Guide to applying online for a Pre-Assessment Result (PAR)

INSIDE WELCOME ...................................................................................................................................... 3 About the Pre-assessment Result (PAR) ............................................................................. 3 Fees ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Assessment of more than one qualification .......................................................................... 3 Submitting original documents.............................................................................................. 3 Timeframe for processing ..................................................................................................... 3 Results .................................................................................................................................. 3 Tracking the status of your application ................................................................................. 3 Icon ........................................................................................................................................... 5 Description................................................................................................................................ 5 Progress Step ........................................................................................................................... 5 Description................................................................................................................................ 5 Further information ................................................................................................................... 5 Icons used in this guide ........................................................................................................ 6 SET UP LOGIN AND PASSWORD ................................................................................................. 6 START AN APPLICATION .............................................................................................................. 6 COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION............................................................................................. 6 STEP 1 PERSONAL AND CONTACT DETAILS ...................................................................... 6 PERSONAL DETAILS .............................................................................................................. 6 First Name, Middle Name, Last Name (or Family Name) .................................................... 6 Previously used names......................................................................................................... 6 Date of birth, Gender ............................................................................................................ 6 CONTACT DETAILS ................................................................................................................ 7 Contact Email Address ......................................................................................................... 7 STEP 2 QUALIFICATION DETAILS ......................................................................................... 8 Search for institution and qualification .................................................................................. 8 ASSESSED QUALIFICATION DETAILS ................................................................................. 8 Awarding institution name..................................................................................................... 8 English language name of qualification ................................................................................ 8 Original language name of qualification if different from above ........................................... 8 Full or part-time, major / specialisation, division / class, grade point average, dates of study from and to, date qualification awarded................................................................................ 8 AWARDING INSTITUTION/BODY ........................................................................................... 8 Full address of awarding institution/body ............................................................................. 8 STUDY INSTITUTION.............................................................................................................. 9 Full name of institution where study was completed ............................................................ 9 STEP 3 SUPPORTING QUALIFICATION (OPTIONAL) ........................................................ 10 STEP 4 PROFESSIONAL, VOCATIONAL OR TRADE EXPERIENCE TRAINING (OPTIONAL)............................................................................................................................... 11 WORK EXPERIENCE ............................................................................................................ 11 Job title, full or part time, employer name, full address of employer, country, and employment from and to ..................................................................................................... 11

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STEP 5 TERMS AND CONDITIONS ...................................................................................... 12 For applicants ..................................................................................................................... 12 STEP 6 PAYMENT AND SUBMIT APPLICATION ................................................................. 13 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ........................................................................................... 14

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WELCOME Welcome to the NZQA online service for the assessment of qualifications gained outside New Zealand. This guide contains important information to help you complete your application for a PreAssessment Result (PAR). About the Pre-assessment Result (PAR) The PAR application is for Immigration only and is for the purpose of an Expression of Interest in being invited to apply under the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) Skilled Migrant Category. If you require more information regarding the Skilled Migrant Category, visit the INZ website www.immigration.govt.nz. Fees The PAR application fee is NZ$138.00. Applications can only be submitted online and payment is only via Credit Card. Assessment of more than one qualification Only one qualification may be pre-assessed in this application. If you would like more than one qualification pre-assessed, you will need to make a separate application on a separate form, with separate payment in each instance. Submitting original documents Please do not send any supporting documents with this application. Documentation is NOT required for a PAR. If documents are submitted, they will not be the responsibility of the NZQA. Timeframe for processing If all information requested throughout this application form is submitted correctly, a PAR will be issued to you within 20 working days of confirmation of receipt of the application fee. There is no fast track option available for this service. Results A PAR is a provisional and non-binding qualification assessment that does not provide a guarantee of any future assessment result. Tracking the status of your application Login to the NZQA website to track the progress of your application. Enter your email address and password details, and click on the application type you want to track.

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There may be one of several categories, which appear next to Progress:

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The following tables explain how to interpret what you see on the Progress line. Icon Description The step is done. NOTE: this can be reversed at some steps (e.g. Allocation) if returned from a succeeding step. The step is current and the process is Waiting. I.e. NZQA is waiting for an external party (which may be the applicant or agent) to provide documents or information. The processing is on hold pending the response. The step is current and the process is In progress. I.e. a NZQA staff member is working on the application. The process is complete and the application is closed. The report has been dispatched Progress Step Allocation Request More Information Waiting for Information Evaluation Quality Checking Notification Description With the Team Leaders for allocation to an Evaluator. A Team leader or Evaluator is about to compose and issue a request for more information. A request for missing information has been sent to applicant/agent; processing is on hold pending a response. With an Evaluator for assessment. With a Quality Checker for quality checking. With the assessing Evaluator for issuing of the notification email.

