NCEA Level 1 Externals

For those offering Level 1 PE externals, by now you are likely to be in full on assessment mode. We recognise that this may be a challenging time with a steep learning curve for everyone involved.

We have been hearing from many of you that navigating your schools’ processes around external assessment and coordinating with your Principal’s Nominee is particularly challenging. Many schools have raised issues around the conditions required for students to participate in external assessments and some misunderstandings.

In all cases, we encourage teachers, leaders and Principals Nominees to closely read the Assessment Specifications, Process Guidelines for Level 1 and Instructions for Management of Level 1 Submitted Assessment. By now, you should have seen these or met with your PN to discuss them. If you have not done so, tracking down your PN should be your first priority.

Overall, these documents ensure that the assessment process is standardised, secure, and fair, providing clear guidance to all involved parties. We encourage all teachers to read these documents carefully and fully.

Aligning the Assessment Specifications and the Process Guidelines is critical. One of the key misunderstandings we have heard about is around the use of technology or the internet.

Students CAN use a device, and they CAN have access to the internet. The Assessment Specifications state that the “use of chatbots, generative AI, paraphrasing tools, or other tools that can automatically generate content is not permitted and materials generated by these tools should not be submitted as part of the candidate’s work.”

In some cases this specification has been interpreted as meaning that a student cannot have access to a device or the internet. While we recognise that limiting access may be a way to manage authenticity, it should not be read as “students not being allowed to”.

The role of managing authenticity sits with the teacher, and as there are no “closed book” requirements for either 1.3 or 1.4, adding a limitation on device access may place additional and unnecessary constraints on teachers, students and cause a raft of logistical challenges.