NCEA replacement: 14,930 Level 2 students could miss out under reforms, new research finds

Multimedia Journalist·NZ Herald·13 Sep, 2026 05:00 PM5 mins to read‌Proposed education reforms would shift secondary qualifications towards a more subject-based structure and greater use of external assessments. Photo / PixabayNearly a third of students who would have passed NCEA Level 2 under the current system could struggle to gain the Government’s replacement qualification, new modelling suggests.The Government says moving away from NCEA’s flexible credit system will create clearer, more structured qualifications and stop students collecting credits to pass.