Assessment
The latest news and analysis on exams in the UK, including key dates, timetables, results and statistics for Sats, GCSEs and A levels
Thursday
8th Aug 2024
What are the most popular Higher courses in Scotland?
We show the 30 subjects with most entries at SQA Higher level in 2024, and how this list compares with 2019 – the last year before the Covid pandemic
Multiplication tables check 2025: everything you need to know
All you need to know about the Year 4 times tables tests, including which questions are most likely to appear and the 2025 test dates
A-level results day 2024: everything you need to know
A-level results day this year is on Thursday 15 August 2024. Here are all the essential details you need to be aware of
Phonics screening check 2025: all you need to know
This mandatory test is used to determine Year 1 pupils’ phonics skills. Here’s what you need to know, including the 2025 check dates
Why we should mark maths problems like English essays
Traditional methods of marking in maths can miss students who are brilliant problem-solvers, says David Thomas, who suggests a new approach
Wednesday
7th Aug 2024
How big is the gap in SQA results around Scotland?
After education secretary Jenny Gilruth drew attention to a ‘wide degree of variation in results’, we look at the size of that disparity at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher
Exams 2024: Why RAAC, P8 and the pandemic can’t be ignored
While exams were sat as normal this year, the reality is that students have experienced years of disruption – posing problems for them and how schools will be judged on their outcomes
Tuesday
6th Aug 2024
SQA grade boundaries: Higher pass marks by subject
We show the percentage mark that students needed to pass an SQA Higher course in each subject, as the 2024 results data is published
SQA exam results: the attainment gap widens
This year’s Scottish Qualifications Authority annual results data shows pass rates down and the attainment gap is now wider than it was in 2019 at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher
Monday
5th Aug 2024
SQA should cease to exist in 2025 - but what will change?
Ramping up internal assessment and reducing reliance on exams requires more teachers – but councils say they can’t afford them and universities are struggling to recruit
What to do if you think part of an exam paper was not marked
If a student’s GCSE or A-level exam results seem surprisingly low and they’re sure they answered all the questions, it’s worth considering this possibility