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Annex 1
New Zealand Qualifications Authority
Terms of Reference for Review by the State Services Commissioner
Introduction
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority ("NZQA") is a Crown entity established under
Part XX of the Education Act 1989 "to establish a consistent approach to the recognition of
qualifications in academic and vocational areas"(s247).
NZQA's functions include the administration of the National Certificate of Educational
Achievement (NCEA) and other school, trade and vocational assessment. In 2004, NZQA
instituted a new Level 4 qualification, New Zealand Scholarship, to be the basis for the
allocation of university scholarship awards.
Background to Review
New Zealand Scholarship was introduced at the same time as NCEA Level 3. The new Level 4
stand-alone qualification was designed to enable the award of scholarships on the basis of
examination. Previously, scholarships had been awarded to the top 3 or 4 percent in University
Bursary examinations.
Students sat the New Zealand Scholarship examinations in November 2004, and results were
mailed to them in January 2005, and later made available on the NZQA website. The results
showed a much smaller number of scholarships awarded this year than expected and widely
differing achievement rates in different subject areas. The results gave rise to public concern
about the administration of the new qualification, and its fairness to otherwise high achieving
students.
The Associate Minister of Education has asked the State Services Commissioner to review the
adequacy of the setting and management of the 2004 Scholarship examinations and, more
widely, the performance of NZQA. The Minister's request is made under section 11 of the State
Sector Act 1988.
Terms of reference
Scholarship examinations
1 To review the 2004 New Zealand Scholarship examinations with particular regard to:
1.1 whether the roles and responsibilities of the various agencies involved were clearly
defined;
1.2 whether the identification and addressing of issues arising in designing and implementing
the new system was adequate;
1.3 whether the processes to set and moderate the standards for the qualification were
adequate;
1.4 whether the administration of the examinations against those standards, including review
of the processes for setting, moderating, and marking the examination were adequate;
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