Terms & Conditions
NEW ZEALAND LINGUISTICS OLYMPIAD (NZLO)
Competition Terms & Conditions
Organiser: Pinnacle Education Trust (PET)
Effective date: 19 October 2026
Official website: www.nzlo.org
1. About NZLO
1.1 The New Zealand Linguistics Olympiad (NZLO) is a not-for-profit educational competition organised by Pinnacle Education Trust (PET).
1.2 NZLO aims to advance linguistics and related disciplines in New Zealand through academic competitions, educational activities and talent development, fostering linguistic analysis, logical reasoning, problem-solving and critical thinking.
1.3 Pinnacle Exam Centre (PEC) may provide competition administration, examination delivery and technical support. PET remains the organiser responsible for overall governance and the not-for-profit mission.
1.4 NZLO seeks to build a fair, transparent, academically credible and sustainable national competition framework and to encourage collaboration among schools, universities, academic bodies and the wider community.
1.5 NZLO is developing a national linguistics olympiad framework in New Zealand, with the long-term aim of applying to participate in international and regional linguistics olympiads. Any future participation is subject to formal recognition by the relevant organisers and satisfaction of applicable eligibility requirements.
1.6 Participation in NZLO does not automatically confer entry to any training camp, national team or international or regional competition.
2. Eligibility and Registration
2.1 Students must meet the age, year-level, enrolment and other eligibility requirements published for the relevant competition year.
2.2 Registration information, including student and parent or guardian contact details, must be accurate and complete.
2.3 A parent or legal guardian must register or authorise registration for a student under 18 and accept these Terms & Conditions.
2.4 NZLO may reasonably verify eligibility and request supporting documents.
2.5 Registration is confirmed once the required process is completed and any applicable fee has been paid or an approved waiver has been granted.
2.6 False identities, duplicate registrations and other attempts to obtain an unfair advantage are prohibited.
2.7 Entries are not transferable without NZLO’s prior written approval.
3. Competition Structure and Arrangements
3.1 NZLO may include a School Round, National Final, academic training camps and other selection, assessment or academic development activities.
3.2 Format, dates, venues, eligibility, examination duration and selection criteria will be published for each competition year.
3.3 Activities may be delivered in person, online or through another suitable format, with relevant requirements communicated in advance.
3.4 NZLO may make necessary and reasonable changes to protect academic integrity, safety, fairness or legitimate operational needs.
3.5 Participants and families are responsible for reviewing official notices and complying with published attendance and participation requirements.
4. Fees and Accessibility
4.1 NZLO operates on a not-for-profit basis. Fees are intended to cover reasonable and necessary delivery costs, not to generate commercial profit.
4.2 The School Round is free for eligible students.
4.3 Reasonable fees may apply to the National Final, some training camps and other later-stage activities.
4.4 Costs may include venues, examination materials, supervision, academic problem-setting and review, necessary administration and other reasonable activity-related expenses.
4.5 All applicable fees, payment deadlines and arrangements will be disclosed before registration and payment.
4.6 NZLO will provide a confidential process for requesting fee waivers or subsidies on financial-hardship grounds, assessed in light of need and available resources.
4.7 Information submitted for financial assistance will be used only for necessary assessment and administration.
4.8 Registration, progression, marking, awards, training and future selection must not depend on purchasing commercial courses or other paid educational services.
4.9 Commercial coaching is never a mandatory condition of participation and purchasing it must not influence academic assessment or selection.
5. Cancellation and Refund Policy
5.1 General principles. Fees support the necessary costs of delivering NZLO activities. Refunds will be assessed fairly by reference to the withdrawal date, reasonable costs already incurred or committed, individual circumstances and applicable New Zealand law. Cancellation charges must not be punitive or unlawful.
5.2 Withdrawal before registration closes. A participant withdrawing before the published registration closing date will normally receive a full refund. Non-refundable third-party transaction fees may be deducted only where clearly disclosed before payment and permitted by law.
5.3 Withdrawal after registration closes. NZLO may deduct reasonable costs attributable to the registration that have already been incurred or committed and cannot reasonably be recovered. Any remaining balance will be refunded.
5.4 Withdrawal within seven calendar days. Where a participant withdraws within seven calendar days of the activity, a refund will not normally be available to the extent that reasonable costs have already been incurred or irreversibly committed. Any avoidable or recoverable balance will be considered for refund. Exceptional circumstances are addressed in clause 5.8.
5.5 Non-attendance. A participant who does not attend without advance notice will not normally receive a refund. Serious unforeseen circumstances may be considered. Statutory rights remain unaffected.
5.6 Cancellation by NZLO. If NZLO cancels a paid activity and cannot provide a suitable alternative, the participation fee for that activity will be refunded in full. NZLO will communicate any suitable alternative and available options promptly.
5.7 Postponement or date change. Registration will ordinarily carry over to the revised date. If a participant cannot reasonably attend, NZLO will provide a suitable alternative or refund as appropriate to the circumstances and applicable law.
5.8 Exceptional circumstances. NZLO may consider serious illness, bereavement, major accidents or other significant unforeseen events and may request reasonable supporting evidence directly relevant to the request.
5.9 Refund procedure. Requests should be emailed to info@nzlo.org with the student’s name, activity, payment details and reason. NZLO will review requests within a reasonable time and communicate the outcome. Approved refunds will normally return to the original payment method or another agreed method where necessary.
5.10 Statutory rights. Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts or modifies rights or remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded under New Zealand law, including the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 where applicable.
6. Academic Integrity and Conduct
6.1 Participants must complete assessments independently unless collaboration is expressly authorised.
6.2 Unauthorised assistance, including AI tools, communications devices, reference materials or third-party help, is prohibited.
