Top 3 Self-Study Resources for the NCEA Literacy Assessments

Updated for Term 3, 2026

Jump to:

• Resources for Literacy (Writing) - US 32405

• Resources for Literacy (Reading) - US 32403

In terms of textbooks/workbooks, we're not affiliated with any of the resources we're about to recommend. These are just the resources we consistently use with our students at Trajectory Christchurch, and we know they work.

Check out our full (and free) online Resource Library here.

Resources for Literacy (Writing) - 5 credits

	Summary	Cost
#1 Our Writing CAA Cheatsheet & Guide Trajectory	We made this document to help students better understand the requirements of the Writing CAA itself, before they actually launch into practice. Our Cheatsheet & Guide will take you through... how the marking schedule works; what to expect in the actual test; how to smash the assessment. Download it from our Resource Library. Best for: All students	Free
#2 Past exams NZQA	Past exam papers are the best possible prep you can do. All past Writing CAA papers since 2022 are publicly available. The only drawback is, since the writing is marked holistically, you will need to give your work to your teacher or tutor to get feedback on it. Access past exams from our Resource Library. Best for: All students.	Free
#3 Literacy Essentials Workbook Walker	Contains useful guidance on how to structure different types of writing. Also contains practice sets for the multi-choice spelling/grammar questions (that said, practicing these from past exams would be more beneficial than using the book). Best for: Students needing to start from the basics, and needing a bit more practice.	~$18 from major booksellers

Resources for Literacy (Reading) - 5 credits

	Summary	Cost
#1 Past exams NZQA	Past exam papers are the best possible prep you can do. All past Reading CAA papers are publicly available. Unfortunately, NZQA redacts a good portion of these past exams, for copyright reasons. There are still plenty of unredacted questions for students to practice on, and past exams are a great starting point. Access past exams from our Resource Library. Best for: All students.	Free
#2 Literacy Essentials Workbook Walker	Extra practice for readings and questions. In our view, past exam papers are better than this workbook in terms of practice, so it would be better to hold off on buying the book unless you run out of past exams to practice on. Best for: Students needing a bit more practice.	~$18 from major booksellers

What are the Literacy Common Assessment Activity (CAA) tests?

The Literacy (Reading) CAA and Literacy (Writing) CAA, also known as the NCEA Literacy Co-requisites, are the 5-credit assessments based on Phase 4 of the NZ English Curriculum. They are usually taken by Year 10 or 11 students. In the most recent testing round (May 2026), only 61% of students in NZ passed the Reading, and 57% passed the Writing.

Students must pass all 3 of the CAAs (Numeracy as well) in order to obtain an NCEA qualification at any level. For more information about the CAAs, check out our FAQs.

I need extra help.

If you’d rather not go it alone, we're here to help. We've been helping Christchurch students smash these assessments since 2022. Our 1:1 tutoring is led by tutors who understand these assessments inside and out. Learn more about our Numeracy & Literacy tutoring here.