Hon Erica Stanford
Minister of Education

New Zealand’s new senior secondary qualifications will provide clearer, more credible recognition of student achievement, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.

“We want young people leaving school with qualifications that are clear, rigorous and widely understood by parents, employers, tertiary providers and students themselves,” Ms Stanford says.

“In March, we confirmed that NCEA would be replaced by a new subject-based qualification over two years. The new qualification will be the New Zealand Certificate of Education (NZCE) at Year 12 and the New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education (NZACE) at Year 13.

“Today we are confirming how students will achieve the qualifications, the new grading scale, compulsory subjects, and assessment requirements. These changes are designed to provide clearer pathways, stronger foundations and greater confidence in what student achievement means.

“Under the new system, students in Years 12 and 13 will study at least five subjects each year, with a minimum of three subjects required to achieve each qualification. Obtaining the new literacy and numeracy Foundational Award, benchmarked at Year 11, will be will be a requirement to gain the new qualification.”

Certificates will clearly show how many subjects a student has passed, along with the grade achieved in each subject, creating incentives for students to work hard and achieve success across more subjects.

Students who achieve excellent results across all five subjects will also be eligible for endorsement awards, recognising outstanding academic and vocational performance.

“The new qualifications will introduce a six-point grading scale from A+ to E for every subject, making achievement easier to understand for parents, employers, tertiary providers and students themselves.”

Every subject will include internal assessments and an examination, with the weighting of the examination varying depending on the curriculum area and the nature of the subject. The qualification changes are being developed alongside the new knowledge-rich senior secondary curriculum so that what students learn and how they are assessed are properly aligned.

From 2028, Science | Pūtaiao will also become a compulsory subject in Year 11 alongside English | Te Reo Rangatira and Mathematics | Pāngarau.

“Science gives young people important foundational knowledge in today’s modern world, paving the way for our future scientists, problem-solvers and innovators.

“In 2025 we confirmed the subject list being developed by the Ministry of Education. Examples of exciting new subjects that have been confirmed for the curriculum are ‘Civics, Politics and Philosophy’, ‘Journalism, Media and Communications’ and ‘Advanced Mathematics’.

“Also included are industry-led subjects being developed by Industry Skills Boards that will be included in the qualification with parity of esteem alongside the Ministry subjects. These include subjects like Building and Construction, Outdoor Education and Primary Industries.

“This qualification rewards hard work and is designed to encourage young people to strive to do their very best, and ultimately to feel proud of what they achieved.

“Today’s Year 9 students will be the first cohort to progress through these changes, supported by a clearer curriculum and qualifications that properly recognise achievement and prepare them for the future.

“This is about ensuring every young New Zealander leaves school with qualifications that are credible, internationally comparable, and set them up for success.”

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