NCEA Physical Education Updates for 2026
Date: 7 Oct 2025
Teachers and kaiako are reminded that all assessments in 2025 must continue to use the current 2025 versions of the Achievement Standards and assessment materials.
From October 2025, updated versions of all Level 1 Physical Education materials will be available on the NCEA Education website as PDFs labelled “Draft for planning purposes – for use in 2026.” These are for familiarisation and planning only and must not be used for assessment in 2025. Final registered versions will be published on the NZQA website in December 2025.
For clarity, NZQA has not yet released any formal updates. The anticipated timelines for this is December 2025. With changes to AS92016 and AS92017 revisions are needed to NZQA supporting documentation.
What’s New for Physical Education
- Changes to Achievement Standards 92016–92019 (Level 1).
- Conditions of Assessment are now more general and apply across the two internal standards, rather than being tailored to each individual standard.
- The Learning and Course Outlines have been refreshed, with stronger connections to te ao Māori, hauora, and movement in Aotearoa and the Pacific.
- There are no changes to the competencies being assessed, only to the clarity of language and expectations for teaching and evidence collection.
- Teachers can now access updated sample assessment activities and unpacking guides to support planning and moderation.
Changes to Standards
Where to Find the Updates
Visit https://NCEA.education.govt.nz/health-and-physical-education/physical-education and look for the updated PDFs under the Learning and NCEA Support tabs.
Each document includes a summary of updates to help you identify what has changed.
PENZ encourages teachers and departments to download and review these materials during Term 4 to prepare for 2026. As always, we're happy to help with any questions or queries regarding the changes to the standards for 2026.
