Supporting your young person when they've missed NCEA credits

Missing out on NCEA credits can be disappointing, but it doesn’t have to stop someone from achieving their goals. Let them know you are there to support and reassure them.

Here are some ideas on how to support your young person through this difficult time, and show them their options.

If your young person is going back to school without the NCEA credits they need, here are some things both of you can do.

Check internal results

Help your young person check their results against marks for internally assessed standards and portfolios. Talk to the school if anything doesn’t match up.

Check answer booklets

When their answer booklets arrive, help your young person check that:

• they’re marked fully
• the marks match their results.

Reviews and reconsiderations

If you find a marking mistake, you can ask the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) for:

• a review – where results are checked against answer booklets
• a reconsideration – where answer booklets are re-marked.

• NZQA website - information about NCEA reviews and reconsiderations

Talk to the school

Suggest your young person talks to their teacher or student adviser about their options. For instance they may be able to:

• earn missing credits while studying at a higher NCEA level
• change some subjects.

Your young person may still be able to get into the tertiary course they want without having the right credits.

Contact the education provider 

A student adviser at the education provider they want to attend will know if your young person may be eligible for special entry without the usual NCEA credits. They may also suggest:

• a foundation or bridging course
• doing a related course first and then reapplying for the course they want. For example, if they want to become a nurse they could complete a Certificate in Health Studies, which would earn them enough credits for a nursing degree course

• Courses database – search for education providers
• Do a course or training without NCEA 

How to get more credits

It may be possible to make up missing credits before a tertiary course starts, either at school early in Term 1 or through Te Kura’s summer school programmes.

• Te Kura website - information about summer school programmes

Start tertiary or workplace learning while at school

Young people can also consider starting tertiary study while working towards NCEA by getting work experience at school through:

• the Gateway or STAR programmes
• a Trades or Services Academy.
• Start tertiary or workplace learning while at school 

• Top 5 questions parents have about NCEA
• What is NCEA?
• Sign up to our e-newsletter for tips to support young people with their study and careers

Source

• NZQA website, accessed January 2020, (www.nzqa.govt.nz).