2026 NCEA and Scholarship exam timetable
NCEA exam timetable 2026: dates for Levels 1, 2, 3 and Scholarship
Key facts
- Overall exam period
- Tuesday 10 November 2026 to Friday 4 December 2026, spanning 25 days in all
- Days with exams Calculated
- 17 weekdays with at least one exam; weekdays without exams appear below
- Weekdays without exams Calculated
- Weekdays within the period with no scheduled session: Friday 13 November (Canterbury Anniversary (no examinations on this day)) and Monday 30 November (Westland and Chatham Islands Anniversary Days (Mon 30 Nov))
- Total exams timetabled Calculated
- 127 exams across all levels and Scholarship, counting each subject session once
- First exam session
- Opening session on Tuesday 10 November 2026 at 9:30am: Level 1: Mathematics and Statistics, Level 2: Geography, Level 2: Latin, Level 3: Dance and Scholarship: Classical Studies
- Last exam session
- Closing session: Friday 4 December 2026, 9:30am, for Level 2: Spanish, Level 3: Social Studies and Scholarship: German
- Portfolio and report deadlines
- Final dates for submitting portfolios and reports to NZQA, with subject counts in brackets: Wednesday 21 October 2026 (1 subject), Wednesday 28 October 2026 (18 subjects) and Monday 2 November 2026 (2 subjects)
- School calendar position Calculated
- The exams fall in Term 4 2026, which ends no later than Friday 18 December 2026.
A fact marked Calculated is worked out from the official dates linked below, rather than quoted from the source.
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| No exams scheduled: Canterbury Anniversary (no examinations on this day) | ||
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| No exams scheduled: Westland and Chatham Islands Anniversary Days (Mon 30 Nov) | ||
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| No exam scheduled | |
NZQA lists exams marked “digital option” as available digitally; whether you sit the exam on screen or on paper depends on your school’s entry.
Add to your calendar (.ics) Calendar dates come from official publications or legislation, with no estimates and a source link for each event.
The timetable above lists the 2026 NCEA and Scholarship exams, with NZQA's session times in the column headings. Find your subjects and check their dates and times, or use the lists by level below. The page also includes portfolio and report deadlines, literacy and numeracy assessment windows, and results information. Schools set their own internal assessment and mock exam dates; check school notices for those. If any detail differs from NZQA's exam timetable page, use the NZQA version.
What these pages cover
These pages list external NCEA and Scholarship examinations, NZQA’s published submission deadlines and selected exam day rules. Internal assessments, school mock exams, derived grades and venues are outside this coverage; check school notices or NZQA’s separate information for those details. Where an entry here differs from the relevant NZQA page, NZQA’s information takes precedence.
Exam day rules
The lines below use NZQA's wording; your admission slip and school notices give your own exam details.
In the words of NZQA:
NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship examination sessions are 3 hours long and start at either 9.30 am or 2.00 pm.
Bring equipment into the assessment room in a clear plastic bag.
Students can bring:
- pens (black and blue colours are allowed)
- pencils
- an eraser
- an approved calculator for subjects where a calculator was used during the year.
Do not bring the following items into an assessment room unless they are sealed in the emergency evacuation pack:
- blank paper or refill paper
- correcting fluid
- books, written notes or electronic notes
- mobile phones or pagers
- watches of any type (digital or analogue)
On the day of the assessment
- Arrive at least 20 minutes before the exam starts so you have time to get to the right room.
- If you arrive more than 30 minutes after the assessment has started, you will not be able to sit the assessment or enter an assessment room.
In the assessment room
- You must listen to and follow the supervisor's instructions. You must also:
- check that the answer booklets have your National Student Number (NSN) and Examination Code on them as listed on your Admission Slip
- not leave the assessment in the first 45 minutes or the last 15 minutes, even to use the toilet.
NZQA's site has the full rules and approved calculator list; see the source link below.
Exams by level, in date order
Each level’s list follows date order, with morning and afternoon sessions identified by their published times.
