NCEA co-requisite exams

The literacy level being tested is approximately level 5 of the NZ curriculum. Literacy is being able to read, write and understand language. The reading and writing standards require ākonga to demonstrate that they can:

• Make sense of written texts.

• Read critically.

• Read for different purposes.

• Write meaningful texts for different purposes and audiences.

• Write with technical accuracy, without intrusive errors in spelling, grammar or punctuation.

For example, questions ask students to READ short stories, articles, memes, information sources and interpret the messages that are conveyed, IDENTIFY correct / incorrect grammar and punctuation, and WRITE a formal letter, report for a newsletter, magazine article etc. 

The numeracy level being tested is approximately level 5 of the NZ curriculum, but also asks the students to interweave their content knowledge with mathematical and statistical process ideas. Ākonga need to demonstrate they can:

• Use mathematics and statistics to solve problems in a range of meaningful situations.

• Use maths and statistics to meet the numeracy demands of a range of meaningful situations.

• Explain the reasonableness of mathematical and statistical responses to situations.

For example, questions ask students to interpret graphs, maps, spatial images, bank statements, receipts, timetables, probabilities etc.

There are two opportunities to take the three assessments each year. These take place in May (usually around week 4 or 5 of Term 2) and September (usually around week 8 or 9 of Term 3). The dates for the current year will be published on the school calendar and sent out to parents and students via email and social media posts. Students only need to pass each of the three assessments once. Students can retake any of the three assessments if they are unsuccessful. 

At MAC we usually only offer the assessments to students when they are at the suitable curriculum level. However, in general we start offering the assessments to all students from Year 10 onwards, and the reading assessment to some Year 9 students (September only).

An NZQA login

Students need to have set up an NZQA login prior to the exams. There will be opportunities to do this in English / maths lessons prior to the assessment and instructions will be sent to students (or can be found here). Students will need their NSN (found on the MAC portal) to set up the login. On the exam day, students must be able to remember their login details. 

A charged device

For all three assessments, students must bring a charged device. It is important that laptops are charged as students may not be seated next to a wall socket. We have a limited number of school chromebooks available for emergencies. Students should have Chrome installed on their device and have all pop-ups and VPNs cleared. Students can check if their device meets the specifications for the assessment here. 

Headphones

For the writing and numeracy exams, students can bring headphones to use the ‘Polly’ (text-to-speech) function. Headphones can only be used for this function.

Calculator

For the numeracy exam, students must bring a calculator.

• NZQA rules apply to these external exams.

• Students | Ākonga sit at separate desks and cannot communicate with each other. 

• Phones, jackets and any form or paper are not allowed into the exam room. 

• If a phone is needed for emergency purposes (diabetes monitoring etc) the student can take it into the room but leave it on the invigilator’s desk. 

• Students must ask permission to go to the bathroom. 

• Seniors will be able to return to class once they have finished the exam. 

• Juniors will be required to stay in the exam room until the end of the two-hour exam session. There will be online work for them to do in silence once their assessment has been submitted.

These assessments only allow students to achieve (pass) or not achieve (fail). 

The literacy exams (reading and writing) are worth 5 credits each. The numeracy exam is worth 10 credits. Credits are granted if a student passes the assessment. These 20 credits are required to pass any level of NCEA, but are not included in the 60 credits needed to pass each level. 

Students will liaise with their maths / English teachers about their readiness to sit and pass these assessments. As a general rule, students should be at Level 5 of the curriculum (5B or above) to be considered ready to be assessed. Some Year 10 students will find it beneficial to wait until they are ready to attempt the assessments. Most seniors should be eligible to sit the exams. 

Yes. However, this must be organised well in advance. Students should have been identified in advance as potentially needing special conditions, and undergone testing to ascertain this. SAC coordinators will contact students in advance of the assessments if they have SAC conditions (reader / writer / separate accommodation). 

The writing and numeracy exams have a built in text-to-speech function which SAC students may find negates the need for a reader. There is also no time limit to the exam so there are no extra time allocations.

