Written by Enjie Shen
Since 2002, the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) has been New Zealand’s sole secondary school qualification. It was designed to recognise diverse learning and offer flexible routes to achievement (Pomeroy, 2025). Yet, it has been widely criticised for inconsistent standards, inequitable outcomes, and superficial learning (Gerritsen, 2025).
In response to these concerns, the government announced in August 2025 that NCEA would be replaced by a new national qualification. The reform seeks a unified system aligned with international standards, preparing students with the skills and knowledge needed for future study and employment (New Zealand Government, 2025).
This article examines NCEA’s flaws, opportunities, challenges, and wider policy implications of reform.
Structural Flaws of NCEA
Flexibility is NCEA’s strength, but it is also a weakness. While it allows schools and teachers to customise internal assessments, the system has been criticised for weakening consistency in standards. Students can accumulate credits without developing deep subject knowledge (Pomeroy, 2025).
NCEA results also diverge from real performance. The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reported a significant decline in mathematics scores since 2018, alongside downward trends in reading and science (OECD, 2022). The government has admitted that PISA results suggest the long-term trend of declining achievement in core subjects since 2000 (Stanford, 2023). Therefore, we can conclude that NCEA has not guaranteed that students acquire basic academic skills, and this has raised doubts about the credibility of the qualification.
Equity remains a major issue. Māori and Pasifika students continue to trail about 20 percentage points behind the national average (Gerritsen, 2025). In schools facing greater socio-economic barriers, pass rates fell to 28 per cent in numeracy, 44 per cent in writing, and 47 per cent in reading (Gerritsen, 2024). Thus, although NCEA was meant to expand access to qualifications, it has failed to close achievement gaps and has instead reinforced inequality.
Opportunities of the Reform
The reform offers a new opportunity for New Zealand’s secondary education. Level 1 of NCEA will be removed and replaced with a basic literacy and numeracy certificate to ensure all students gain core skills. In Years 12 and 13, students must take at least five full subjects and pass four. The current grades of “Achieved,” “Merit,” and “Excellence” will be replaced by a 100-point letter grade scale (A–E), making results more transparent for parents and employers. A new national curriculum will also standardise learning across Years 9–13, while partnerships with industry will create more direct pathways into further study and work (New Zealand Government, 2025).
Education Minister Erica Stanford has criticised the current NCEA for encouraging students to “credit count” rather than structured learning. From 2028, Levels 2 and 3 will be replaced by the Advanced Certificate, with compulsory courses and external assessments. These reforms seek to make assessment more consistent, restore examinations, and strengthen students’ abilities and the credibility of qualifications (Radio New Zealand, 2025).
Challenges and Trade-offs
The new system may improve consistency and credibility, yet it may also have trade-offs. In the past, some students studied mathematics even if they feared failing, as internal assessment credits let them skip parts of external exams. Under the new rules, that flexibility will disappear. Students may feel more pressure and even avoid certain subjects for fear of failing (Pomeroy, 2025). As a result, the new system may prevent more students from achieving a qualification.
Principals have warned that the reform could still disadvantage vulnerable groups. The reform is seen as favouring university-bound students while putting Māori, Pasifika, neurodiverse learners, immigrants, second-language students, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds at risk (Gerritsen, 2025). Some principals noted that the design resembles the old School Certificate, when only about 50% of students could pass (Gerritsen, 2025). This data suggests that, in the short term, the reform will inevitably lead to higher failure rates in achieving secondary qualifications.
Opposition has also come from 89 secondary school principals calling for a pause. They argued that the reform is being rushed while the new curriculum and assessment framework are not yet complete (Gerritsen, 2025). A survey revealed divisions: 59% opposed replacing NCEA Levels 2 and 3 with new certificates, 63% opposed the “four out of five” subject requirement, and 60% opposed grading changes (Gerritsen, 2025). These figures suggest that while the need for reform is widely recognised, implementation faces serious challenges in terms of time and resources.
