SMART – Overview and access
SMART (Student Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting Tool) supports the assessment of students in Years 3 to 10.
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- AudienceKaiakoStudents
- Resource LanguageEnglish
About this resource
This resource provides an overview of SMART (Student Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting Tool), which supports assessment and aromatawai for students and ākonga in Years 3–10.
SMART is designed to:
- Enable twice-yearly assessments in Reading, Writing, Maths, Pānui, Tuhituhi, and Pāngarau
- Give teachers and kaiako clear, consistent information to support next learning steps
- Provide parents and whānau with confidence about learner progress
This page was updated 20 April 2026.
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SMART – Overview and access
- About SMART
- Getting started with SMART
- SMART Resources
- SMART FAQs
Important
Assessment window 1 closes at 6pm on 22 May 2026 - all review and marking must be complete by this date.
SMART is a bilingual digital tool designed for twice‑yearly assessment and aromatawai in Years 3 –10.
It supports teachers and kaiako to monitor learner progress in reading, writing, maths, pānui, tuhituhi, and pāngarau, aligned with the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.
SMART is free for all schools and kura.
This page contains guidance about SMART, including how to get started and how SMART works. If you're looking to log in to SMART, visit https://smart.education.govt.nz.
About twice-yearly assessment in 2026
From 2026, SMART is one of three approved tools schools can choose for twice‑yearly learning progression monitoring.
For kura kaupapa Māori, Ngā Kura ā‑Iwi, and specified hapū/iwi‑based special character schools, this requirement does not apply in 2026.
During 2026, these kura and schools are welcome and encouraged to start using SMART and to access available supports. The Ministry looks forward to learning from those who choose to give it a try.
How SMART helps you
For teachers and kaiako
Clear, consistent progress information to guide teaching
Automated marking and reporting to save time
Modern tools showing class and individual progress
For school and kura leaders
Consistent reporting aligned with the refreshed curriculum
Flexible school-wide and year-level reporting
-
Easy‑to‑use tools to support meaningful progress conversations with whānau
For parents and whānau
Better insight into your child’s learning journey
Clear information about progress against curriculum expectations
-
Confidence that learning needs are identified early and supported across the year
Key dates for 2026
For the 2026 school year, schools can choose from SMART, e-asTTle and PAT for twice-yearly progression monitoring.
Milestone |
Date |
|---|---|
SMART available for set-up |
From 23 March 2026 |
First SMART assessment window |
Term 2, Weeks 1–5 (20 April – 22 May 2026) |
Second SMART assessment window |
Term 4, Weeks 1–5 (12 October – 13 November 2026) |
e-asTTle discontinued |
End of 2026 |
Getting ready to use SMART
UPDATED: 20 April 2026
1. Access and setup
Schools and kura do not need to sign up for SMART. Access is managed through the Education Sector Logons (ESL).
Your school’s Delegated Authoriser can invite administrators, teachers and kaiako to SMART and assign roles.
How Delegated Authorisers assign SMART roles
Delegated Authorisers can assign SMART roles directly within the Education Sector Logon (ESL) dashboard.
In ESL, select the Delegated Authoriser tab and open the Search users screen. Find and select the user you want to update.
On the user details page, select Edit roles and organisations. Under your organisation, scroll down to find SMART.
Select the arrow to expand SMART and choose the appropriate role for the user. This will typically be School Administrator or Teacher, depending on the functions they need access to.
Once the role is assigned, the user will be able to access SMART according to that role.
Learn more about ESL, including how to set up an account if you don’t already have one: Catalogue of tools and online services | Applications and Online Systems
2. Importing student and class data
Log in to SMART at smart.education.govt.nz.
SMART supports student and class imports using the same approaches and file formats as e‑asTTle.
Guidance on preparing and importing AST files is available below.
SMART – Quick Guide to AST Imports (PDF)
Guidance from SMS providers:
| eTAP | eTAP online manual |
|---|---|
| FACTS | |
| Hero | Download guidance (PDF) |
| Kamar | Kamar reporting – external programs |
| Edge | Download guidance (PDF) |
| Helix | Download guidance (PDF) |
Schools and kura can upload student data to SMART at any time, including adding new students.