Yes, until 2027 there are some alternative NCEA standards that can provide Literacy and Numeracy. However, in general these are from academic subjects at NCEA Level 1 or above, and the content is at a higher level than the co-requisite standards. The list of standards can be found here.  

Ākonga can retake the co-requisite standards as many times as needed in order to pass. They can take the assessments twice a year until they achieve them. Only the assessments that are not passed need to be taken again. There is a range of supports available from the English and maths learning areas to support students who don't pass, and many practice resources online. 

The best way students can prepare is to be in class. Attendance is the main contributor to learning the relevant skills and ensuring practice and confidence in the assessments. Students in Year 10 especially will spend time in class preparing for these assessments.

Past exam papers can be found on the NZQA website here.

Students will also be guided in class to practice assessments on the online platform itself, which provide a more realistic experience of what the exams will look like. Our teachers will provide students with the correct login details to view and practice these. Please note these may not be available close to the exam itself as the platform is being used for real assessments and prohibits practice at this time. 

How parents can support preparation for the Reading and Writing assessments:

• Daily reading - reading a diverse range of material and discussing what has been read to improve comprehension

• Reading out loud to your child, pausing to discuss the meaning of the text or check understanding of more complex vocabulary

• Considering what an author’s purpose is for writing a text, discussing what it is the author wants us to think or feel

• Summarising a text or discussing the main points and determining whether we agree with the perspective or not

• Discussing whether an article is reliable or not and why

• Supporting your child to spot errors in punctuation or grammar and to correct their own errors
  
  

How parents can support preparation for the Numeracy assessment:

• Encourage problem solving and explaining their thinking e.g. “what made you come to that conclusion?”

• Model effective strategies for solving a problem such as drawing a diagram, graph  or picture 

• Use maths language wherever possible e.g. area, perimeter, probability, discount, GST, scale, parallel, perpendicular, net, rotate, enlarge, deposit, withdraw etc.

NZQA tell us that students who pass the assessments have strengths in:

Reading

• Reading carefully and accurately (not just skim reading or scanning).

• Identifying the author’s purpose in writing the text.

• Identifying who the author is writing the text for.

• Recognising the language strategies being used by the author to achieve their purpose.

• Making sense of unknown text e.g. inferring unknown vocabulary from the context it is used in or clues in the text.

• Knowing how to determine the relevance, reliability and trustworthiness of information.

Writing

• Following the instructions and staying 'on topic'.

• Making sure their writing directly addressed the correct audience and is easily understandable. 

• Adding relevant detail to their writing to support their ideas.

• Adopting a convincing writer 'position'.

• Structuring their writing clearly (e.g. paragraphs).

• Selecting and using appropriate language for the desired reader.

• Using writing conventions correctly (using the correct grammar and punctuation) and proofreading their answers.

Numeracy

• Applying a simple pay rate directly.

• Interpreting bar graphs.

• Recognising angles in shapes by subdividing 360o

• Calculating a simple probability.

• Solving problems with area, capacity and volume in metric units.

• Identifying the multiplier between two amounts or recognising the need for division.

• Reducing or increasing a price by a percentage.

• Applying a ratio or a fraction.  

• Interpreting a simple time series graph showing percentages.

• Applying multiplication to an array.

• Dividing perimeter to find the length of one side and finding an area.

• Calculating an average amount.

• Calculating cost per unit.

• Interpreting an array to calculate side lengths of a rectangle.

• Recognising the correct viewpoint that matches a photograph or coordinating plan views to develop a top view.

• Applying scale on a map or picture.

Yes. MAC doesn’t receive the student papers back from NZQA, however, we do receive a brief summary of which areas of the test the student needs to improve. This is passed on so ākonga can work on the specific areas which let them down in that assessment. 

Students login into NZQA to see their results.

• Resources on NCEA Literacy and Numeracy for whānau can be found here

• Please contact your child’s dean, or English / maths teacher, or the school’s Principal’s Nominee (Helen Figueira).