6.3 Participants must follow examination rules and reasonable directions from invigilators.
6.4 Unreleased questions, answers and confidential materials must not be disclosed.
6.5 NZLO may investigate suspected breaches and impose proportionate sanctions, including cancellation of results, awards or eligibility, where misconduct is established.
6.6 A participant will have a reasonable opportunity to respond before a serious disciplinary decision is finalised.
7. Results, Awards and Selection
7.1 Results will be determined under published marking and assessment procedures, with moderation or review where appropriate.
7.2 Awards, rankings and training invitations will depend on academic performance and applicable eligibility criteria.
7.3 Paying a fee does not guarantee an award, ranking, training place or selection.
7.4 Participants may request review of a possible marking or administrative error within the period specified by NZLO.
7.5 Academic assessment and selection must remain fair, transparent and appropriately independent of commercial interests, sponsorship and donations.
7.6 Any future international or regional team selection will follow separately published criteria and relevant competition eligibility rules. NZLO does not guarantee international or regional places.
8. Changes, Technical Failures and Unforeseen Events
8.1 NZLO may reasonably adjust activities in response to venue unavailability, network or examination-system failures, severe weather, natural disasters, public-health or safety concerns, or other significant disruptions outside its reasonable control.
8.2 Where a paid activity is affected, NZLO will communicate alternatives and applicable refunds as soon as reasonably practicable.
8.3 NZLO will take reasonable steps to minimise disruption and safeguard participants’ interests.
8.4 If technical problems undermine the fairness or validity of an assessment, NZLO may offer a free resit, reassessment or other suitable remedy.
8.5 If no suitable remedy can be provided, refund rights will be assessed in light of the circumstances and applicable law.
8.6 Interruptions arising from a participant’s own device or connection will be handled under the relevant year’s examination rules and circumstances.
9. Privacy and Personal Information
9.1 NZLO collects information reasonably necessary for registration, eligibility, administration, results and relevant communications.
9.2 Personal information will be handled in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020.
9.3 Necessary information may be shared with authorised academic reviewers, examination administrators and service providers subject to appropriate safeguards.
9.4 Publication of students’ names, schools and awards will be subject to applicable privacy requirements and consent arrangements.
9.5 Event photography or recording for promotional purposes will be subject to appropriate consent, particularly for students under 18.
9.6 Individuals may seek access to and correction of personal information in accordance with law.
9.7 NZLO will take reasonable steps to protect information against unauthorised access, use, disclosure and loss.
10. Intellectual Property
10.1 Original NZLO problems, marking materials, teaching resources and related content may be protected by intellectual property law.
10.2 Protected materials must not be copied, distributed, published or commercially exploited without authorisation, except as permitted by law.
10.3 NZLO may release selected materials for educational purposes.
10.4 Third-party materials remain the property of their respective rights holders unless otherwise agreed in writing.
11. Funding Support and Voluntary Donations
11.1 NZLO seeks to advance linguistics and related subjects in New Zealand through competitions, educational programmes and talent development, expanding opportunities for students to discover and explore linguistics.
11.2 As a not-for-profit educational initiative, NZLO welcomes funding, sponsorship and voluntary donations from government bodies, educational institutions, businesses, foundations, schools, families and the wider community.
11.3 Support will be applied to NZLO’s not-for-profit educational purposes, including competition delivery, academic resources, training, outreach, fee assistance and necessary costs related to future regional and international academic engagement.
11.4 Donations are voluntary. No donation, sponsorship or funding contribution may influence eligibility, marking, ranking, awards, training or future team selection.
11.5 Mandatory participation fees will not be described or treated as voluntary donations.
11.6 NZLO may establish an NZLO Access Fund to provide fee waivers or other reasonable assistance to students in financial need.
11.7 All funding must be administered consistently with PET’s charitable purposes, applicable law and financial-management requirements.
11.8 Funding, commercial sponsorship and charitable donations will be classified according to their actual nature. Any tax deductibility depends on applicable law and eligibility.
12. Complaints and Disputes
12.1 Participants and parents or legal guardians may raise concerns about registration, fees, administration, academic assessment or conduct.
12.2 Complaints should be emailed to info@nzlo.org with relevant facts and supporting material.
12.3 NZLO will handle complaints fairly within a reasonable time.
12.4 Where practicable, academic complaints may be reviewed by an appropriate person who did not make the original decision.
12.5 Nothing in these terms limits legal rights or remedies.
13. Responsibility and Safety
13.1 NZLO will take reasonable steps to provide a safe, orderly and fair environment.
13.2 Participants must follow venue safety rules and reasonable staff directions.
13.3 Parents and guardians remain responsible for appropriate transport and supervision in light of the student’s age and the event arrangements, unless NZLO has expressly accepted a specific supervisory responsibility.
13.4 Relevant health, safety or accessibility needs should be communicated in advance where reasonably practicable so suitable support can be considered.
13.5 NZLO does not exclude or limit any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.
14. Changes to These Terms
14.1 NZLO may update these Terms & Conditions as necessary.
14.2 The version in force at registration will generally apply to that registration.
14.3 Material changes affecting existing registrations will be communicated and will not retrospectively remove accrued legal rights.
14.4 The current version and effective date will be published on the official website.
15. Governing Law
These Terms & Conditions are governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of New Zealand.
16. Contact
New Zealand Linguistics Olympiad (NZLO)
Organiser: Pinnacle Education Trust
Programme Director: Winnie Qi
Email: info@nzlo.org
Website: www.nzlo.org