Schools will be able to offer students one reassessment opportunity for each internally assessed achievement standard under the National Certificate of Educational Achievement.

The NCEA has both internal and external assessment to standards. Overall about 60% of usual school subject standards will be assessed externally by examination at the end of the year. For the other 40% of standards schools will assess the student achievement. The amount of internal assessment varies for different subjects. For some subjects it is as little as 20%.

Education Minister Trevor Mallard said for the internally assessed achievement standards schools were being advised to include provision for no more than one further reportable assessment opportunity.

"The further assessment opportunity is for students who have not achieved the standard at the first attempt but have had the opportunity for more learning to take place in order for them to receive a credit," Trevor Mallard said.

"There is no point in further assessment unless further learning has occurred - but if further learning has occurred schools will obviously want to provide further assessment if they can manage it. What this decision means is that schools will have one opportunity to reassess an achievement standard within the same year if it makes sense to do so. This will not always be possible for example, when the standard involves a major project or field trip.

"When deciding eligibility for further assessment, schools will have to reach a balance between what is manageable in schools and giving students opportunity," Trevor Mallard said.

He said the decision will be reviewed after three years when teachers are likely to be more confident in, and familiar with, assessment for the NCEA.

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