If you want to find out what stage your application has reached, and you are having trouble accessing this information online, you can contact NZQA using any one of the contact methods listed on the previous page. Further information If you would like further information about the NZQA or the role of the NZQA Qualification Recognition Services (QRS), please contact NZQA or visit the website: www.nzqa.govt.nz Email Phone Fax Post [email protected] +64 4 463 3000 +64 4 802 3401 Qualification Recognition Services New Zealand Qualifications Authority PO Box 160 Wellington 6140 NEW ZEALAND

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Icons used in this guide

Important note: When you see this icon, there is important information relating to the section you are completing Its time to save your work and progress to the next stage of the application

SET UP LOGIN AND PASSWORD If you are a first time user, you will need to set up an account. This will enable you to return at a later stage, to check on the status of your application. Email address Enter an email address that you can access and check regularly. All correspondence relating to your application will be sent here. Password Record your password in a safe place that you can access at a later stage. Your password must be between 6 and 16 characters. START AN APPLICATION NZQA offer 3 types of assessment for international qualifications: 1. Pre-assessment Result (PAR) 2. International Qualification Result (IQA) 3. Overseas Study Assessment (OSA) To start an application for a PAR, click on the link, Apply for a Preassessment Result (PAR) Application. You can only access this link once you have logged on. COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION STEP 1 PERSONAL AND CONTACT DETAILS In this section, you need to provide your personal and contact details. PERSONAL DETAILS First Name, Middle Name, Last Name (or Family Name) Your first name, middle name and last name will be the names appearing on your PAR report. Previously used names Record in the field, any previously used names or name variations used in your documents. Date of birth, Gender Pick from the calendar or enter in the format, DD MM YYYY your date of birth. Pick your gender.

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CONTACT DETAILS

! !

If you are employing the services of an agent to assist you through the immigration process, or you are an immigration agent making an application online on behalf of your client, please provide the immigration agencys contact details. If any part of your contact details change, you must notify NZQA immediately. This applies to both your email and physical address. Contact Email Address NZQA will use your email address as the preferred method of correspondence this will usually be the same email used above for your log-in.

Once you have saved your personal details, its time to move onto the next stage of the application.

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STEP 2 QUALIFICATION DETAILS In this section, you will need to enter details of the qualification you want to submit for pre-assessment. Start by searching for qualifications currently listed in the NZQA database to pick from.

Before applying for a pre-assessment of your qualifications, check that your qualifications and/or the awarding body or institution is either accredited by the national accrediting body in the country of origin, or is internationally recognised under a multilateral-governmental accord or convention (such as is the case with many maritime qualifications for instance). If NZQA is unable to recognise your qualification(s) because of a lack of accreditation by a national accreditation body or recognition under a multilateral-governmental accord or convention, NZQA will issue you a PAR in which your qualification will be disclaimed. Search for institution and qualification Pick the country where you received your qualification, and enter the name (or parts of the name) of the institution who awarded it. If there is match, pick from the list that matches your qualification. Otherwise, click on the link return to application form and record the institution and qualification names to start entering details of the qualification you want assessed.

ASSESSED QUALIFICATION DETAILS Awarding institution name Enter the full name of the institution that awarded your qualification. For example, the University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Australia. English language name of qualification Either pick from the list of qualifications the name that exactly describes your qualification, or enter the name of the qualification in the text box below. Original language name of qualification if different from above If the name of the qualification above was translated to English, enter the original language name of the qualification here. Full or part-time, major / specialisation, division / class, grade point average, dates of study from and to, date qualification awarded Note that fields in this section are nearly all mandatory. If the field is not applicable, make sure you tick the not applicable box. AWARDING INSTITUTION/BODY

Full address of awarding institution/body For example, University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury campus, Richmond Road, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia, 1234.

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STUDY INSTITUTION Full name of institution where study was completed This field is only relevant if the institution where your study took place is different from the institution that awarded the qualification.

