Around a quarter of all teacher estimates have been “adjusted” by Scotland’s exam body after the exams were cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic and teacher judgements placed at the heart of the new grading process.
Education secretary John Swinney said 133,000 entries were adjusted from the initial estimate, around a quarter of all entries.
Mr Swinney said 6.9 per cent of those estimates were adjusted up and 93.1 per cent were adjusted down, with 96 per cent of all adjusted grades changed by one grade.
He added: “Without moderation, pass rates at grades A-C compared to last year would have increased by 10.4 percentage points for National 5, by 14 percentage points for Higher and by 13.4 percentage points for Advanced Higher - annual change never been seen in Scottish exam results. I know teachers and lecturers will always want the best for their pupils but I believe that teachers have acted professionally.”
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The Higher pass rate has hit its highest level this year since 2016 - the year the new Higher was fully introduced in Scottish schools - with 78.9 per cent of pupils achieving an A to C grade this year - a rise of approximately four percentage points on last year.
The pass rate has also risen this year at National 5 and Advanced Higher. The N5 pass rate was 78.2 per cent last year but has risen to 81.1 per cent; the Advanced Higher pass rate was 79.4 per cent last year and has risen to 84.9 per cent.
The education secretary and depute first minister John Swinney today met senior pupils at Stonelaw High School in South Lanarkshire to discuss their results and how they dealt with the challenge of learning during lockdown.
He also took part in a video call on digital learning platform e-Sgoil with pupils from around Scotland to congratulate them on their results.
Mr Swinney said: “In the face of an incredibly tough few months for pupils and teachers, we can today celebrate the achievements of all learners. Young people have received awards that recognise their hard work and allow them to move onto the next stage in their lives.
“Scottish exams have never before been cancelled. I am immensely grateful to all teachers and lecturers who worked incredibly hard to assess achievement this year, and to the SQA for developing the certification model - without either, young people could not have received qualifications.
“There was a rise in pass rates at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher. While comparisons with previous years need to be considered carefully, given the disruption to learning this year this is a good set of results for our learners. I am pleased to see the number of skills based awards, that teach vital knowledge and experience valued by employers, rise by 18 per cent to 64,221.
“This year’s results also show there has been a narrowing of the attainment gap at grades A-C between the most and least disadvantaged young people, which is now narrower this year for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher than last year, or indeed the average for the last four years.
“All exam systems rely on an essential process known as moderation to uphold standards. This ensures an A grade is the same in every part of the country, making the system fair for everyone, and across all years. As the national exams body, only the SQA can maintain the consistency and the integrity of our qualifications. This year, by necessity, the moderation model is different and has been subject to additional scrutiny.
“Teachers and lecturers applied their judgements against national standards and today’s data shows that three out of every four grade estimates were not adjusted by the SQA.
“133,000 entries were adjusted from the initial estimate, around a quarter of all entries. 6.9 per cent of those estimates were adjusted up and 93.1 per cent were adjusted down, with 96 per cent of all adjusted grades changed by one grade.
“Without moderation, pass rates at grades A-C compared to last year would have increased by 10.4 percentage points for National 5, by 14 percentage points for Higher and by 13.4 percentage points for Advanced Higher - annual change never been seen in Scottish exam results. I know teachers and lecturers will always want the best for their pupils but I believe that teachers have acted professionally.
“I know that learners who did not achieve what they were expecting will be disappointed. However, the SQA will be operating a free appeals process this year. The appeals process is an integral part of awarding this year, and will play an important role in giving schools and colleges the opportunity to present evidence in support of teacher and lecturer estimates. The SQA has ensured that sufficient resources are in place to support this process and priority will be given to learners who need their grades to meet a conditional university or college offer.
“This year has been exceptionally challenging but these robust processes mean we have upheld standards so that all learners can hold their heads up and move onto the next phase in their life, whether that be further study, employment or training.”
*Tes Scotland will be live blogging throughout SQA results day 2020, on Tuesday 4 August. To find our coverage, go to the Scotland hub of the Tes website.
