NZQA grade boundaries

NZQA grade boundaries for 10 NCEA Level 3 courses, laid out by subject from NZQA's own documents. Each course shows its newest boundaries here; open it for every year and the boundaries for each paper, next to its past papers.

NZQA NCEA Level 3 grade boundaries

Accounting

November 2021 to November 2025

NZQA NCEA Level 3 Accounting grade boundaries, November 2025
Standard	Max mark	Grade: lowest score, and % of max
Standard	Max mark	Grade Excellence	Grade Merit	Grade Achieved
Demonstrate understanding of accounting concepts for a New Zealand reporting entity91404	24	1979.2%	1458.3%	833.3%
Demonstrate understanding of company financial statement preparation91406	24	2083.3%	1458.3%	833.3%
Demonstrate understanding of management accounting to inform decision-making91408	8	787.5%	562.5%	337.5%

Source: NZQA cut scores, NCEA 2025 (opens www2.nzqa.govt.nz in a new tab)

All Accounting grade boundaries Accounting past papers

Biology

November 2021 to November 2025

NZQA NCEA Level 3 Biology grade boundaries, November 2025
Standard	Max mark	Grade: lowest score, and % of max
Standard	Max mark	Grade Excellence	Grade Merit	Grade Achieved
Demonstrate understanding of the responses of plants and animals to their external environment91603	24	1979.2%	1458.3%	833.3%
Demonstrate understanding of evolutionary processes leading to speciation91605	24	1979.2%	1458.3%	833.3%
Demonstrate understanding of trends in human evolution91606	24	1979.2%	1458.3%	833.3%

Source: NZQA cut scores, NCEA 2025 (opens www2.nzqa.govt.nz in a new tab)

All Biology grade boundaries Biology past papers

Chemistry

November 2021 to November 2025

NZQA NCEA Level 3 Chemistry grade boundaries, November 2025
Standard	Max mark	Grade: lowest score, and % of max
Standard	Max mark	Grade Excellence	Grade Merit	Grade Achieved
Demonstrate understanding of thermochemical principles and the properties of particles and substances91390	24	1979.2%	1458.3%	833.3%
Demonstrate understanding of the properties of organic compounds91391	24	1979.2%	1458.3%	833.3%
Demonstrate understanding of equilibrium principles in aqueous systems91392	24	2083.3%	1458.3%	937.5%

Source: NZQA cut scores, NCEA 2025 (opens www2.nzqa.govt.nz in a new tab)

All Chemistry grade boundaries Chemistry past papers

Digital Technologies

November 2021 to November 2025

NZQA NCEA Level 3 Digital Technologies grade boundaries, November 2025
Standard	Max mark	Grade: lowest score, and % of max
Standard	Max mark	Grade Excellence	Grade Merit	Grade Achieved
Analyse an area of computer science91908	8	787.5%	562.5%	337.5%
Present a reflective analysis of developing a digital outcome91909	8	787.5%	562.5%	337.5%

Source: NZQA cut scores, NCEA 2025 (opens www2.nzqa.govt.nz in a new tab)

All Digital Technologies grade boundaries Digital Technologies past papers

Economics

November 2021 to November 2025

NZQA NCEA Level 3 Economics grade boundaries, November 2025
Standard	Max mark	Grade: lowest score, and % of max
Standard	Max mark	Grade Excellence	Grade Merit	Grade Achieved
Demonstrate understanding of the efficiency of market equilibrium91399	24	2083.3%	1458.3%	729.2%
Demonstrate understanding of the efficiency of different market structures using marginal analysis91400	24	2083.3%	1458.3%	729.2%
Demonstrate understanding of macro-economic influences on the New Zealand economy91403	24	1979.2%	1354.2%	729.2%

Source: NZQA cut scores, NCEA 2025 (opens www2.nzqa.govt.nz in a new tab)

