New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) are moving away from paper-based NCEA external examinations towards a digital based examination system.Over the past few years, the number of digital examinations being offered to students sitting NCEA external examinations has grown. 

The digital NCEA examinations being offered in 2021 at Palmerston North Boys’ High School for all levels, are listed below.

• Agricultural & Horticultural
• Science 
• Business Studies
• Classical Studies
• English
• French
• German
• Health
• History Media
• Studies
• Social Studies

Please note, although students can opt to use the digital platform for the external examinations, the PNBHS Senior Examinations in Week 8 of Term Three, will remain paper-based. In the future this may change as NZQA moves towards providing schools with the opportunity to use the NZQA digital platform for their senior examinations. In the interim, NZQA has provided some hands-on activities to help students become familiar with the platform.

With any new technology there are questions around its use and more importantly what happens if something goes wrong. The NZQA website addresses a range of potential questions you or your son may have regarding the digital NCEA examination process. I have provided a number of useful links to information at the bottom of this email. I strongly recommend that you look at these before your son makes a decision on whether to participate in a digital NCEA examination.

If you son is wanting to sit any of his examinations using the digital platform he will need to use his own laptop. Details of the requirements can be found on the NZQA website and on the school stratus page under the student tab/digital examinations. He must indicate his intention to sit any of his subjects using the digital platform by completing the registration form by the end of school on Tuesday 29th June 2021. This can be accessed through Stratus/ student tab/digital examinations or by copying the link at the bottom of this email into a browser.

This is the fourth year that PNBHS has offered digital NZQA examinations. Student who have used the digital platform have generally had a good experience, but we are aware that it does not suit all learners. Please take the time to look at the information provided by NZQA. If you have any further questions, please contact me ontaylors@pnbhs.school.nz

Kind regards

Sue Taylor

Principal's Nominee

Links to information (ctrl + click or copy and paste the following links into your web browser)

NCEA Examination timetable: https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/ncea-exams-and-portfolios/external/national-secondary-examinations-timetable/

Past digital examinations: https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/ncea-exams-and-portfolios/external/digital-exams/find-past-digital-exams/

NCEA online information Flyer: https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/assets/About-us/Future-State/NCEA-Online/NZQA-NCEA-Online.pdf

Digital platform video, FAQs and hands-on activities: https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/ncea-exams-and-portfolios/external/digital-exams/

Device information and check: https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/ncea-exams-and-portfolios/external/device-readiness-check/

Student Exam Hub: https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/ncea/

Registration Form for Digital examinations 2021: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=a7G14TJ5Y0mdw5o6fq7sxgz5F13wAwVLlansIcynP55UM1RTSEYzRVUxMVg3UFJJQllOR0JSTFFRMy4u