Course endorsements recognise achievement in a particular course. They also go towards gaining an overall Level endorsement.

To be awarded an endorsement in most courses, a student needs 14 credits at Achieved, Merit or Excellence in a course in a single year, with at least three credits to come from internal assessment and at least three from external assessment.

Credits at either Excellence or Merit can count towards Merit endorsements, while credits at Excellence, Merit or Achieved can count towards Achieved endorsements. Not all courses will have endorsements available – students can check with their school to confirm.

Certificate Endorsement shows high achievement across the courses a student has studied. When a student gains 50 or more credits at Excellence in a level of NCEA, their certificate for that level will be endorsed with Excellence. When they gain 50 or more credits at Merit (or a mix of Merit and Excellence) at a level, their NCEA certificate for that level will be endorsed with Merit.