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Update on National Qualifications 2023-24
Thursday 7 march 2024.
Following our update in March 2023 regarding National Qualifications for 2023-24, we can confirm the services that will be available for learners and the approach to grading this year. We remain committed to protecting the standard of Scotland’s National Qualifications while supporting learners and the wider education community.
Exceptional Circumstances
We recognise that there are times when learners cannot sit an exam for reasons outwith their control. The Examination Exceptional Circumstances Consideration Service (EECCS) will continue to be available this year, meaning those learners with exceptional circumstances can have alternative assessment evidence reviewed to help determine their grades . The EECCS is a pre-certification service and will be available to learners who are unable to attend an exam as well as those whose performance in the exam may have been affected by a personal circumstance, or an unplanned incident on the day, which is beyond their control. This includes, but is not limited to, a medical condition or bereavement, or disruption on the day of the exam reported by the Chief Invigilator.
To be eligible for the EECCS, learners must have completed all the compulsory non-question paper components of their course, such as performances and portfolios. They must also have an estimated grade submitted by their centre.
If a learner is eligible for the EECCS, an SQA-appointed subject specialist will review all the available assessment evidence, including the alternative assessment evidence submitted by their centre, to determine their grade. Heads of Centre will be responsible for ensuring SQA’s criteria are applied when deciding whether the EECCS is the best option for individual learners. The EECCS is not available to learners who have underperformed on the day of the timetabled exam unless they have suffered an exceptional circumstance.
In 2022, following the return of exams, we adopted a generous approach to grading. This meant, where required, significant adjustments were made to grade boundaries compared to in a normal year. Our method to setting standards and grading in 2023 continued to be sensitive to the extent of the ongoing impact of the pandemic.
Last year we returned to full course assessment in the current session (with the exception of a handful of courses where the retention of the modifications was found to be beneficial to learners). This includes the return of coursework across a range of courses.
In 2024, we will therefore consider any impact on learners completing coursework for the first time, as part of their SQA assessments, in our grading decisions. These considerations will be incorporated into our well-established grading processes. This will provide fairness and safeguards for learners and help to provide assurances across the wider education community.
We will share more detailed information on our approach to grading when we issue the 2024 results in August.
Appeals
Learners will be able to appeal any of their final grades by requesting a review of their SQA-marked assessment components. In keeping with last year, the service will continue to be free and available for learners to access directly. Alternative assessment evidence will not be required and SQA appointees have told us that this will ensure fairness for all learners. The appeals service will include a priority service for learners with conditional offers for further education, training or employment. We continue to work closely with UCAS to ensure the outcome of priority appeals will be released ahead of their deadline.
Evaluation of the approach to assessment and awarding in 2022-23
An extensive evaluation of assessment and awarding in 2022- 23 was carried out with 4,600 learners, teachers and lecturers reflecting on their experiences and providing their feedback on last year. This represents a significant increase in participation levels.
Our analysis of the evaluation is almost complete. Initial analysis of the findings shows that the appeal service in 2023 was a fair process for learners, including learners with additional support needs. This has informed our decision to keep the appeals service consistent this year.
As expected, a mix of views is evident among learners and educators, including SQA appointees on exceptional circumstances and appeals.
SQA will take time to understand these findings and use them to shape future approaches.
Communicating with learners and their parents/carers
SQA will share information about these services with learners, parents and carers via social media and our website over the next few months.
Learners will be provided with a copy of the Your Exams booklet which includes information on EECCS, appeals and general tips and advice on revising for and sitting exams. Your Exams will be distributed to learners, via their centre, later this month.
We will also publish dedicated results information on our website from June.
Further information
We have published an Equalities Impact Assessment and a Children's Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment for the EECCS and Appeals service .
For these services to work effectively and efficiently we need everyone involved to play their part. Guidance on how to use both the EECCS and appeals services, including roles and responsibilities for appeals, will be published before they go live.
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English course reports
Course Reports are a valuable resource for those delivering National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses as they contain information that can help you, the teacher or lecturer, prepare candidates for future assessment.
It is helpful to read your subject course report in conjunction with the published course assessment documents and marking instructions.
All the links below are external links to the main SQA website and open as PDF files.
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Supporting study
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Learners studying for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses will be assessed through coursework and exams.
For session 2023-24, SQA has removed the temporary assessment modifications that were put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, and reinstated coursework.
Your child’s teachers or lecturers will advise them on how each of their courses will be assessed. SQA has also published a table that summarises how each National Course is assessed, which you can view on the SQA website .
Useful websites
Revision guides.
SQA study tips and past papers can help your child to get exam ready, with tips on setting up a successful study planner and taking effective notes. They can also practise for their exams using SQA past papers and marking instructions.
BBC Bitesize: Revision guide: Resources and information to support school work and homework.
Pointers for Parents and Pupils - Supporting Learning and Revision - Revision tips and essential information from the National Parent Forum of Scotland.
National eLearning Offer (NeLO) – Information for parents
Past papers and marking instructions
Download official SQA National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher past papers and marking instructions from the past papers page of the SQA website . Some of the 2022 past papers are labelled ‘modified’. This means SQA made changes to the question paper as part of its temporary modifications to assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your child should check with their teacher before using past papers for revising.
Additional support needs/disabilities
Children who are disabled and/or have additional support needs can get assessment support when they are studying for National Qualifications. You should contact your child’s school to discuss the different types of support available.
