NZQA backs AI marking of NCEA writing, despite one-in-five scoring differences

Jaime CunninghamMultimedia Journalist, Newstalk ZB·Newstalk ZB·9 Nov, 2026 04:00 PM3 mins to read‌NZQA says it does not rely on AI marking alone. Photo / Getty ImagesNZQA says it does not rely on AI marking alone. Photo / Getty ImagesNCEA writing assessments scored by artificial intelligence don’t match human markers all the time – but the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) says students aren’t being disadvantaged. An independent review by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) has found NZQA’s automated text scoring model is “fit for continued