Details of NCEA replacement confirmed | Year 11 Science to be compulsory
- May 16
- 8 min read
The Government has confirmed details of the new qualifications that will replace NCEA from 2028.
The new system will introduce:
The Foundational Award for literacy and numeracy, benchmarked at Year 11 (introduced in 2028).
The New Zealand Certificate of Education (NZCE) in Year 12 (introduced in 2029, replacing NCEA Level 2).
The New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education (NZACE) in Year 13 (introduced in 2030, replacing NCEA Level 3).
These details have been included in our Science Curriculum Timeline.
NCEA Replacement Information Sources
The Beehive Press Release
Source: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/details-ncea-replacement-confirmed
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.”
Email to principals
Source: On 16/05/2026 at c.a 1:50 pm, school principals were emailed the following from E.Stanford@ministers.govt.nz
Kia ora,
Today we are confirming further details for the replacement of NCEA, as part of our work to deliver qualifications that are rigorous, credible, and give young people the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in further study, work, and life.
I want to acknowledge the incredibly important role that you play while we implement the new curriculum. I sincerely want to thank you and your staff for all of your hard work and dedication.
Key details:
From 2028 NCEA will be replaced with a new National Qualification.
2028 – Foundational Award at Year 11
2029 – NZCE at Year 12
2030 – NZACE at Year 13
These 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. The first tranche of senior secondary documents were released yesterday for consultation. You can find this here
Students in Years 12 and 13 will study at least five subjects each year, with a pass in a minimum of three subjects required to achieve each qualification.
NZCE and NZACE will require a student to have foundational literacy and numeracy skills gained through the Foundational Award, which is benchmarked at Year 11, and typically sat in Year 11, although it can be sat at any time.
The Foundational Award can also be awarded if a student passes English or Mathematics in year 12 or 13 instead of the year 11 assessment.
Transitional arrangements will be in place for two years, so that students can use the current literacy and numeracy corequisite to be awarded the Foundational Award. It will be clearly stated on a student’s record of achievement if they used the corequisite to gain the award.
Records of Achievement will clearly show how many subjects a student has passed, eg. NZCE 4, NZCE 5, NZCE 6 to encourage students to strive to achieve their personal best.
A clear six-point grading scale (A+, A, B, C, D and E) will apply across every subject, making results easier to understand and giving parents, employers, and tertiary providers a much clearer understanding of student achievement
Students who achieve strong results across all five subjects will also be eligible for two endorsement awards recognising outstanding academic performance and encouraging students to aim high and achieve excellence across more subjects.
Every subject will include internal assessments and an external examination, with the weighting of the examination varying depending on the curriculum area and the nature of the subject.
From 2028, Science | Pūtaiao will become a compulsory subject in Year 11 alongside English | Te Reo Rangatira and Mathematics | Pāngarau.
Attached is a mock up example of a Record of Achievement graphic, showing how student results and endorsements could appear under the new qualification system.
This qualification is designed to reward hard work, encourage young people to strive to do their very best, and properly recognise their achievements.
Students currently in Year 9 will be the first cohort to progress through the new qualifications, supported by a clearer curriculum. The new qualifications are, rigorous, credible, internationally comparable, and set students up for success.
The Ministry of Education will be contacting you with more information shortly.
Thank you for the important role you continue to play in supporting students, staff, and your school community.
Kind regards,
Hon Erica Stanford
Minister of Education
Tāhurangi | Further details confirmed for new senior secondary qualifications replacing NCEA
Source: https://tahurangi.education.govt.nz/senior-secondary-quals-finalised
The Government has released further details about the new senior secondary qualifications that will start to replace NCEA from 2028, including how students will be graded, recognised and assessed.
The new subject‑based qualifications are designed to be easier to understand, credible, and internationally comparable. They will be aligned with the refreshed, knowledge‑rich senior secondary curriculum that is being finalised this year and rolled out progressively across schools and kura from 2028.
New qualifications framework
NCEA will be replaced with two new national qualifications:
New Zealand Certificate of Education (NZCE) for Year 12
New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education (NZACE) for Year 13
Alongside these, a new Foundational Award, focused on literacy and numeracy and benchmarked at Year 11, will be introduced.
While students will not need to achieve the Foundational Award to move into Years 12 and 13, they will need it to be awarded NZCE or NZACE.
