WHAT+DO+I+NEED+TO+DO+TO+WIN+THE+NCEA+GAME?

How it works
[|Watch a video] explaining how NCEA works ||
 * [[image:http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/assets/Qualifications-and-standards/Qualifications/NCEA/NCEA-cartoon-screen1.gif width="180" height="117" link="http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications-standards/qualifications/ncea/understanding-ncea/how-ncea-works/how-ncea-works-2/"]]
 * Each year, students study a number of courses or subjects.
 * In each subject, skills and knowledge are assessed against a number of standards. For example, a Mathematics [|standard] could be: //Apply numeric reasoning in solving problems//.
 * Schools use a range of internal and external [|assessments] to measure how well students meet these standards.
 * When a student achieves a standard, they gain a number of credits. Students must achieve a certain number of credits to gain an NCEA certificate.
 * There are three__[|__levels of NCEA certificate__]__, depending on the difficulty of the standards achieved. In general, students work through levels 1 to 3 in years 11 to 13 at school.
 * Students are recognised for high achievement at each level by gaining NCEA with Merit or NCEA with Excellence. High achievement in a course is also recognised. For more information, read about [|Endorsements].

How many credits are needed to earn NCEA?
To gain NCEA Level 1: To gain NCEA Level 2: To gain NCEA Level 3: The credits needed to achieve the three NCEA levels.
 * Achieve 80 credits at any level (Level 1, 2 or 3).
 * This must include a minimum of 10 credits in literacy and 10 in numeracy.
 * Achieve a minimum of 60 credits at Level 2 or above; and
 * 20 credits at any level.
 * Achieve a minimum of 60 credits at Level 3 or above; and
 * 20 credits at Level 2 or above.

What are standards? What’s the difference between achievement standards and unit standards?
Standards describe particular skills or knowledge within an area of study (eg English or maths). Students gain NCEA and other qualifications by working towards a combination of achievement standards and unit standards.
 * Achievement standards are gained from studying traditional curriculum subjects. Depending on their performance, students may gain achievement standards with either ‘achieved’, ‘achieved with merit’ or ‘achieved with excellence’.
 * Unit standards are gained from studying towards traditional curriculum subjects as well as vocational subject areas (eg tourism or hairdressing). Students are awarded unit standards on an ‘achieved’ (pass) or ‘not achieved’ (fail) basis.

What are ‘merit’ and ‘excellence’ endorsements?
Merit and excellence endorsements are ways to recognise students who have achieved outstanding results. You can gain a merit or excellence endorsement for individual achievement standards, or for an individual NCEA course or certificate.

What is needed to gain a ‘merit’ or ‘excellence’ grade for an achievement standard?
This will vary depending on the subject. However, as a general guide: Here are some examples of achievement criteria for some of the achievement standards for biology, history and graphics at various NCEA levels:
 * ‘achieved’ means that the student has gained the achievement standard by demonstrating elementary level skills or knowledge
 * ‘achieved with merit’ means that the student has gained the achievement standard by demonstrating intermediate level skills or knowledge
 * ‘achieved with excellence’ means that the student has demonstrated highly developed skills or knowledge.


 * =  ||= **Achieved** ||= **Achieved with merit** ||= **Achieved with excellence** ||
 * = **Level 2 biology** || Describes biological concepts and processes || Explains biological concepts and processes || Discusses biological concepts and processes ||
 * = **Level 3 history** || Demonstrates an understanding of an historical idea || Demonstrates an informed understanding of an historical idea || Demonstrates an informed and perceptive understanding of an historical idea ||
 * = **Level 3 graphics** || Plans and produces a presentation to communicate design ideas || Plans and produces an effective presentation to communicate design ideas || Plans and produces an effective, high quality presentation to communicate design ideas ||

What is needed to gain a ‘merit’ or ‘excellence’ grade for a course?
To gain a ‘merit’ or ‘excellence’ grade for an individual course or subject, you need to achieve 14 or more merit or excellence credits in that course within a single year. For example, to gain ‘NCEA Level 2 English with excellence’, you would have to gain enough Level 2 English achievement standards at excellence level to add up to 14 or more credits. At least 3 of these credits need to be from externally assessed achievement standards, and 3 credits from internally assessed achievement standards.

What is needed to gain a ‘merit’ or ‘excellence’ grade for an NCEA certificate?
To gain a ‘merit’ or ‘excellence’ grade for an NCEA certificate you need to gain 50 or more credits at merit or excellence in one particular NCEA level.

For example, to gain ‘NCEA Level 2 with excellence’, you would have to gain enough Level 2 achievement standards at excellence level to add up to 50 or more credits.


 * How do I get the Literacy and Numeracy credits I need to pass? **
 * How do I get subject or course endorsements? **
 * How do I get a Year Level NCEA Endorsement Certificate? **
 * Making sure I am taking subjects that get me into University **