The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA, Māori: Mana Tohu Mātauranga o Aotearoa) is the New Zealand government crown entity tasked with providing leadership in assessment and qualifications.
NZQA administers the National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEAs) and the New Zealand Scholarship for secondary school students. It is also responsible for the quality assurance of non-university, tertiary training providers, the New Zealand Register of Quality Assured Qualifications, and the National Qualifications Framework. It has further roles in evaluating overseas qualifications.
It is a "Crown Entity" established under the section 248 of the Education Act 1989. In July 1990 it took over the work of the former Universities Entrance Board, the Ministry of Education's examinations, the Trades Certification Board and the Authority for Advanced Vocational Awards.
NZQA is funded from the central government as well as fees, with the budget being about $70 million each year.
In 2005 the Authority's Chairman and CEO resigned after an investigation by the State Services Commission into the 2004 New Zealand Scholarship exams. In the physics exams only 39 out of 1,012 students who sat the exam received a scholarship while in English the result was 228 out of 587. This, and the state of the Authority as a whole at that time, was described by media as a "debacle".
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