Free NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement) Exam Questions and Answers
NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement) is a New Zealand certification exam. This page has free practice questions for it with answers and explanations, set out the way the real exam asks them, plus a timed practice test that scores you against the pass mark.
Looking for NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement) exam dumps or ExamTopics questions? These practice questions cover the same ground with verified answers and explanations, a downloadable PDF and a full practice test, kept current as New Zealand updates the exam.
Last updated: October 19, 2026
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Question #1
Hemi buys 3 bottles of milk at $3.40 each at a dairy in Whanganui. He pays with a $20 note. How much change should he receive?
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Multiply first: 3 × $3.40 = $10.20 is the total cost. Change is $20.00 − $10.20 = $9.80. The tempting wrong values come from stopping at the total, or from subtracting the price of only one bottle.
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Question #2
Read the notice from a community newsletter. Come and dig in! The Tūī Street Community Garden has 12 empty plots and gaps on its Saturday morning roster. Helpers learn to grow winter vegetables, share tools and take home what they pick. No experience is needed, only a pair of gloves. Call Mere on 021 555 0143. What is the writer's main purpose?
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The notice invites readers to take part, mentions benefits and removes barriers (no experience needed), so its purpose is to persuade people to join. Growing vegetables is only what helpers will learn, not what the text teaches, and nothing is said about closures or harvest results.
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Question #3
A gym is writing a notice for its changing rooms. Type the one word that correctly completes the sentence. "Please keep ______ belongings in the lockers provided." Choose from: their, there, they're.
Type your answer, then reveal.
Correct answer: their
Explanation
"Their" is the possessive word showing that the belongings belong to the people using the changing rooms. "There" refers to a place, and "they're" is the short form of "they are", which would not make sense here.
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Question #4
A community hall in Timaru is hired for 4 hours at $38 per hour. The hirer gets a 15% discount on the hire cost only. A bond of $25 is then added to the amount to pay. Put the steps in the correct order to find the total amount to pay. Step A: Subtract the discount from the hire cost. Step B: Add the $25 bond. Step C: Multiply 4 by $38 to find the hire cost. Step D: Find 15% of the hire cost.
Put the items in order, then reveal.
- 1.Drop here
- 2.Drop here
- 3.Drop here
- 4.Drop here
Correct answer: Step C; Step D; Step A; Step B
Explanation
Work out the hire cost first (4 × $38 = $152), then the discount (15% of $152 = $22.80), then subtract to get $129.20. The bond is added last, giving $154.20, because the discount applies to the hire cost only and not to the bond.
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Question #5
A magazine article about a local rugby club begins with a line in large bold type that tells readers what the article is about. What is this text feature called?
Correct answer: A
Explanation
A headline is the large bold line at the top that signals the topic of an article. A caption describes a photograph, a byline names the writer, and a glossary explains terms at the end of a text.
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Question #6
Read the extract from a letter to a local newspaper. "Our town needs a skate park. Dozens of teenagers ride on the footpath outside the library because they have nowhere else to go. The council has the land. It must act this year." The writer's purpose is to inform, entertain or persuade. Type the one word that best describes the writer's purpose.
Type your answer, then reveal.
Correct answer: persuade
Explanation
The writer states an opinion ("needs"), gives a reason, and calls on the council to act, which are features of persuasive writing. The text gives some facts, but they are used to support a demand rather than to simply inform.
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Question #7
Read the report from a school sports page. The Waikato under-16 hockey team beat Otago 3-1 on Sunday. The match was played at the Gallagher Hockey Centre in Hamilton. Otago scored its only goal in the second half. It was easily the most exciting game of the season. Which statement from the report is an opinion?
Correct answer: C
Explanation
"Most exciting" is a judgement that different readers could disagree with, so it is an opinion. The venue, the scoreline and the timing of Otago's goal can all be checked, so they are facts.
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Question #8
A rectangular bedroom measures 4.5 m by 3.2 m. Carpet costs $38 per square metre. Calculate the cost of carpeting the whole floor. Give your answer in dollars.
Type your answer, then reveal.
Correct answer: $547.20 OR 547.20
Explanation
Area = 4.5 × 3.2 = 14.4 m². Cost = 14.4 × $38 = $547.20. Adding the sides (perimeter) instead of multiplying them is the common error.
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Question #9
Match each question to the calculation that answers it. Question 1: What is the total cost of 6 concert tickets at $18 each? Question 2: What is each person's share if 8 flatmates split a $168 bill equally? Question 3: What percentage of a 40-mark test is a score of 34? Calculations: Item A: 168 ÷ 8 Item B: 6 × 18 Item C: 34 ÷ 40 × 100 Item D: 40 ÷ 34 × 100
Drag or tap each item onto its target, then reveal.
- Question 1Drop here
- Question 2Drop here
- Question 3Drop here
Correct answer: Question 1 = Item B; Question 2 = Item A; Question 3 = Item C
Explanation
Equal-priced items are multiplied (6 × 18 = $108) and a bill shared equally is divided (168 ÷ 8 = $21). A percentage is the part divided by the whole times 100, so 34 ÷ 40 × 100 = 85%, not the reverse.
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Question #10
Tama works at a café in Nelson. His shift runs from 6:30 am to 2:45 pm and includes a 30-minute unpaid break. He is paid $24.00 per hour. How much is Tama paid for this shift?
Correct answer: C
Explanation
From 6:30 am to 2:45 pm is 8 hours 15 minutes. Taking off the 30-minute unpaid break leaves 7 hours 45 minutes, or 7.75 hours. 7.75 × $24.00 = $186.00. The trap is forgetting to remove the unpaid break, which gives $198.00.
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Discussion
Explain your reasoning, not just the letterOther New Zealand certifications
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FAQ
- Q1: What is the NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement) exam?
- A: NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement) is a professional examination offered by New Zealand.
- Q2: Are there practice questions for NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement)?
- A: Yes. The first ten are free to read with their answers and no account is needed; the rest of the bank and the practice test come with access to the exam.
- Q3: How should I prepare for NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement)?
- A: Start from the official New Zealand exam objectives, which define what is actually tested, and practise against questions written to them rather than to a syllabus someone has guessed at.