After an upload, SMART runs an overnight background process to match students to the correct assessments.
This means there is normally a delay of up to 24 hours before newly uploaded students can access assessment materials and participate in an assessment.
3. Getting to know SMART
A range of guidance documents, training, and supporting resources is available to help with SMART set‑up and early use. These cover logging in, preparing assessments, accessibility features, and understanding reports.
You can also explore the SMART familiarisation environments to see what an assessment looks like.
Access these resources by selecting the SMART Resources tab above.
Need support?
For questions about SMART, contact the SMART team: [email protected]
For technical support, contact the Education Service Desk (N4L): [email protected]
Support for schools and kura getting started with SMART is designed to be engaged at a pace that suits them as they prepare for assessment activity this year.
Resources include self-directed SMART training, guidance, infosheets, and the SMART familiarisation site with more resources released as schools and kura move closer to using SMART in assessment windows.
Explore SMART before assessments begin
The SMART familiarisation site helps teachers, kaiako, students and ākonga get a look at what SMART will feel like ahead of the assessment windows. Practising with the tools, layout, and colour themes ahead of time can help reduce a student's cognitive load, build confidence, and avoid common digital barriers.
Familiarisation sites are a chance to see the types of questions and interactive features that learners will encounter.
Practising with the tools, layout, and colour themes ahead of time can help reduce a student's cognitive load, build confidence, and avoid common digital barriers. It can also help ensure that SMART assessments measure what students know, not how well they can navigate a digital system.
The site is designed for exploration only, from a student perspective. It does not capture or store any data and does not include teacher tools or reporting.
What it offers:
- A preview of the types of questions and scenarios learners and ākonga will encounter
- Examples of interactive tools like rulers and calculators
- Various item (question) types and layouts
- Accessibility colour theme (please note, only blue and black is available in the familiarisation site — other options will be available in the actual assessment)
Access the familiarisation site:
Devices can be tested using the SMART Device Readiness Check - this is done by opening a web browser on the device and entering the following URL into the address bar https://smart.education.govt.nz/pages/diagnostics and pressing return.
The page will automatically run a compatibility check and results will display on screen.
Self-directed training and quick reference guides
These modules are available now through the Education Learning Management System (LMS). You can also download a PDF summary of each module below.
| Module | What it covers |
|---|---|
| SMART Administration Module (PDF) | Set up and manage SMART in your school or kura, including Education Sector Logins (ESL), associated roles, and device compatibility checks. |
| SMART Preparing for Assessments Module (PDF) | Get ready to assess — from loading students, to familiarisation and colour themes, to using the familiarisation site with students. |
| SMART Delivering Assessments Module (PDF) | What’s required for managing assessments in SMART — from preparation, to running sessions, to reviewing results. |
| SMART Marking and Reporting Module (PDF) | Mark student responses and access reporting in SMART. |
| SMART Familiarisation and Colour Themes Module (PDF) | Step-by-step guidance on how to use the familiarisation site with students, and an explore of the accessibility features of SMART. |
Three reference documents for teachers and kaiako delivering SMART assessments: a short information summary, a same-day checklist, and a comprehensive guide.
Use the one that suits the task: a quick refresher, a print-and-go on the day, or a deeper reference when setting up or troubleshooting.
| Resource | What it covers |
|---|---|
| SMART Summary Guide: Delivering SMART Assessments (PDF) | A short orientation to delivering SMART: key terms, preparation steps, and how online and paper-based delivery differ. A useful starting point or refresher. |
| Delivering SMART Assessments on the day (PDF) | A same-day checklist covering setup, starting, running, and ending an assessment session for both online and paper-based delivery. |
| SMART Delivering Assessments Guidance (PDF) | The full reference guide: detailed coverage of session setup, delivery, monitoring, pausing, postponing, marking, and reporting. |
Assessment guides and checklists, rubrics and exemplars
Guides and checklists for each assessment area help teachers and kaiako prepare to assess, run assessments, and understand what SMART covers. For each area there is a guide aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum, a guide aligned to Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, and a quick reference checklist.
