Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: NZQA delays end-of-year exams, portfolio due dates by two weeks

End of year Scholarship and NCEA exams will be delayed by two weeks. Photo / 123rf

End-of-year NCEA and Scholarship exams have been delayed because of the disruption from Covid-19, the NZ Qualifications Authority has announced.

The dates for all exams will be moved back by two weeks, to be held between November 22 and December 14, according to a statement on NZQA's website. Portfolio subjects will also have their due dates pushed back a fortnight.

Schools have been calling for more certainty from NZQA around what will happen with exam dates and NCEA credits, saying it's causing anxiety for students and teachers impacted by lockdowns.

NZQA said the NCEA Level 1 Mathematics Common Assessment Task (MCAT) would also be delayed by two weeks.

Schools would also not have to provide portfolios from students sitting NCEA Level 1 or Level 2 Visual Arts for NZQA to verify, NZQA said. That meant students would have more time to finish their work, and teachers to mark it.

"As the length of time New Zealand might remain in alert level 4 or alert level 3 becomes clearer, there are extra steps the Government might take, such as reintroducing Learning Recognition Credits, or making changes to the thresholds for Endorsements and University Entrance. "

The NZQA said it was working with the Ministry of Education and an advisory group for the minister on whether more changes were needed.

Although some students have welcomed the news, the Ministry's decision has not been universally popular. Thousands of students have signed a petition against the two-week exam delay, saying it will eat into their holiday time and affect their ability to work over the summer break.