Level 1 exams in date order (26 exams)
- Tue 10 Nov, 9:30am: Mathematics and Statistics
- Tue 10 Nov, 2:00pm: Te Ao Haka digital option
- Wed 11 Nov, 2:00pm: Korean digital option
- Wed 11 Nov, 2:00pm: Gagana Tokelau digital option
- Thu 12 Nov, 2:00pm: Physics and Earth Space Science
- Mon 16 Nov, 9:30am: French digital option
- Mon 16 Nov, 2:00pm: Te Reo Māori digital option
- Tue 17 Nov, 9:30am: English digital option
- Tue 17 Nov, 2:00pm: Geography
- Wed 18 Nov, 9:30am: History digital option
- Thu 19 Nov, 2:00pm: Chemistry and Biology digital option
- Fri 20 Nov, 2:00pm: Religious Studies digital option
- Mon 23 Nov, 9:30am: Japanese digital option
- Mon 23 Nov, 2:00pm: Spanish digital option
- Tue 24 Nov, 9:30am: Commerce digital option
- Wed 25 Nov, 9:30am: Health Studies digital option
- Wed 25 Nov, 2:00pm: Science digital option
- Thu 26 Nov, 9:30am: Digital Technologies digital option
- Thu 26 Nov, 2:00pm: Vagahau Niue digital option
- Fri 27 Nov, 9:30am: Te Reo Māori Kūki 'Āirani digital option
- Tue 1 Dec, 9:30am: Social Studies digital option
- Tue 1 Dec, 2:00pm: Lea Faka-Tonga digital option
- Wed 2 Dec, 9:30am: Agricultural and Horticultural Science digital option
- Wed 2 Dec, 2:00pm: Gagana Sāmoa digital option
- Thu 3 Dec, 9:30am: German digital option
- Thu 3 Dec, 2:00pm: Chinese digital option
Level 2 exams in date order (36 exams)
- Tue 10 Nov, 9:30am: Geography
- Tue 10 Nov, 9:30am: Latin digital option
- Tue 10 Nov, 2:00pm: Japanese digital option
- Wed 11 Nov, 2:00pm: Te Ao Haka digital option
- Thu 12 Nov, 9:30am: English digital option
- Thu 12 Nov, 2:00pm: Chinese digital option
- Mon 16 Nov, 9:30am: Lea Faka-Tonga digital option
- Mon 16 Nov, 9:30am: Te Reo Māori digital option
- Mon 16 Nov, 2:00pm: Chemistry
- Tue 17 Nov, 2:00pm: Dance
- Tue 17 Nov, 2:00pm: Korean digital option
- Wed 18 Nov, 9:30am: Art History digital option
- Wed 18 Nov, 2:00pm: Physics
- Thu 19 Nov, 9:30am: Mathematics and Statistics
- Thu 19 Nov, 2:00pm: Accounting
- Fri 20 Nov, 9:30am: Biology
- Fri 20 Nov, 2:00pm: Cook Islands Māori digital option
- Fri 20 Nov, 2:00pm: Drama
- Mon 23 Nov, 9:30am: French digital option
- Mon 23 Nov, 2:00pm: Business Studies digital option
- Tue 24 Nov, 9:30am: Agricultural and Horticultural Science digital option
- Tue 24 Nov, 2:00pm: History digital option
- Wed 25 Nov, 9:30am: Te Reo Rangatira digital option
- Wed 25 Nov, 2:00pm: Classical Studies digital option
- Thu 26 Nov, 9:30am: Media Studies digital option
- Thu 26 Nov, 2:00pm: Health digital option
- Fri 27 Nov, 9:30am: Economics
- Fri 27 Nov, 2:00pm: Digital Technologies digital option
- Tue 1 Dec, 9:30am: Earth and Space Science
- Tue 1 Dec, 2:00pm: Music
- Wed 2 Dec, 9:30am: German digital option
- Wed 2 Dec, 9:30am: Social Studies digital option
- Thu 3 Dec, 9:30am: Home Economics digital option
- Thu 3 Dec, 2:00pm: Education for Sustainability digital option
- Thu 3 Dec, 2:00pm: Samoan digital option
