SQA announces changes to 2025 exam timetable

Exams in 14 subjects are now moving to different dates, while others will stay on the same date but change time
3rd February 2025, 11:50am

Share

SQA announces changes to 2025 exam timetable

https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/secondary/sqa-announces-changes-2025-exam-timetable
SQA announces changes to 2025 exam timetable

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has today announced changes to the 2025 exam timetable for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher.

It means that exams in 14 subjects are now moving to different dates, while others will stay on the same date but change time.

The 2025 exams will now start one day earlier on Friday 25 April, and end as planned on Monday 2 June, which the SQA says is a way of “addressing concerns about exam workload for learners”.

In 2024, the SQA consulted with organisations including Schools Leaders Scotland (SLS) and education directors’ body ADES before the publication of the 2025 national qualifications timetable. The SQA was asked to consider a later start date so that students had a full week back at school after the Easter holidays.

The SQA subsequently delayed the start of the timetable to Monday 28 April, saying today that it was “advised that any scheduling issues could be resolved at a local level within schools”.

Growing concerns about timing of exams

However, since publishing the timetable last year, the SQA says that “a growing number of concerns have been raised about the increase in coincident and consecutive exams” - where two or more exams have been scheduled at the same time, or a student is due to sit two exams directly after one another - and an increase in the pressure being put on students.

The timing of this year’s Higher English exam, for example, had proven controversial because it was taking place on the same day as Higher psychology and Higher childcare and development, on Wednesday 7 May. The Higher psychology exam has now been moved to the afternoon of Friday 25 April.

The SQA says that the introduction of an extra day at the start of the timetable significantly reduces the number of coincident and consecutive exams. It also “eases potential logistical challenges for schools and colleges, including assessment arrangements for learners who require additional support”.

The SQA stresses that, while the new timetable does decrease the number of students impacted by scheduling issues overall, they “may mean that some learners will have consecutive exams that they did not have previously”. It “discussed feedback and the revised timetable with SLS and ADES, and all parties agree that these changes will be an overall benefit to learners and schools”.

The changes announced today are:

Change of exam day

The SQA has changed the day and date of these exams:

  • Accounting - all levels.
  • Classical studies - all levels.
  • Computing science - all levels.
  • Dance - all levels.
  • Engineering science - all levels.
  • English for speakers of other languages - Higher.
  • French - all levels.
  • German - Higher.
  • Media - Higher.
  • Modern studies - all levels.
  • Nuadh-eòlas - all levels.
  • Practical metalworking - National 5.
  • Practical woodworking - National 5.
  • Psychology - all levels.

Change of exam time

These exams remain on the same date but the SQA has changed the exam times:

  • Biology - National 5.
  • Cantonese (listening) - Higher.
  • Cantonese (listening and discursive writing) - Advanced Higher.
  • Care - National 5 and Higher.
  • Fashion and textile technology - National 5 and Higher.
  • Mandarin simplified and traditional (listening) - Higher.
  • Mandarin simplified and traditional (listening and discursive writing) - Advanced Higher.
  • Religious, moral and philosophical studies - National 5.
  • Urdu - Higher.

Jean Blair, director of operations at SQA, said: “Our top priority is developing a timetable that allows learners to produce their best work on the day of their exams.

“As the Easter holidays are later this year, we responded to feedback from partners and produced a compressed timetable to allow learners more time to prepare for their exams. This led to a rise in coincident and consecutive exams.”

She added: “We have listened to and share the concerns raised by schools, colleges, learners and parents/carers about this. The new timetable will ease pressure for many learners giving them a better chance to perform to the best of their abilities on the day of their exam.”

Helping students be ‘exam ready’

Graham Hutton, general secretary of SLS, and Stewart Nicolson, joint chair of the ADES curriculum, assessment and qualifications (CAQ) network, said they agreed with the changes to the 2025 exam timetable. 

Education secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “I am pleased that the SQA has listened to the concerns raised on behalf of pupils, parents and carers, which means important changes have been made to the 2025 exam timetable. This solution significantly reduces the number of coincident and consecutive exams.”

She added: “While I understand that changing the exam timetable at this stage may bring some challenges, the amendments have been made with young people’s best interests in mind.

“I hope this will provide some reassurance to pupils who will soon be preparing to sit their exams and I am grateful to all those making accommodations to support this change.”

Schools, colleges and other SQA centres where examinations are sat have been informed of the update to the start of the exam period and of the changes to the timetable. The changes to the 2024-25 exam timetable, as well as the full revised timetable, can be found on the SQA website.

For the latest in Scottish education delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for Tes’ The Week in Scotland newsletter

Want to keep reading for free?

Register with Tes and you can read two free articles every month plus you'll have access to our range of award-winning newsletters.

Register with Tes and you can read two free articles every month plus you'll have access to our range of award-winning newsletters.

Keep reading with our special offer!

You’ve reached your limit of free articles this month.

/per month for 12 months
  • Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content
  • Save your favourite articles and gift them to your colleagues
  • Exclusive subscriber-only stories
  • Over 200,000 archived articles
  • Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content
  • Save your favourite articles and gift them to your colleagues
  • Exclusive subscriber-only stories
  • Over 200,000 archived articles

topics in this article

Recent
Most read
Most shared