Provisional figures show new literacy and numeracy requirements have dented NCEA level 1 pass rates.
The Qualifications Authority said only 64% of Year 11 students attempted level 1 last year and 70% of that group were successful, down from 82% in 2023.
NZQA said the decline was due to the new literacy and numeracy requirements, which were assessed through online tests in reading, writing and maths, and to changes in the composition of the cohort that attempted level 1.
It said the 64% of Year 11s that entered a full level 1 programme last year was down from 75% in 2023.
"As more schools choose not to participate in the optional NCEA Level 1, participation is more weighted to schools with moderate to high socio-economic barriers," it said.
The authority said pass rates for levels 2 and 3 and for University Entrance were about the same as in 2023.
"Provisional 2024 NCEA Level 2 attainment by students in Year 12 is 72.7% compared to 73.2% in 2023.
"Year 13 provisional attainment of NCEA Level 3 is 68.2% compared to 67.7% in 2023, and Year 13 University Entrance (UE) attainment is 48.2% compared to 49.7% in 2023."
NZQA final results tended to be slightly higher than provisional results
It said the final level 1 result was likely to be one to 1.5 percentage points higher than the provisional result.
Education Minister Erica Stanford said the results showed the reality of literacy and numeracy achievement, something the old NCEA system failed to do.
"While these Level 1 students will have another two years to pass this requirement, it's important to note the level it is set at is foundational and in line with a level of the curriculum that equates to the end of Year 8 and beginning of Year 9," she said.
Stanford said the government was moving to improve literacy and numeracy through curriculum changes and direct support to students who needed it most.