- Fri 4 Dec, 9:30am: Spanish digital option
Level 3 exams in date order (38 exams)
- Tue 10 Nov, 9:30am: Dance
- Tue 10 Nov, 2:00pm: Digital Technologies digital option
- Tue 10 Nov, 2:00pm: Samoan digital option
- Wed 11 Nov, 9:30am: English digital option
- Wed 11 Nov, 2:00pm: Cook Islands Māori digital option
- Thu 12 Nov, 2:00pm: Te Ao Haka digital option
- Thu 12 Nov, 2:00pm: Physics
- Mon 16 Nov, 9:30am: Calculus
- Mon 16 Nov, 2:00pm: German digital option
- Mon 16 Nov, 2:00pm: History digital option
- Tue 17 Nov, 2:00pm: Biology
- Wed 18 Nov, 9:30am: Health digital option
- Wed 18 Nov, 9:30am: Japanese digital option
- Wed 18 Nov, 2:00pm: Economics
- Thu 19 Nov, 9:30am: Making Music
- Thu 19 Nov, 9:30am: Spanish digital option
- Fri 20 Nov, 9:30am: Chinese digital option
- Fri 20 Nov, 9:30am: Drama
- Fri 20 Nov, 2:00pm: Chemistry
- Mon 23 Nov, 9:30am: Latin
- Mon 23 Nov, 9:30am: Psychology digital option
- Mon 23 Nov, 9:30am: Te Reo Rangatira digital option
- Mon 23 Nov, 2:00pm: Agricultural and Horticultural Science digital option
- Tue 24 Nov, 9:30am: Statistics
- Tue 24 Nov, 2:00pm: Geography
- Wed 25 Nov, 9:30am: Lea Faka-Tonga digital option
- Wed 25 Nov, 2:00pm: Accounting
- Thu 26 Nov, 9:30am: Te Reo Māori digital option
- Thu 26 Nov, 2:00pm: Media Studies digital option
- Fri 27 Nov, 9:30am: Music Studies
- Fri 27 Nov, 2:00pm: Art History digital option
- Tue 1 Dec, 9:30am: Classical Studies digital option
- Tue 1 Dec, 2:00pm: Home Economics digital option
- Wed 2 Dec, 9:30am: French digital option
- Wed 2 Dec, 2:00pm: Earth and Space Science
- Thu 3 Dec, 9:30am: Korean digital option
- Thu 3 Dec, 2:00pm: Business Studies digital option
- Fri 4 Dec, 9:30am: Social Studies digital option
Scholarship exams in date order (27 exams)
- Tue 10 Nov, 9:30am: Classical Studies
- Tue 10 Nov, 2:00pm: Media Studies digital option
- Wed 11 Nov, 2:00pm: Geography
- Thu 12 Nov, 9:30am: Chemistry
- Thu 12 Nov, 2:00pm: French
- Mon 16 Nov, 9:30am: Samoan
- Mon 16 Nov, 2:00pm: Statistics
- Tue 17 Nov, 9:30am: Accounting
- Tue 17 Nov, 2:00pm: Art History digital option
- Wed 18 Nov, 9:30am: Physics
- Wed 18 Nov, 2:00pm: Psychology digital option
- Thu 19 Nov, 9:30am: Economics
- Thu 19 Nov, 2:00pm: Biology digital option
- Fri 20 Nov, 2:00pm: Agricultural and Horticultural Science digital option
- Mon 23 Nov, 9:30am: English digital option
- Mon 23 Nov, 2:00pm: Earth and Space Science digital option
- Tue 24 Nov, 9:30am: Te Reo Rangatira digital option
- Wed 25 Nov, 9:30am: Calculus
- Wed 25 Nov, 2:00pm: Drama
- Thu 26 Nov, 2:00pm: Chinese
- Fri 27 Nov, 9:30am: Spanish
- Fri 27 Nov, 2:00pm: History digital option
- Tue 1 Dec, 9:30am: Te Reo Māori digital option
- Tue 1 Dec, 2:00pm: Digital Technologies digital option
- Wed 2 Dec, 9:30am: Japanese
- Wed 2 Dec, 2:00pm: Religious Studies digital option
- Fri 4 Dec, 9:30am: German
127 exams in all, each subject counted once per session.