All Economics grade boundaries Economics past papers

English

November 2021 to November 2025

NZQA NCEA Level 3 English grade boundaries, November 2025
Standard	Max mark	Grade: lowest score, and % of max
Standard	Max mark	Grade Excellence	Grade Merit	Grade Achieved
Respond critically to specified aspect(s) of studied written text(s), supported by evidence91472	8	787.5%	562.5%	337.5%
Respond critically to specified aspect(s) of studied visual or oral text(s), supported by evidence91473	8	787.5%	562.5%	337.5%
Respond critically to significant aspects of unfamiliar written texts through close reading, supported by evidence91474	24	1979.2%	1354.2%	833.3%

Source: NZQA cut scores, NCEA 2025 (opens www2.nzqa.govt.nz in a new tab)

All English grade boundaries English past papers

Geography

November 2021 to November 2025

NZQA NCEA Level 3 Geography grade boundaries, November 2025
Standard	Max mark	Grade: lowest score, and % of max
Standard	Max mark	Grade Excellence	Grade Merit	Grade Achieved
Demonstrate understanding of how interacting natural processes shape a New Zealand geographic environment91426	8	787.5%	562.5%	337.5%
Demonstrate understanding of how a cultural process shapes geographic environment(s)91427	8	787.5%	562.5%	337.5%
Demonstrate understanding of a given environment(s) through selection and application of geographic concepts and skills91429	8	787.5%	562.5%	337.5%

Source: NZQA cut scores, NCEA 2025 (opens www2.nzqa.govt.nz in a new tab)

All Geography grade boundaries Geography past papers

History

November 2021 to November 2025

NZQA NCEA Level 3 History grade boundaries, November 2025
Standard	Max mark	Grade: lowest score, and % of max
Standard	Max mark	Grade Excellence	Grade Merit	Grade Achieved
Analyse evidence relating to an historical event of significance to New Zealanders91436	24	1979.2%	1354.2%	937.5%
Analyse the causes and consequences of a significant historical event91438	8	787.5%	562.5%	337.5%
Analyse a significant historical trend and the force(s) that influenced it91439	8	787.5%	562.5%	337.5%

Source: NZQA cut scores, NCEA 2025 (opens www2.nzqa.govt.nz in a new tab)

All History grade boundaries History past papers

Mathematics and Statistics

November 2021 to November 2025

NZQA NCEA Level 3 Mathematics and Statistics grade boundaries, November 2025
Standard	Max mark	Grade: lowest score, and % of max
Standard	Max mark	Grade Excellence	Grade Merit	Grade Achieved
Apply the algebra of complex numbers in solving problems91577	24	2083.3%	1354.2%	729.2%
Apply differentiation methods in solving problems91578	24	2083.3%	1458.3%	833.3%
Apply integration methods in solving problems91579	24	1979.2%	1354.2%	729.2%
Evaluate statistically based reports91584	24	2083.3%	1562.5%	833.3%
Apply probability concepts in solving problems91585	24	1979.2%	1458.3%	729.2%
Apply probability distributions in solving problems91586	24	1979.2%	1458.3%	833.3%

Source: NZQA cut scores, NCEA 2025 (opens www2.nzqa.govt.nz in a new tab)

All Mathematics and Statistics grade boundaries Mathematics and Statistics past papers

Physics

November 2021 to November 2025

NZQA NCEA Level 3 Physics grade boundaries, November 2025
Standard	Max mark	Grade: lowest score, and % of max
Standard	Max mark	Grade Excellence	Grade Merit	Grade Achieved
Demonstrate understanding of wave systems91523	24	1979.2%	1458.3%	729.2%
Demonstrate understanding of mechanical systems91524	24	1979.2%	1354.2%	729.2%
Demonstrate understanding of electrical systems91526	24	1979.2%	1458.3%	729.2%

Source: NZQA cut scores, NCEA 2025 (opens www2.nzqa.govt.nz in a new tab)

All Physics grade boundaries Physics past papers

Other boards

AQA grade boundaries Pearson Edexcel grade boundaries OCR grade boundaries WJEC grade boundaries Eduqas grade boundaries CCEA grade boundaries SQA grade boundaries Cambridge International grade boundaries VCAA grade boundaries

cookie is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any exam board. Every paper here is a link to the board's own copy on its own website, and the papers belong to the boards that set them. If a link has stopped working, the board's own past paper page is linked on each course. The grade boundaries are copied from the boards’ own published documents, each linked under its table.