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:

Grading

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.

Exams

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 Your 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.