2026 final portfolio and report submission dates
These are NZQA’s final dates for schools to submit portfolios and reports. Students should follow the earlier steps and internal deadlines in their school’s own notices.
- : Level 1 Visual Arts
- : Level 1 Dance, Design and Visual Communication, Drama, Materials and Processing Technology, Music, New Zealand Sign Language, Physical Education; Level 2 Design and Visual Communication, Technology, Visual Arts; Level 3 Design and Visual Communication, Education for Sustainability, Technology; Scholarship Dance, Design and Visual Communication, Music, Health and Physical Education, Technology
- : Level 3 Visual Arts; Scholarship Visual Arts
In NZQA’s words: Schools must submit materials to NZQA by these final dates. Submissions can be made any time before then. Students should check their internal submission deadlines with their schools.
2026 literacy and numeracy assessment windows
The windows below show the literacy and numeracy assessment events recorded for this exam year, including Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau. Each entry gives the term and the opening and closing dates.
- Assessment event 1 during Term 2: Monday 18 May 2026 to Friday 29 May 2026
- Assessment event 2 during Term 3: Monday 7 September 2026 to Friday 18 September 2026
Results processing and release dates
For the 2026 exams, the stored sources provide the processing period but no results release date. The release dates below relate to the previous exam year. NZQA’s key dates page may contain more recent information.
- Results processing period: Monday 7 December 2026 to Wednesday 6 January 2027; the NZQA information available here does not give a release date for the 2026 results
- 2025 results release dates: NCEA results on Wednesday 14 January 2026 and Scholarship results on Tuesday 10 February 2026, following NZQA’s published dates
The exams in the school calendar 2026
- The exam period falls in Term 4 2026, which ends no later than (school holidays and term dates 2026).
- After the exams: the summer holidays 2026/27 start no later than .
- Regional anniversary days inside the exam period: Canterbury Anniversary Day, (no exam that day); Westland Anniversary Day, (no exam that day); Chatham Islands Anniversary Day, (no exam that day). Each of these anniversary days is a public holiday only in its own region. See every region’s anniversary day.
- Public holidays 2026: the national dates with their weekdays.
- NCEA exams 2027: the exam period published so far, 9 November to 3 December 2027.
Common questions
- When do NCEA exams start and finish in 2026?
- The 2026 NCEA exam period runs from Tuesday 10 November 2026 to Friday 4 December 2026. Your own exam days depend on your subjects; check each subject's 2026 session and your school's arrival instructions.
- What time do NCEA exams start in 2026?
- NZQA says: “NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship examination sessions are 3 hours long and start at either 9.30 am or 2.00 pm.” Find your subject in the 2026 timetable to check its session, and follow your school’s instructions on when to arrive.
- When are the 2026 NCEA results released?
- The NZQA information available here does not give a release date for the 2026 results. The results section shows the processing period and the previous exam year’s release dates. Check NZQA’s key dates page for any later announcement.
Official sources
- NZQA: National secondary examinations timetable (read )
- NZQA: NCEA and NZ Scholarship Assessment Timetable 2026 (read )
- NZQA: Key dates for secondary assessment 2026 (read )
- NZQA: 2026 Examination Timetable (read )
- NZQA: Rules for students taking assessments (read )
Every date here was compared with the official pages on . Should anything differ, the official page is right. How dates are checked.