NZQCF Trades

Overview

The New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) is the national framework that lists every secondary and tertiary qualification and credential approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) or Universities New Zealand. NZQA maintains it and sets the quality rules for schools, kura and tertiary providers, including polytechnics, institutes of technology, wānanga and private training establishments.

It is not a trades exam. This registry entry covers the framework within which trade certificates sit. The NZQA pages used here do not describe individual trade qualifications, apprenticeships or how a trade is assessed, so this page does not either. The assessment rules for a trade come from the qualification itself and its provider.

Levels or stages

The NZQCF has 10 levels. Skill and knowledge increase from Level 1 to Level 10.

Certificates are the qualification type at Levels 1 to 6. NZQA describes what a certificate graduate can do at each level. For example, a Level 3 graduate can work mostly autonomously with responsibility for their own learning and performance, and a Level 4 graduate can also take some responsibility for others in workplace contexts.

Who can apply

Entry requirements are part of each qualification type's description and can differ by qualification. NZQA says qualifications can be worked towards in many settings, including at work, online, with a tertiary training provider, and at school or university.

Marking and results

Every qualification states a minimum credit requirement. One credit stands for 10 notional hours of learning and assessment, and a full-time learner can usually earn 120 credits a year. A certificate at Levels 1, 2, 3 and 5 needs at least 40 credits at that level or above. Every qualification or credential you achieve in New Zealand is recorded on your Record of Achievement.

FAQs