Changes to national qualifications

Revision of a qualification

Qualifications may be revised to take account of new factors or omissions; changes to legislation; attainability issues; or a review of standards contained in the qualification.

A revised qualification is published as a new version, but retains its original registration date. A change report is published on the NZQA website, covering the consultation process and the changes made to the qualification.

Review of a qualification

A review is a planned process that is undertaken periodically to ensure that a qualification is still fit for purpose. Full consultation with industry and provider stakeholders must inform the review. The review may result in changes to the structure and content of the qualification, or in the registration of a replacement qualification.

A review summary is published on the NZQA website, covering the consultation process and review outcomes.

Review categories

Reviewed qualifications are placed in one of four categories:

List of all current and expired national qualifications (XLS, 324KB).

Qualification transition arrangements

Transition arrangements are required for candidates who have an incomplete qualification when a new qualification, or a new version of a qualification, is listed on the NZQF.

The transition arrangements for a replaced qualification or replaced version of a qualification vary in complexity, depending on the nature of the review. Transition arrangements include some or all of the following:

• A list of changes to structure and content
• Credit exemptions for replaced unit standards
• A contact for information
• A mechanism for appeals
• The last date for assessments to take place for the replaced qualification or replaced version of the qualification. This allows time for people to complete what they have begun. The 'Last date for assessment' is included in the NZQF Registration Information table in the qualification document.

Transition arrangements are set out in the qualification document and in the review summary.

When a qualification has been reviewed how long can providers keep using the old version or replaced qualification?

Transition requirements differ among qualifications. Always check the 'Transition Arrangements' section of the current version of the qualification document on the NZQA website for information on transition (it will address transition from all previous versions). Transition arrangements include the last date for people to complete the replaced qualification or superseded version of a qualification, and may involve credit exemptions for people wishing to transfer. The transition period will reflect the principle that no candidate should be disadvantaged by the review.

Qualification versions that have been superseded by a new version, and have no last date for assessment specified in the qualification transition arrangements, may continue to be used by providers as long as use of the standard complies with the moderation requirements of the relevant Standard Setting Body (SSB).

Can a person who has a superseded version of a unit standard be awarded a qualification that has a new version specified in it?

Yes. Reviewed unit standards that continue to recognise the same overall outcome retain their identification number (ID). Holders of any version of a unit standard with the same ID may use that standard to meet qualification requirements where that ID is listed. If a candidate for a qualification has a version of a unit standard with a different level and/or credits from the unit standard listed in a qualification, the level and credits as they appear in the qualification will be used to determine whether the candidate has met the requirements of the qualification.