The Foundational Award will be introduced in 2028. NZCE will roll out in 2029, followed by NZACE in 2030. This staged approach is designed to give teachers and school leaders time to become familiar with the updated curriculum and qualifications before they are fully implemented.
All aspects of the new qualifications have been developed with sector representatives and assessment specialists, and feedback from the 2025 public consultation has informed the design.
Recognising student achievement
Under the new system, students will need to pass a minimum of three subjects at the relevant year level (or above), as well as achieve the Foundational Award, to be awarded either NZCE or NZACE.
Students will receive a certificate for each qualification that provides a simple, easy‑to‑understand record of achievement. Certificates will show the number of subjects a student has achieved — for example NZCE 4 or NZACE 5 — giving employers and further education providers a clear indicator of performance.
Subject and certificate endorsements
Two new endorsements are being developed to recognise high achievement.
To qualify for endorsement, students will need to pass at least five subjects, with a specified number achieved at higher grades. Further work is under way with advisory groups to finalise endorsement names and criteria.
Enrolment requirements
Schools will be required to enrol Year 12 and 13 students in at least five subjects each year, unless an exception applies. Students will be able to take more than five subjects, or study subjects above their year level, to support those who wish to extend themselves.
From 2028, all Year 11 students will be required to study:
English or Te Reo Rangatira
Mathematics or Pāngarau
Science or Pūtaiao.
Making these subjects a requirement ensures more students develop skills in problem solving, data literacy, evidence‑based thinking and decision‑making. It also signals a commitment to STEM and better economic outcomes in the future for students.
The Ministry will work with schools and kura that may need additional support to offer Science or Pūtaiao to a larger numbers of students.
No subjects will be compulsory in Years 12 and 13, although students must still be enrolled in at least five subjects.
Assessment and grading
Each subject will include a combination of coursework and at least one exam, with most students completing three to four assessments per subject each year.
Students will be assessed on their understanding of the whole subject, rather than a collection of unrelated standards.
Assessment will be consistent nationwide, meaning students taking the same subject will be assessed in the same way, regardless of where they attend school.
A new six‑point grading scale, from A+ to E, will be introduced. Students will need to achieve a C or above to pass a subject.
Supporting a wide range of pathways
The new qualification system is intended to support diverse post‑school pathways, including further study, training and employment.
Alongside Ministry‑led subjects, new industry‑led subjects will be introduced into the curriculum, developed in collaboration with Industry Skills Boards. These subjects will strengthen connections between learning and careers in areas such as construction, engineering, health and community services. Students will be able to combine academic and industry-based learning within a single integrated qualification.
Transitional arrangements
Students who are close to completing NCEA when the new system begins will be able to finish their NCEA qualification under transitional arrangements. For example, a student who still requires credits to complete NCEA Level 3 after the transition begins will be able to earn those remaining credits for a specified period.
Transitional arrangements will also apply to the Foundational Award for the first cohorts of students, allowing them to meet requirements through either the Foundational Award or the current NCEA co‑requisite assessment. Certificates will clearly show the level achieved.
Next steps
Further work will continue this year to finalise operational details, including reassessment, grade aggregation, transitional arrangements and NZQA’s review of University Entrance requirements.
Between now and 2028, the Ministry will design and deliver support for principals, leaders and teachers, including through Networks of Expertise, the Curriculum Advisory Service and a national curriculum and assessment roadshow for secondary school leaders in June.
Phased implementation timeline
2026
New Year | Tau 9 curriculum available
Senior secondary curriculum finalised
2027
New Year | Tau 10 curriculum required
2028
New Year | Tau 11 curriculum required
Foundational Award introduced
NCEA Level 1 removed
2029
New Year | Tau 12 curriculum required
NZCE introduced
2030
New Year | Tau 13 curriculum required
NZACE introduced
This phased approach is intended to ensure changes to the curriculum and qualifications are aligned and that schools, teachers and students are well prepared for the transition.
Transitional arrangements will be in place for students who are partway through their senior schooling when the changes begin. Students who have almost completed NCEA in 2028 will still be able to earn their remaining credits to complete their qualifications.
Detailed operational rules, including reassessment policies and the final design of the endorsements, will be finalised and shared later in 2026.
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