KEY POINTS:
The Qualifications Authority is trying to identify "problem" subjects for in-school markers as part of a major evaluation of the way schools grade internal assessments.
A Herald analysis of data for the core subjects of maths, science and English showed more schools tended to take a tougher stance
on grades in in-house marking, relative to students' achievement in external exams.
St Mary's Diocesan School in Stratford, for example, did not award any excellence marks for internally assessed results in its Year 11 science during the period studied - but 8 per cent got the grade in external exams.
Overall in science in the official study, seven schools were identified where students' internal grades were noticeably lower than their externals, compared with three schools at which the reverse happened.
In maths, the split was nine schools to six, while in English the numbers were even.
The NZQA said the study, which was released under the Official Information Act, was still in a preliminary stage and warned against jumping to unwarranted conclusions.
The deputy chief executive of qualifications, Bali Haque, said the process used was always going to identify extremes but that didn't mean there was a problem. Many reasons could lie behind the variances.
He said more work was being done, including a drive to identify "problem subjects" nationally, if they existed.
"The early indications are this is scattered over schools and over departments."
The data showed 102 high schools - about a quarter nationally - had wider-than-average variations between internal and external results in at least one subject.
Auckland's St Cuthbert's College, for example, had four subjects in which internal assessment results tended to be higher than externals.
Secondary Principals Association president Peter Gall said many students did better in work marked at school because they were relaxed and had more time.
"It's a no brainer."
NEW MARKS MAKE THE GRADE, SAYS SURVEY
The new lure of excellence and merit marks on high school exam results aims to drive students to do better and study harder.
A New Zealand Qualifications Authority survey - yet to be officially released - showed 68 per cent of candidates surveyed felt at least a little motivated to try to get an excellence or merit endorsement on their NCEA certificate.
The marks were introduced in time for last year's exams round.
NZQA deputy chief executive of qualifications Bali Haque said the results were encouraging and better than expected.
Secondary Principals' Association president Peter Gall said it showed many had changed their attitudes.
"Previously people were credit counting," said Mr Gall. "They were getting the number of credits and they didn't care if it was an excellence or a merit level at all - the fact that we are now starting to say that the merits and the excellences do matter is a really important thing."
The result was among those of the annual end of year survey of teachers, students and principals' nominees about NCEA and scholarship.
- additional reporting Alanah May Eriksen