As part of a significant review of the NCEA qualification, NZQA will launch new assessments for the Literacy and Numeracy requirements in 2023. These will take the place of the current literacy and numeracy requirements. At present, students need to achieve at least 10 literacy and 10 numeracy credits to qualify for an NCEA certificate. These have been available through a range of standards taught through different subjects in the school.

From 2023, literacy and numeracy will be assessed in stand-alone tests run by NZQA.

At Rutherford College, we want to know best how to support our learners through this change, so we are participating in the second round of trial for the literacy and numeracy assessments. The trial will involve students sitting digital examinations, with one round held in late June and another in September.

If your child is selected to participate in the trials, communication will be sent home to you.

The main entry criteria for these examinations set by NZQA is student readiness. Staff are currently working to determine who will be ready for the June assessment and those not ready at this time will be reviewed for the September assessment.

These new assessments acknowledge that literacy and numeracy skills/knowledge are learned across all subjects and areas of the curriculum, as well as in our everyday lives.

You can support your student to become ready for the numeracy assessment by assisting them in situations involving planning, measuring, cooking/baking, shopping and budgeting. Literacy readiness can be helped by reading every night, talking about why people write, how people try to influence other’ ideas when they write and how we communicate in different registers (formally and informally).

We will be in touch with you when your child is entered for either the literacy or numeracy assessment.