- Te Kura provides the slip. If an 膩konga arrives without it, please call Jo on 0800 65 99 88, option 3, for a signed replacement to be emailed to you.
- For digital exams, our 膩konga are instructed to:
- Contact you before the exam period to discuss network access.
- Follow our digital exam checklist to prepare.
- Bring a fully charged device, charging cable, and headphones for Language listening standards.
- Bring black or blue pens in case they need to switch to paper.
- Arrive at least 30 minutes before the session starts.
- For paper-based exams, our 膩konga are instructed to arrive at least 20 minutes before the session begins.
- Please send any queries to ncea.registration@tekura.school.nz
SAC 膩konga
We realise that separate accommodation is becoming difficult to accommodate for all schools, so we are grateful for your consideration of these requests.
- Te Kura will provide any required reader/writer/typists unless you advise us otherwise.
- 膧konga with Computer Use will bring their own device and charging cable unless you advise them otherwise.
- If an 膩konga requests SAC after you have already approved their request to sit at your school, we will contact you to request any changes before proceeding with exam linking.
- If you have any concerns or queries about our SAC 膩konga, please contact us at SAC@tekura.school.nz with 鈥楨xam 膩konga鈥�, 膩konga name and NSN in the subject line.
Resource booklet availability for digital external examinations
Where an achievement standard has a separate resource booklet, it will be available as a paper copy to all students sitting that examination, regardless of whether they complete the examination on paper or digitally.
Level 1 Geography external 91935 pre-release resource
From 12 October, resource material will be available via the Provider Portal () to give to candidates to familiarise themselves with the context of the assessment. See the assessment specifications for further details.
You may see a resource to download for 91934, this is an error. There is no pre-release resource for 91934.
Te Reo M膩ori keyboard update
To support 膩konga completing digital assessments under Te Marautanga o Aotearoa or NZC Kaupapa Ako M膩ori, two options are available for entering M膩ori characters, including tohut艒.
Chromebook users: We recommend using the Te Taura Whiri i te Reo M膩ori Chromebook keyboard extension. 膧konga should download and install the extension on their Chromebook before their end-of-year examinations so they can use it during their digital assessment.
If the Chromebook extension has not been installed, 膩konga can use the Virtual Te Reo M膩ori keyboard built into the Assessment Master platform. This option is available to 膩konga completing assessments under Te Marautanga o Aotearoa or NZC Kaupapa Ako M膩ori.
Further instructions on using the M膩ori keyboard options are available at:
Guide to preparing for TAP膩 assessments
Microsoft Windows and MacBook users can continue to use the M膩ori language keyboard settings available on their device.
Both options ensure 膩konga have access to the M膩ori characters they need to accurately enter their responses in te reo M膩ori.
Principal鈥檚 Nominees visit to 星空传媒
At the beginning of Term 3, 星空传媒 invited two experienced Principal's Nominees to Wellington to share their perspectives, map their day-to-day journeys, and provide practical insights into how 星空传媒's services, systems, and processes support or hinder their work. The visit was designed to help 星空传媒 better understand the current experiences of Principal's Nominees and the key tasks they undertake as part of assessment administration. It also provided an opportunity to establish a baseline understanding of user experiences as 星空传媒 progresses the design of services and operations for the new qualifications.
The information gathered will be used to refine and validate the themes, priorities, and opportunities identified through the journey-mapping process. The next phase involves testing these findings with a broader group of Principal's Nominees and other stakeholders to confirm that the most important areas for improvement have been accurately identified. This validation will help ensure resources are focused on the changes that matter most to users, while also identifying short-term improvements that can deliver immediate benefits and support longer-term service design and qualification reform objectives.
Special Assessment Conditions (SAC)
Attaching SAC provisions to exam sessions
This process should already be complete. If it is not, act urgently and notify your Exam Centre Manager, as exam planning may be based on incomplete SAC information.
To change a student鈥檚 SAC attachment for an exam session, open the Special Assessment Exams Processing link, select the student鈥檚 NSN, then select the Edit button at the bottom of the page. You cannot edit an attachment once SAC Not Required (NR) has been applied. In this case, email us to request a change:
Review the status of attachments regularly. If your school submits a late exam entry or a new SAC application is made, you will need to update the relevant attachments manually, as they are not updated automatically. For further guidance, see page 40 of the:
SAC online tool guide [PDF, 1.9 MB]
SAC exam timetables
You can access and print exam timetables to assist with your planning. Use the Special Assessment Candidate Exam Timetables link on your school鈥檚 SAC webpage or via Key Indicators. You can print these out in various formats. Many schools find format 2 to be the most useful.