Guides and a delivery checklist for Reading (New Zealand Curriculum) and Pānui (Te Marautanga o Aotearoa) assessments.
| Resource | What it covers |
|---|---|
| SMART Reading Assessment Guide (PDF) | Guide for the New Zealand Curriculum Reading assessment (Years 3–10) — covers the curriculum focus by year level, assessment structure and timing, stimulus texts, delivery formats, and how results contribute to reporting to parents and whānau. |
| SMART Pānui Aromatawai Guide (PDF) | Guide for the Te Marautanga o Aotearoa Pānui aromatawai — covers ngā whenu of Te Reo Rangatira, assessment structure, stimulus texts, delivery, and how results contribute to reporting to parents and whānau. |
| Delivering SMART Reading | Pānui Assessments on the day (PDF) | Same-day checklist for teachers and kaiako — preparation, starting the assessment, running online and paper-based sessions, and ending the session. |
Guides and a delivery checklist for Maths (New Zealand Curriculum) and Pāngarau (Te Marautanga o Aotearoa) assessments.
| Resource | What it covers |
|---|---|
| SMART Maths Assessment Guide (PDF) | Guide for the New Zealand Curriculum Maths assessment (Years 3–10) — covers the strands assessed, assessment structure and timing, delivery formats, and how results contribute to reporting to parents and whānau. |
| SMART Pāngarau Aromatawai Guide (PDF) | Guide for the Te Marautanga o Aotearoa Pāngarau aromatawai — covers ngā whenu, assessment structure, delivery, and how results contribute to reporting to parents and whānau. |
| Delivering SMART Maths | Pāngarau Assessments on the day (PDF) | Same-day checklist for teachers and kaiako — preparation, starting the assessment, running online and paper-based sessions, and ending the session. |
Guides and checklist
Guides and a delivery checklist for Writing (New Zealand Curriculum) and Tuhituhi (Te Marautanga o Aotearoa) assessments.
| Resource | What it covers |
|---|---|
| SMART Writing Assessment Guide (PDF) | Guide for the New Zealand Curriculum Writing assessment (Years 3–10) — covers the short-answer and extended writing components, delivery formats, timing, equipment, marking writing using the rubrics, and how results contribute to reporting to parents and whānau. |
| SMART Tuhituhi Aromatawai Guide (PDF) | Guide for the Te Marautanga o Aotearoa Tuhituhi aromatawai — covers the extended writing tasks at each tūārere, delivery formats, timing, marking tuhituhi using the rubrics, and how results contribute to reporting to parents and whānau. |
| Delivering SMART Writing | Tuhituhi Assessments on the day (PDF) | Same-day checklist for teachers and kaiako — preparation, starting the assessment, running online and paper-based sessions, ending the session, and marking and reviewing using the SMART writing rubrics. |
| Step-by-step guide: Marking Assessments (PDF) New! |
A step-by-step guide to marking. |
Writing rubrics (New Zealand Curriculum)
Rubrics for marking the three writing purposes assessed by SMART — writing to entertain, writing to inform, and writing to persuade — along with guidance on how to read them. In 2026, all students are given persuade prompts.
| Resource | What it covers |
|---|---|
| How to read the Writing Rubrics (PDF) | Guidance on how to read and apply the SMART writing rubrics when marking student responses. |
| Writing to Persuade rubric (PDF) | Rubric for marking persuasive writing — used for all SMART writing assessments in Term 2 2026. |
| Writing to Inform rubric (PDF) | Rubric for marking writing that informs — for use when this purpose is assessed. |
| Writing to Entertain — Narrative rubric (PDF) | Rubric for marking narrative writing — for use when this purpose is assessed. |
Tuhituhi rubrics (Te Marautanga o Aotearoa)
Rubrics for marking tuhituhi responses at each tūārere, with an accompanying infosheet. These rubrics are informed by the redesigned Te Reo Rangatira wāhanga ako within Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and are intended as a guiding tool; ongoing review and refinement are anticipated.