Prospects for Policy Reform
Adjustments may be more realistic than entirely replacing it. Papakura High School principal Simon Craggs argued that it was not true that NCEA did not work well for academic students and subjects (Gerritsen, 2025). Ala’imalo Falefatu Enari, co-principal of Pacific Advance Senior School, also said it was fearmongering to suggest the whole curriculum had failed students (Gerritsen, 2025). These views point to gradual reform as a more practical option than a full replacement.
For reform to take root, it must be supported by adequate resources. The plan includes strengthening vocational pathways and integrating vocational education and training (VET) into the new system. This model is inspired by German apprenticeships but depends on high-quality vocational resources. However, in New Zealand, most vocational teachers lack secondary teaching qualifications and systematic training, making it challenging to deliver this in schools (Maurice-Takerei, 2025). An earlier attempt to establish “technical high schools” also failed due to social division and limited public support (Tertiary Education Commission, 2018). These experiences suggest that reforms without sufficient education resources may perform worse than the current system. A practical path is first to build teacher capacity, then expand the reform gradually.
Conclusion
The flaws of NCEA can no longer be ignored. Reform is necessary. The new system offers a chance to rebuild academic credibility and strengthen core skills. Yet rushing it risks new inequities and disruption. Instead, reform should be grounded in public opinion. By focusing on setting courses at an appropriate level, and on improving educational resources and teacher training, it can genuinely raise education quality and give New Zealand secondary students fair access to strong learning opportunities.
References
Gerritsen, J. (2025, August 28). Principals urge halt to NCEA change plans. RNZ. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/top/571277/principals-urge-halt-to-ncea-change-plans
Gerritsen, J. (2025, September 9). Principals polarised over NCEA replacement plans. RNZ. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/572485/principals-polarised-over-ncea-replacement-plans
Gerritsen, J. (2025, September 15). Principals divided as NCEA consultation closes. RNZ. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/573049/principals-divided-as-ncea-consultation-closes
Gerritsen, J. (2024, December 5). NCEA literacy and numeracy pass rates drop, leaving thousands without qualifications. NZ Herald. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/ncea-literacy-and-numeracy-pass-rates-drop-leaving-thousands-without-qualifications/U2XPXA5QMRHYJKLTR23BFA7QUQ/
Maurice-Takerei, L. (2025, August 27). NCEA reform: how will schools decide who takes an academic or vocational path. RNZ. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/571183/ncea-reform-how-will-schools-decide-who-takes-an-academic-or-vocational-path
New Zealand Government. (2025, August 4). Replacing NCEA to transform secondary education. Beehive.govt.nz. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/replacing-ncea-transform-secondary-education
OECD. (2023, December 5). PISA 2022 results (Volume I and II) – Country notes: New Zealand. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/pisa-2022-results-volume-i-and-ii-country-notes_ed6fbcc5-en/new-zealand_33941739-en.
Pomeroy, D. (2025, August 6). NCEA isn’t perfect but NZ shouldn’t forget why it was introduced in the first place. RNZ. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/569115/ncea-isn-t-perfect-but-nz-shouldn-t-forget-why-it-was-introduced-in-the-first-place
Radio New Zealand. (2025, August 5). Parents cautiously optimistic about waving goodbye to NCEA. RNZ. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/top/568975/parents-cautiously-optimistic-about-waving-goodbye-to-ncea
Radio New Zealand. (2025, August 4). Explainer: What’s replacing NCEA and how to have your say. RNZ. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/568917/explainer-what-s-replacing-ncea-and-how-to-have-your-say
Stanford, E. (2023, December 5). PISA results show urgent need to teach the basics. Beehive.govt.nz. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/pisa-results-show-urgent-need-teach-basics
Tertiary Education Commission. (2018, July). A brief history of institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITPs) in New Zealand. https://www.tec.govt.nz/assets/Publications-and-others/4a3e011554/A-brief-history-of-Institutes-of-Technology-and-Polytechnics.pdf
