Prepare students by embedding reading, writing and numeracy skills across every subject, giving them regular practice with the online assessment format, and using formative feedback tied to the standards. The co-requisite requires 20 credits, so start early, sit the CAAs from Year 10, and target support where gaps appear.
What exactly is the NCEA literacy and numeracy co-requisite?
The co-requisite is a set of 20 credits — 10 in literacy and 10 in numeracy — that every student must achieve to be awarded NCEA at any level. Introduced as part of the NCEA Change Programme, it sits alongside the usual Level 1, 2 and 3 credit counts rather than inside them, which is why it is called a co-requisite rather than a simple prerequisite.
Literacy and numeracy are assessed through three online Common Assessment Activities: one for reading, one for writing and one for numeracy. Each is reported as Achieved or Not Achieved against a single standard, so there are no merit or excellence grades. A student who does not achieve a CAA keeps any they have already gained and can attempt the outstanding one again.
A transitional pathway also lets some students meet the requirement through approved achievement and unit standards, and learners in Māori-medium settings can meet it through Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. For most students in English-medium classrooms, though, the three CAAs are the main route, so preparation should centre on what those activities ask students to do.
When can students sit the co-requisite CAAs?
Students can first sit the CAAs from Year 10, and there are usually two assessment windows each year. Because the number of attempts is not capped, many schools enter students early so there is time to re-sit before senior study intensifies, rather than leaving everything to the pressured months of Year 11.
Sitting early carries two clear advantages. It eases the load in Year 11, when students are also chasing Level 1 credits, and it surfaces gaps while there is still time to teach into them. A student who achieves reading and numeracy in Year 10, for instance, can then concentrate support on writing alone instead of juggling all three. An early first attempt also takes some pressure off the assessment itself, since students who have already seen the format once tend to approach later windows more calmly.
- First attempts are usually available from Year 10
- There are generally two assessment windows a year
- There is no limit on the number of attempts
- Achieved CAAs are banked and carry over between years
How do you prepare students for the reading and writing CAAs?
Prepare for the literacy CAAs by building comprehension and writing as everyday habits across subjects, not as one-off test drills. The reading activity asks students to interpret texts on screen, so practise skimming, scanning, drawing inferences and working out vocabulary from context using authentic digital material that mirrors what they will meet in the assessment.
For the writing CAA, students produce a coherent piece in response to a prompt, judged on ideas, structure and accuracy. Regular low-stakes writing to a clear purpose and audience — with attention to spelling, punctuation and sentence control — builds the stamina and control the standard rewards. Sharing model responses helps students see concretely what an achieved piece looks like.
Reading and writing are not the English department’s job alone. A science practical write-up, a history source analysis and a health report all develop the same underlying skills, so a shared, whole-school approach gives students far more genuine practice than English lessons could ever provide on their own. Even short, structured tasks in other subjects add up quickly across a school week.
How do you prepare students for the numeracy CAA?
Prepare for the numeracy CAA by giving students frequent, low-stakes practice applying maths to real-life situations rather than abstract exercises. The activity draws on number, measurement, statistics, algebra and geometry, and asks students to interpret information and solve problems in context, so word-based and data-based tasks matter as much as pure calculation.
Familiarity with the digital format also counts. Students sit the CAA on screen, so practising with the same interface, reading each question carefully and setting out their reasoning clearly all reduce avoidable errors. As with literacy, numeracy lives right across the timetable — in geography graphs, food technology measurements and PE statistics — not only in the maths classroom. Naming those moments explicitly helps students transfer the skill into the assessment. Encouraging students to estimate an answer before calculating, and to check whether a result is reasonable in context, builds the sense-making habit the numeracy activity rewards.
How can whole-school planning lift co-requisite results?
Whole-school planning lifts results because literacy and numeracy are developed in every classroom, not just in English and maths. When each department understands how its subject builds reading, writing or numeracy, students accumulate far more repetitions of the exact skills the CAAs assess, and students who are struggling get noticed sooner.
Practical moves include mapping where key skills are taught, agreeing a common language for feedback, and tracking who has and has not yet achieved each CAA. Early, accurate data lets leaders target small-group support — an extra writing group here, numeracy intervention there — at the students who need it, instead of reteaching a whole cohort. Timetabling short, regular practice in the real online format also spreads the work so that no single department carries it alone and familiarity grows steadily rather than being rushed in the final weeks before a window.
- Map which subjects build reading, writing and numeracy
- Track each student's CAA status in one shared place
- Run practice activities in the real online format
- Target support at students with a single outstanding CAA
- Share model responses so expectations stay consistent
How can feedback tools help teachers prepare students efficiently?
Feedback tools help by making it faster to mark the volume of practice writing and problem-solving that co-requisite preparation demands, while keeping teachers in control of every judgement. Frequent practice only works when students receive timely, specific feedback, and marking each response by hand across a whole cohort is where good intentions usually stall.
An assistant like JeddAI drafts feedback and marking aligned to your own success criteria, rubric and comment banks — for example, against the qualities the writing standard rewards — and you review and adjust each comment before it reaches a student. That keeps feedback consistent across classes and frees teacher time for the targeted teaching that actually moves students towards Achieved. You can Get started with JeddAI to see how it fits your marking routine.
| Aspect | Reading CAA | Writing CAA | Numeracy CAA |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it assesses | Comprehension of texts on screen | Producing a coherent written response | Applying maths in real-life contexts |
| Format | On-screen questions on supplied texts | On-screen extended writing | On-screen problem solving in context |
| Result | Achieved or Not Achieved | Achieved or Not Achieved | Achieved or Not Achieved |
| Prepare by | Inference and vocabulary in context | Structured writing to a clear purpose | Number, measurement and statistics practice |
Frequently asked questions
How can parents and whānau support co-requisite preparation at home?
Encourage everyday reading and writing for real purposes, talk through numbers in daily situations such as budgeting, cooking or sport, and let students answer a few questions on a screen now and then. Short, low-pressure habits at home reinforce the skills teachers are building in class.
Are there special assessment conditions for students with additional learning needs?
Yes. Where a learner qualifies, a school can apply to NZQA for special assessment conditions, such as extra time or a reader-writer, so a CAA measures the underlying skill rather than a barrier. Raise this with your learning support or NZQA coordinator well before an assessment window.
If a student changes schools, do their achieved CAAs move with them?
Yes. CAA results are recorded against the individual learner rather than the school, so a student who transfers keeps every CAA they have already achieved and only needs to attempt any that are still outstanding at their new school.
Does the co-requisite replace the old literacy and numeracy requirement?
Yes. It replaces the previous requirement with a strengthened co-requisite, assessed mainly through the new online CAAs, that every student must meet before being awarded NCEA at any level.
Are the CAAs marked by teachers or by NZQA?
The CAAs are externally marked by NZQA rather than by a student's own teachers. Because classroom marking cannot change the result, a school's influence comes from preparing students thoroughly against what each standard asks before they sit.
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