| Resource | What it covers |
|---|---|
| SMART Tuhituhi rubrics (PDF) | Draft rubrics for marking 2026 tuhituhi prompts across Tūārere 1 (Tau 3), Tūārere 2 (Tau 4–6), Tūārere 3 (Tau 7–8), and Tūārere 4 (Tau 9–10) — covering orthography, vocabulary, grammar, text purpose, and text construction. |
| SMART Tuhituhi rubrics infosheet (PDF) | Accompanying infosheet for kaiako on how to use the tuhituhi rubrics when marking mokopuna responses. |
Year-level writing exemplars
Exemplars for each year level, showing writing at each score band (1–6) with accompanying feedback. Teachers can use these to mark pieces of writing that SMART cannot (for example, pieces shorter than 100 words), or to confirm or change the AI-assisted scoring for students' writing. These exemplars will be updated later in the year to incorporate information from the scaling and equating processes after assessment window 1.
| Year level | Resource |
|---|---|
| Year 3 | Year 3 writing exemplars (PDF) |
| Year 4 | Year 4 writing exemplars (PDF) |
| Year 5 | Year 5 writing exemplars (PDF) |
| Year 6 | Year 6 writing exemplars (PDF) |
| Year 7 | Year 7 writing exemplars (PDF) |
| Year 8 | Year 8 writing exemplars (PDF) |
| Year 9 | Year 9 writing exemplars (PDF) |
| Year 10 | Year 10 writing exemplars (PDF) |
Accessibility and supporting students with additional needs
SMART is designed to support all learners to engage with assessments. These resources outline the accessibility features built into SMART and how to use them to support students and ākonga with additional needs.
Information for teachers, kaiako, schools, and kura on the accessibility adjustments available within SMART and on supporting students and ākonga with additional needs.
| Resource | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Accessibility Adjustments Within SMART (PDF) | Accessibility adjustments available in the online tool: magnification, colour themes, keyboard navigation, and support for assistive technologies, plus how to apply adjustments in SMART, test devices, and familiarise students and ākonga before assessment day. |
| Supporting Students with Additional Needs to use SMART (PDF) | Guidance on accommodations, making exemption decisions in consultation with whānau and teaching teams, and reporting to parents and whānau, including for students and mokopuna with individualised progress goals. |
Understanding SMART results and reporting
These resources help schools, kura, and whānau make sense of SMART results.
About SMART Reports
Privacy
Privacy information for SMART, including statements for students, parents and whānau, and for teachers, kaiako, schools and kura.
SMART Privacy Information
Please find some answers to Frequently Asked Questions about SMART below.
If you have any further questions or need additional support, contact the SMART team at [email protected]
Frequently asked questions
What are the Assessment and Aromatawai requirements in 2026?
From 2026, schools are required to carry out twice-yearly assessment of Year 3-8 students in Reading, Writing, and Maths using specified tools. Schools can choose between SMART, PATs or e-asTTle for their twice-yearly reporting requirements in 2026.
For kura kaupapa Māori, Ngā Kura ā-Iwi, and specified hapū/iwi-based special character schools, these requirements will not come into effect until 1 January 2027.
SMART is aligned with the new curriculum and free for schools and kura.
While e-asTTle is not aligned with the new curriculum it continues to be free and available for schools and kura.
NZCER PATs is not funded by the Ministry of Education. Schools and kura must pay to use PATs.
Will the assessments happen at set times of the year, or can schools choose when?
For schools and kura using SMART, the assessment interface will be available in two windows through the year:
SMART assessment windows for 2026
Term 2 |
Weeks 1-5 (20 April – 22 May 2026) |
Term 4 |
Weeks 1-5 (12 October – 13 November 2026) |
Will SMART be mandated to use for the 2027 school year?
No decisions have been made for the 2027 school year.
Can I use SMART with just one class in a school?
Yes. SMART is set up at the class level. Individual teachers can configure and run assessments for their own classes. A school does not need to roll out SMART across all classes or year levels at once.
The requirement is that all Years 3–8 students are assessed twice yearly using a specified tool, so the school will need to ensure coverage across all required year levels using SMART, e-asTTle, or PATs.
Can I mix SMART and PATs (or e-asTTle) within a school?
Yes. Schools can choose between SMART, PATs, and e-asTTle to meet the twice-yearly assessment requirements in 2026.
This choice is flexible. For example, a school could use SMART for reading and writing while continuing to use PATs for maths, or use different tools for different year levels. The key requirement is that all Years 3–8 students are assessed twice yearly in reading (or pānui), writing (or tuhituhi), and maths (or pāngarau) using one of the specified tools.