Further 2026 SAC applications
Year 9 applications will be saved as drafts and will not be processed until 2027. In exceptional circumstances, please contact the SAC team. The Notifications Gateway (including Computer Only Notifications) and all Learning category applications are now closed for 2026. Applications in the Sensory, Medical, or Physical categories may still be submitted through the Approvals Gateway until the end of the exam period. Please submit these applications as early as possible.
As the exams approach, the derived grade process may be more appropriate for students with injuries.
Please contact us with any queries at sac@nzqa.govt.nz
Change of exam centre process for Health Schools
A reminder that if a student is sitting external exams at a regional Health School, Principal鈥檚 Nominees do not need to fill out a Change of Exam Centre form. The Health School will liaise directly with you to discuss where students sit exams. No further action is required.
Reporting internal results after 4 December
The 鈥楢dd Results鈥� link on the Provider page will not be available this year to report late internally assessed results from 4 December to 28 February 2027.
The SMS API functionality and web entries application can instead continue to be used to report these results. When reporting results after 31 December, please ensure that the assessment date is set to 31 December 2026 to ensure our qualification checks can pick up on these results for 2026 academic year qualification and endorsement checks. PNs will be able to access a report on late results reported from mid-January 2027.
Reassessing students who change schools
If you are reassessing a student against a standard that was previously assessed by another school within the same academic year, you must report the new result to your Data person at 星空传媒:
Because the original result was reported by another school or provider, updating the result requires manual intervention by 星空传媒.
Submission of external moderation
A reminder that after you complete the internal assessment process (marking student work and carrying out internal moderation to ensure consistency), you must submit work for the standards that have been selected in your moderation plan. You must submit these samples within 10 days of results being sent to 星空传媒.
If there are standards in your moderation plan that you are not assessing this year, and therefore have no material to submit, please contact your School Relationship Manager as soon as possible. These standards can be removed and (where feasible) replaced.
If a standard is still being assessed and you will not be able to submit the material by 19 October, please notify your School Relationship Manager, including the proposed new submission date. Moderation of standards submitted after 19 October may not be completed before the end of the school year.
Further information about submitting moderation is available on our website, and the guide provides step鈥慴y鈥憇tep support for the moderation application.
Understanding moderation reports and follow-up options
Moderation Reports provide information for both school leaders and teachers. The Overview Section supports Principal鈥檚 Nominees and teachers to understand the overall Moderation Outcome, while the Learner Evidence Section provides detailed, subject-specific feedback for teachers making assessment judgements.
- Overview Section: Includes a consistency statement, summary, and guidance written for school leaders, Principal Nominees, and teachers.
- Learner Evidence Section: Provides teachers with detailed, subject-specific commentary and examples about assessment judgements for the standards. Detailed feedback may not be needed when the moderator and assessor grades are consistent.
For more information about the overall moderation outcomes (Consistent, Not Yet Consistent, and Not Consistent) and what they mean, see:
Teachers can query or appeal a moderation report, or provide feedback, by selecting the relevant option at the bottom of the report.
- Use a query to clarify the meaning of information in the report directly with the moderator. A query must be requested within 20 working days of publication of the Provisional Report.
- Use an appeal when you understand the information in the moderation report but disagree with the moderation result and/or comments. An appeal must be requested within 20 working days of publication of the Provisional Report, and applies only to the material originally sent to the moderator. Do not send new evidence.
You can also request a clarification at any time about how to interpret the requirements of a standard. A panel of moderators will provide written, professional feedback.
The Assessor Practice Tool (APT) is a free online tool that allows teachers to practise making assessment judgements for internal standards using samples of real student evidence. Samples are available for many Level 1, 2, and 3 standards, particularly where moderation issues have been identified and 星空传媒 has suitable student evidence.
The APT is accessible for free on P奴take using an Education Sector Logon.
Checklist
The following checklist provides a quick reference of the actions associated with information in this EmaiLink. Also refer to:
Action items for Principal鈥檚 Nominee by calendar month
Derived grades
-
Report all practice examination grades to 星空传媒
-
Applications for derives grades open mid October
External exams
- Ensure 3-way clash arrangements have been sent to your SRM
- Meet with ECM to confirm arrangements for external examinations
- Distribute Candidate Admission Slips
- Arrange Staff and Student Examination Briefings
External moderation
- Submit external moderation to 星空传媒 by 19 October, or
- Inform your SRM of any external moderation that will be submitted late
Visual Arts
- Ensure all provisional results for Visual Arts Level 1 have been entered