For more than 20 years, National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) has been the way Kiwi students have proved what they learned at senior secondary school.
It is meant to recognise all kinds of skills – not just exam grades – and to give them the flexibility to shape their own learning. They can take a mix of creative, academic, and practical subjects without being locked into one pathway too early in life.
But let’s be honest: the system has its flaws. Most students spend their senior years chasing credits rather than actually understanding concepts. Once they hit the required 80 credits, it is tempting to check out of the harder stuff – externally graded exams. With more internal assessments and fewer students sitting externals, employers and universities often question NCEA’s credibility.
The current government says it is time to scrap the NCEA and replace it with a ‘better’ model. It is proposing:
By 2028: Level 1 will be replaced by a Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Certificate.
Levels 2 and 3 will be replaced by the New Zealand Certificate of Education (NZCE) and the New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education (NZACE).
The Achieved-Merit-Excellence grades will be replaced by ABCDE grades, each tied to marks out of 100.
Students will have to take at least five full subjects in Years 12 and 13, and pass at least four of them.
No more cherry-picking a few easy standards to scrape through – students will be graded on the whole subject, based on both internal and external assessments.
According to Education Minister Erica Stanford, the aim is to stop “gaming the system” and encourage deeper learning. There’s also a big push towards vocational pathways, with stronger connections between schools, industry, and polytechnics.
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On paper, it sounds like a smart move. Qualifications should mean something. We want students to be taken seriously when they apply for a job or a programme overseas. The world is changing fast – AI, automation, and industries that don’t yet exist will shape the future. The next generation needs to be problem-solvers, not just good test-takers.
A single grade for each subject could make things clearer. Instead of explaining that a student got Merit in two standards, Excellence in one, and Achieved in another – all in the same subject – one overall grade would reflect performance across the board.
The stronger vocational focus could also be a game-changer. Currently, trades and practical pathways can feel like the “second choice” compared to university. These reforms could help fix that stigma.
This model, however, is not without concerns. High-stakes exams are stressful, and not everyone performs well under that kind of pressure. It can be more of a memory test than a true test of ability. If a student’s overall grade depends heavily on an external assessment, that’s a lot riding on one day – especially if they are sick, anxious, or simply have a bad moment.
While the government talks about making learning “deeper”, there’s a risk that in chasing standardisation, we lose some of the flexibility that makes NCEA unique.
Timing is another issue. Secondary schools have just implemented an updated NCEA curriculum at Level 1 in 2024 and are preparing for Level 2 and 3 updates in 2028 and 2029. Schools are already stretched, with teachers juggling large classes, staffing shortages, and the admin burden from constant policy shifts. Rolling out an entirely new qualification system will require extensive training, resources, and clear communication.
If this isn’t done well, students could be caught in the chaos.
The proposed NCEA changes could be the reset New Zealand’s education system needs – but only if they are rolled out with real support for teachers, honest conversations with students, and enough flexibility to recognise different learning styles in diverse classrooms.
Replacing one rigid system with another is not the solution.
Ultimately, we want qualifications that are fair, trusted, and prepare students for whatever comes next – whether that’s building a house, designing an app, teaching a class, or running a business. We want the last years of school to be about more than ticking off credits; we want them to be about learning something worth knowing.
The next few years will decide whether these reforms are remembered as the moment New Zealand education stepped up – or stumbled. For the sake of all the students who will be the first to walk this new path, the hope is it’s the former.
Dr Paula Ray has worked in New Zealand’s secondary and tertiary sectors since 2010 and holds a PhD in digital media communication from the University of Auckland. She is currently the Academic Director at ICL Graduate Business School.