How long does the SMART assessment take to complete?
This depends on the year level and relies on teacher judgement. Assessments are not strictly timed, but the Year 3 assessment would take approximately 30 mins, and up to 50 mins for year 10.
Will SMART be expanded to cover additional skills or learning areas and wāhanga ako?
At this stage, SMART is only being developed for Reading, Writing, Maths, Pānui, Tuhituhi and Pāngarau for Years 3 to 10.
Can schools use SMART to design and create their own assessments (such as for individual classes or school), or does it only have pre-designed assessments?
In Term 1 2026, SMART will only have pre-designed assessments that have been created to align to the New Zealand Curriculum or Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.
Will there be a paper option for schools and kura that don’t have access to reliable Wi-Fi or that don’t use devices?
Yes. SMART is designed to be flexible and supportive. Assessments can be completed online or on paper, depending on what works best for learners.
If a student changes schools or kura, will their assessment data be available to the new school automatically?
Yes, the student’s data will automatically transfer with them. The system is designed to support transitions of students to different schools and maintain a student's progress data.
Is SMART compatible with schools' student management systems (SMS)? If so, how will this happen?
Yes, SMART is compatible with the SMS. Initially, SMART will use the same process and file formats as e-asTTle.
Does SMART connect to the curriculum yearly teaching sequence?
Yes, SMART supports the new curriculum teaching sequence.
SMART provides a rich set of features to support students with learning support needs, such as:
- Multimedia support to engage students with different learning styles
- Magnification tools
- Adjustable colour schemes
- Keyboard navigation
- Alternative input methods
- Extra time allowances
- Breaks during exams
- Modified assessment delivery methods
- Real-time control to pause, resume, or extend exams for individual students
- Screen readers for visually impaired students
- Braille keyboards
- Voice control and mouth stylus for students with limited mobility
- Text-to-speech and speech-to-text software
Will SMART evaluate and recognise diverse ways of knowing and demonstrating learning? Will it be used alongside teacher assessment not instead of?
SMART is intended to support students, teachers and schools. Tools should not be used to replace sound teacher judgement. Instead, tools should be used alongside other sources of assessment to support teachers to determine progress and achievement.
Will SMART be appropriate for students attending specialist schools? Specifically, those schools who are working with students who have significant learning needs?
It is intended that specialist schools will be able to use SMART in the same way as all schools, using it as a source of data to support teachers' judgement on progress and achievement.
However, we are aware that for some students, SMART may not meet their significant needs, and we intend to meet directly with specialist schools in 2026.
Since SMART is a cloud-based platform, where is the student data stored?
All data is stored securely in Aotearoa New Zealand and managed in line with the Ministry’s data protection requirements and New Zealand government data standards. Backups for disaster resilience and recovery are stored in Australia.
Who has access to SMART data?
The Ministry is kaitiaki of all student and ākonga data in SMART. There are robust policies, systems, and safeguards to ensure data is securely protected, ethically managed, and used only in ways that support learners and align with the Ministry’s responsibilities.
There are contractual obligations and operational processes for assuring the data is managed and used appropriately. The platform provider (Janison) cannot use the data for their own purposes.
How is aggregated data used?
At a system level, aggregated data helps the Ministry identify where additional resources or targeted investment may be required to improve outcomes across the education sector, alongside informing policy design. This supports getting the right resources in place to help accelerate learning for those who need it.
Does SMART use Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
Yes, SMART uses AI.
Teachers and kaiako are provided with AI assistance for marking of open-ended questions. SMART is not intended to replace teachers’ professional judgement or subjective feedback.
Why is e-asTTle being replaced?
While we initially planned for e-asTTle to remain available for schools and kura to track learner progress against the new curriculum, a further review showed that it doesn’t meet the technical requirements we need, and it doesn’t fully align with the new curriculum.
Which company is the provider of SMART?
Janison Pty Ltd is the provider of SMART. The Ministry of Education has worked closely with Janison to ensure that the tool is appropriate for the New Zealand context, including alignment of SMART assessment to the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.
Will SMART be available in any Pacific languages?
At this stage, SMART will only be available in English and Te Reo Māori.