You are now ready to save your qualification. You can edit or delete the information relating to this record at any stage before you submit your application. In the following section, you can list supporting qualifications, which may influence the result of the pre-assessment for this qualification.

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STEP 3 SUPPORTING QUALIFICATION (OPTIONAL) The following section is optional. In this section, you can repeat the previous step, i.e. to add an additional qualification in support of the qualification you want to have pre-assessed.

Once you have saved your supporting qualification, the details you entered will be displayed in a table for you to edit or delete at a later stage before you submit this application. When you have finished adding qualifications, click Return back to steps, to move onto the next stage of the application.

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STEP 4 PROFESSIONAL, VOCATIONAL OR TRADE EXPERIENCE TRAINING (OPTIONAL) Please note the following section is optional. In this section you can list all work experiences that relate to your qualifications including your employers name and address, the position held, a description of your duties and the dates you held the position. A clear description of your work duties and responsibilities is particularly important if you have vocational or trade qualifications. WORK EXPERIENCE Job title, full or part time, employer name, full address of employer, country, and employment from and to Enter the details of your vocational training.

You are now ready to save your work experience details. The details you entered will be displayed in a table where you can edit or delete the information relating to this record. When you have finished adding work experience, click Return back to steps, to move onto the next stage of the application.

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STEP 5 TERMS AND CONDITIONS For applicants Read the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement carefully before clicking Agree. This is confirmation that the information entered online is entered by you. Click Agree and you are now ready to move onto the next stage of the application.

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STEP 6 PAYMENT AND SUBMIT APPLICATION

Please note that fees are subject to change. A new page over a secure connection will open where you can enter your credit card details. You will know immediately if your credit card payment has been accepted. Your qualification will be submitted to NZQA for a PAR. The PAR will be issued to you within 20 working days of receipt of this application. See the section Tracking the status of my application in the front of this guide for more information on how to access and track online, the progress of your PAR.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q. Are there qualifications that NZQA does not assess? NZQA cannot assess the following: Incomplete qualifications including qualifications that are pending completion or being obtained at the time of application Informal or in-service courses Qualification of less than 40 credits (approx 3 months full-time study /400 notional learning hours) Qualifications issued by education and training institutions which are not officially recognised in the country of origin, and / or accredited according to the relevant provisions of that country; unless they are internationally recognised under a multilateralgovernmental accord or convention (e.g. as is the case with many maritime qualifications for instance). Work experience

If you submit an application that falls into these categories, NZQA will close your application. Q. Who assesses international qualifications in New Zealand? Established under the Education Act 1989, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority is a Crown Entity. Section 223 under the Education Act 1989 states: Functions of the Authority (1) The Authority has the following Functions: (h) To Maintain effective liaison with overseas certifying and validating bodies, in order to recognize overseas educational and vocational qualifications in New Zealand and to achieve recognition of New Zealand educational and vocational qualifications overseas: (i). Q. What is the Register and how are qualifications grouped and categorised? The Register criteria set minimum credit and level requirements for each type of qualification. There are ten levels involved in a qualification on the Register - 1 is the least complex and 10 the most. Levels depend on the complexity of learning. They do not equate to 'years spent learning' but reflect the content of the qualification (for more details view the level descriptors). Qualifications on the Register are registered in accordance with an agreed set of title definitions, i.e.

Q. Can I request

a refund?

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NZQA does not pay refunds if you withdraw your application. Refunds are only given under the provisions of the New Zealand Consumer Guarantees Act. Q. When can I contact NZQA to learn my assessment result? Assessment results will not be given over the telephone, by email or fax. NZQA will email the result of your PAR to the address provided by you in contact details. Thats why its so important to notify NZQA if this changes during the period in which your assessment occurs. Unless you give your written authority, NZQA will not answer questions or give information about your application to anyone other than you. Q. What do I need to do if my contact details change? A. If your email address changes and you want NZQA to send your PAR to a different email address from the one originally provided, send or fax a signed written notice of the change and new address details to NZQA. Q. Where will my personal information be kept and how can I access it? The information is held by NZQA at 125 The Terrace (P.O Box 160), Wellington 6140, New Zealand. If you are a New Zealand citizen, a permanent resident of New Zealand, or you are in New Zealand, you have the right to see the information held about you. If you think it is necessary, you may ask for any of the information to be corrected.