SQA can put assessment arrangements in place to support disabled learners or learners with additional support needs during their assessments. View SQA’s assessment arrangement guide for learners. .
View more information on Digital SQA exam papers and assessments.
Dyslexia Scotland has leaflets and information to guide learners when studying and preparing for exams.
Enquire have information for parents about support with exams and assessments and advice for young people on their Reach website .
'Nationals in a Nutshell' guides
The National 4 in a Nutshell series summarises the National 4 qualifications from the National Parent Forum of Scotland for parents and carers. Please note that the course assignment (added value unit) for National 4 is optional for 2021 to allow more teaching and learning time.
The National 5 in a Nutshell series summarises the National 5 qualifications from the National Parent Forum of Scotland for parents and carers.
Highers in a Nutshell is written for parents and carers, these are clear concise guides to Highers.
Related links
SQA- publish support for parents and carers to help you to support your child if they are studying for National Qualifications.
SQA publish support for learners to help children stay informed and prepare for their assessments in 2023.
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SQA releases update on 2022-23 exams and qualifications
The Scottish Qualifications Authority has today published an update on 2022-23 national qualifications, including advice on exams, grading and support for teachers.
The SQA said that this follows confirmation in April that modifications to assessment - taking into account disruption caused by the Covid pandemic - would remain in place for this year.
SQA guidance on exams and qualifications
Here are some of the key messages:
In September Tes Scotland reported that the more generous grading than usual, which applied to the 2022 exams , might not continue in 2023.
Today the SQA said: “Significant progress was made in Scotland during the 2022 exams in returning to pre-pandemic standards. However, we recognise that the impact of the pandemic is still being felt by learners and practitioners. Our approach to setting standards and grading in 2023 will therefore continue to be sensitive to the extent of this ongoing impact. The approach will be grounded in evidence and take into consideration the significant modifications made to national course assessments.”
Changes to assessment
All changes to 2022-23 course assessments “are already in place and there are no plans to provide any further advanced notice of question paper content or contexts”.
Summary documents are available for every subject that has modified assessments, explaining how the courses will be assessed. For some subjects, these also include information on changes to freestanding units.
As in 2021-22, the types of modifications depend on the subject and may include removing or reducing parts of an exam or coursework, providing more choice or time during an assessment, or removing a topic from the exam.
Each subject’s “modification summary document” can be found here .
Decisions around whether to continue using the modifications in session 2023-24 will be made later this school year.
National exams, which came back in 2022 after a two-year hiatus, will take place in 2023, starting on Monday 24 April and finishing on Thursday 1 June (a day that has no exams scheduled at the moment but has been described by the SQA as a “contingency day”). With an extra bank holiday recently announced Monday 8 May, to mark the King’s coronation, SQA will review the exam timetable for that day .
The 2023 exam timetable can be viewed here .
Content of national courses
The SQA said it has “made modifications to assessment only - we have not removed any content from national courses”. Teachers “should continue to deliver the full course content to allow learners the opportunity to develop the full range of skills, knowledge and understanding”.
In other words, if a coursework assessment has been removed, students “should still complete activities during class time to develop their knowledge and skills that would normally be assessed through the coursework”.
The SQA indicates that this process is important because it “can support learners when completing their assessments this year, as there may be instances where they can draw on their knowledge and experience of other parts of the course”. As an example, the SQA says that “exposure to practical work in science can help learners tackle certain questions in the exam”.
The SQA adds: “It will equip learners with the essential knowledge, skills and understanding they will need when progressing to further learning, training or employment. In addition, it may provide teachers and lecturers with evidence of how well these skills have developed, which may be useful in supporting a learner’s estimate.”
Support for learners
The SQA said there will be support for students who are unable to sit an exam as a result of “exceptional circumstances” or who “wish to query their results directly with SQA”.
Before any decisions are made about how this will work, the SQA is conducting an evaluation of all 2021-22 arrangements, including its appeals and “exam exceptional circumstances consideration services”. The 2022 appeals process continues to be a source of considerable controversy .
The SQA expects this evaluation to be completed by the end of January.
Contingency arrangements for Covid
The SQA said: “While the clear expectation is that exams will go ahead, SQA recognises that contingency planning is important and sensible. We are continuing to discuss contingencies with the National Qualifications 2023 Group. As with the contingency for 2021-22, if exams were to be cancelled due to public health advice, teachers and lecturers would be asked to determine provisional results by using their professional judgement of evidence that shows each learner’s skills, knowledge and understanding.”
It added: “Provisional results would be based on in-year assessments that normally take place during the session, such as prelims, practical activities, performances and class tests. Teachers and lecturers will gather evidence to support estimates, as normal, referring to our Understanding Standards materials to help ensure evidence is valid and reliable.”
The SQA said that the National Qualifications Group “will continue to work together to build on what performed well in 2021-22”.
Advice for students
The SQA has published Y our National Qualifications , a booklet for students on what they need to do when completing coursework. It also contains advice on preparing for exams. Print copies have been sent to every school and college in Scotland.
A second publication, Your Exams , will be available at the end of March.
e-Sgoil study support
e-Sgoil is continuing to work on online study support for students. Details are available here .
*For updates, the SQA has advised checking the section of its website dedicated to national qualifications, which can be found here .
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