2027 NCEA dates published so far
NCEA exams 2027: the exam period and the dates published so far
Key facts
- Overall exam period
- Tuesday 9 November 2027 to Friday 3 December 2027, spanning 25 days in all
- Daily exam timetable
- NZQA’s assessment timetable says: “Timetable to be published in December 2026”
- Weekdays without exams
- Weekdays within the period with no scheduled session: Friday 12 November (Canterbury Anniversary Day) and Monday 29 November (Westland Anniversary Day and Chatham Islands Anniversary Day)
- School calendar position Calculated
- The exams fall in Term 4 2027, which ends no later than Friday 17 December 2027.
A fact marked Calculated is worked out from the official dates linked below, rather than quoted from the source.
| What | Dates | As published by NZQA |
|---|---|---|
| Exam period | to | 09 November - 03 December 2027 (Term 4) |
| Daily exam timetable | NZQA’s assessment timetable says: “Timetable to be published in December 2026” | |
| No exam sessions | No sessions will be scheduled for Canterbury Anniversary Day (observed Friday 12 November 2027) | |
| No exam sessions | the Chatham Islands and Westland Anniversary days (observed on Monday 29 November 2027) | |
| Literacy and numeracy, assessment event 1 | to | 10 - 21 May (Term 2) |
| Literacy and numeracy, assessment event 2 | to | 06 - 17 September (Term 3) |
Add to your calendar (.ics) Calendar dates come from official publications or legislation, with no estimates and a source link for each event.
The NZQA information available here for 2027 gives the exam period but does not include a daily subject timetable. NZQA’s publication note appears in the table above. This page also lists the available submission dates and literacy and numeracy assessment windows. Check NZQA’s exam timetable page for updates and your school notices for local arrangements.
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.
2027 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 2 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; Level 3 Design and Visual Communication, Education for Sustainability, Technology, Visual Arts; Scholarship Dance, Design and Visual Communication, Health and Physical Education, Music, Technology, Visual Arts
2027 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 10 May 2027 to Friday 21 May 2027
- Assessment event 2 during Term 3: Monday 6 September 2027 to Friday 17 September 2027
The exams in the school calendar 2027
- The exam period falls in Term 4 2027, which ends no later than (school holidays and term dates 2027).
- After the exams: the summer holidays 2027/28 start no later than .
- Regional anniversary days inside the exam period: Canterbury Anniversary Day, ; Westland Anniversary Day, ; Chatham Islands Anniversary Day, . Each of these anniversary days is a public holiday only in its own region. See every region’s anniversary day.
- Public holidays 2027: the national dates with their weekdays.
- NCEA exams 2026: the full day-by-day timetable.
Common questions
- When do NCEA exams begin in 2027?
- The 2027 NCEA exam period runs from Tuesday 9 November 2027 to Friday 3 December 2027. Individual subject sessions for 2027 are not yet listed here. Check NZQA’s exam timetable page for session details and your school notices for local arrangements.
- When will the full 2027 exam timetable be published?
- NZQA’s assessment timetable gives an expected publication month for the 2027 subject timetable, quoted above. Check NZQA’s exam timetable page to see whether it is available.
- What can students plan for 2027 already?
- This page lists the exam period, submission deadlines and literacy and numeracy assessment windows from NZQA. Check your school notices for internal deadlines.
Official sources
- NZQA: NCEA and NZ Scholarship Assessment Timetable 2027 (read )
- NZQA: Assessment Matters circular A2026/3, 2027 Examination timetable date range (published 8 July 2026) (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.