Exam Season In Fife

Almost 150,000 candidates will put pen to paper over the next six weeks in just under 500 schools and colleges.

Today sees the start of the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) examination period for tens of thousands of pupils and students across Scotland.

Among the 145,750 pupils and students who will receive their results this summer are candidates who have undertaken qualifications which are continually assessed throughout the year such as National 1, National 2, National 3, National 4, Skills for Work Courses and awards.

Candidates sitting Intermediate 1, Intermediate 2, National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses will begin an examination schedule which starts at 9am on Tuesday with Drama and concludes on Friday 5 June with Early Education and Childcare.

For the first time candidates will sit new Higher examinations, which have been developed to support Curriculum for Excellence.

In total, over half a million exams will be sat during the six-week exam period, with candidates receiving their final results on Tuesday 4 August.

At all levels where exams form part of the qualification, students’ final grade will reflect the combination of coursework, projects,and results from internal assessments conducted through the academic year.

More than 132,000 candidates in 473 schools and colleges are undertaking courses, which include an exam as part of the external assessment, which is marked by SQA.

Dr Janet Brown, SQA Chief Executive and Scotland’s Chief Examining Officer, said: “After months of work and hours of study, tens of thousands of candidates are now preparing to complete their qualifications and take the next step in their education or into work.

“I’d like to wish everyone sitting examinations and taking qualifications at schools and colleges the best of luck between now and the end of the term.

“All of our qualifications, including the new Higher, provide candidates with the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and understanding they’ve acquired and prepare them for further study, employment or training. Our qualifications are robust, relevant, and designed to equip young people with a wide range of skills.”

Each year SQA’s in-house team of assessment experts is supported by some 15,000 ‘appointees’ who help to set, invigilate, and mark more than one million exam scripts, and quality assure the internal assessments.

Dr Brown concluded: “We very much value and rely on the expertise of our appointees and nominees – teachers and lecturers who bring with them a wealth of experience from the classroom. I want to thank them, and SQA's own hard-working staff, for their continued support and commitment to maintaining the high standards of Scottish qualifications."