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SQA Results Service 2018 FAQ

SQA Results Service FAQ- Results Day 7th August 2018

With SQA Results Day just round the corner now, we hope that everyone gets the results that they're hoping for! This thread aims to provide information about the SQA Results Service, should anyone need to use any of these services come results day.

If you want to have a general chat about results day, or need some advice about the results you have received, check out the SQA Results Discussion thread. You can also have a look at the SQA section of our results day hub for lots of useful information. :smile:

If you have a question regarding the results service, please feel free to post in this thread.

All the best with results!

What is the results service?
The results service is to support candidates who have been affected by exceptional circumstances, or where there is a concern about a grade that has been awarded. It aims to try and ensure that SQA candidates receive the grades and qualifications that they really deserve.

How does the results service work?
There are two types of results service that the SQA provide: exceptional circumstances consideration, and the post-results service.

What is the Exceptional Circumstances Consideration Service?
This service is only open prior to results day. If you were unable to attend your exam or attended but believe your exam performance was affected by exceptional circumstances (e.g. bereavement, illness, etc.), then your school or centre can submit an request on your behalf for this to be taken into account. Only schools, colleges and other SQA centres can submit these requests, and they will have to provide the SQA with evidence of your past performance (e.g. prelims, coursework or class tests).

The deadline for your school or centre to submit a request was 10 working days after the exam that the request was being made for, so these cannot be submitted now for any 2018 SQA exams.

SQA contact and phone number

This is the SQA number 0345 279 1000, more contact information here

What is the Post-Results Service?
This service is available only after you receive your results. The SQA provide you the opportunity to request a clerical check and/or a marking review. The decision to submit these lies ultimately with the head teacher, though your class teacher/head of department will likely have influence in the head teacher's decision.
A clerical check involves an SQA marker ensuring that all of your exam has been marked, the marks added up correctly, and then your marks added correctly to the SQA's database.
A marking review is effectively a remark of the entire exam script by a senior examiner, which ensures that the exam has been marked in line with the national standard. A clerical check is inclusive with a marking review, so if you submit a marking review, you will get a clerical check at the same time.

The use of these services can lead to an increase or decrease of your grade if the SQA discover there has been an error with the paper. Therefore, if you get a B, your grade may be bumped up to an A (if they discover they've given you too few marks) or down to a C (if they discover you've been given marks you shouldn't have). This means that there's an inherent risk in submitting a clerical check or marking review.

Alternative evidence will not be considered as part of the post-results service, and if this submission does not lead to a change in your grade your school/centre will be charged a fee for its submission. It is therefore at the school's/centre's discretion whether or not they will submit a clerical check or marking review.

If you would like to use the post results service, you will need to speak to your school/centre directly. The deadline for requesting marking reviews and clerical checks is 28th August 2018 and your exam centre will be informed of the outcome on 28th September 2018.

I missed the conditions of my University/College offer, can I still get a review and meet my conditions?
Yes, if you missed the conditions of your University/College, your school/centre can submit a priority marking review. These must be submitted by centres by 17th August 2018, and centres and UCAS will be advised on the outcome of this by 27th August 2018. If your grades are increased and it turns out you meet the conditions of your offer, most Universities/Colleges will still offer you your place as long as you let them know by the end of August.

If you do submit a priority marking review, you should let your University/College know as soon as possible on/after results day!

So what if my grade changes as a result of the post results service?
Then you will be issued with a new, updated Scottish Qualifications Certificate and the SQA will change your grade in their system. This will be done by the end of November 2018.

Who can use the results service?
All candidates who have completed their course are eligible to use the results service as long as their centre agrees to do so.

Should I try to submit a clerical check/marking review?
The advice we can give you about whether or not a check and/or review is "worth" it is limited. Bear in mind that your result can go up, down or stay the same and we have seen examples of all three. The best people to ask for advice are your tutors or teachers at school who will be able to use their professional judgement and advise if a submission would be worthwhile.

What are the deadlines for using the post results service?
Priority marking review requests- 17th August 2018
Outcome received by 27th August 2018.

Clerical check or marking review (non priority)- 28th August 2018.
Outcome received by 28th September 2018.

For full information, including answers to more questions and key dates, you can check the full SQA results service page here.

(edited 5 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

Labrador99

Volunteer Team

Remember that if you've missed your uni/college offer and want to use the SQA Results Service, you only have until 17th August for your school to submit the request!

Reply 2

5thyear.

Got a C in higher English after having an A all year and an a in the prelim. Is it worth getting a appeal/re Mark?

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 3

04MR17

Volunteer Section Leader

Original post by 5thyear.

Got a C in higher English after having an A all year and an a in the prelim. Is it worth getting a appeal/re Mark?

It's possible to get an A, but don't expect any more than a B and it's possible your score will go down rather than up. If you can do, check how high you were within the grade boundary and this should help inform your decision about the likelihood of a change jn grade.

Reply 4

Labrador99

Volunteer Team

Original post by 5thyear.

Got a C in higher English after having an A all year and an a in the prelim. Is it worth getting a appeal/re Mark?

The advice we can give on whether a marking review is worth it is limited. You are not able to appeal your grade, so your past performance or prelim grade will not be taken into account- in a marking review, a senior examiner just marks your whole paper again.

I would speak to your teachers about this and get your component marks back too- they will be best able to advise you on what to do/whether they think it is worth it based on how close to a B you were (or if they think it is really abnormal), but do bare in mind that the majority of marking reviews come back with the grades unchanged.

Reply 5

AWallace2001

I was doing crash Higher Geography this year. I was working so hard throughout the year, more than all my other subjects by a long shot. I got an a band 1 in the prelim and was top of the class. I thought my assignment went really well and the exam was relatively good. Somehow I got a C and got an A in every other subject. Do you think it’s worth getting a remark?

Reply 6

Lemur14

Volunteer Section Leader

Original post by AWallace2001

Honestly I'd say the advice in the 2 posts right above yours applies equally to you. If you're near the boundary for a B then it could definitely be worth seeing if a remark pushes it up to a B (or even an A but as said above this would be rare)

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 7

fbailliesharp

Hoping someone can help me!! I know that previous grades etc don't matter, however, in Music and English I got B's in my final exam I was 1 mark off an A in both subjects. In both of my prelims I got A band 1's. English is quite a subjective, so is a remark worthwhile? for 1 mark?I'm quite unsure for music, the listening component (40 marks) is objective, however, I believe that the performance (60 marks) is quite subjective.Is the performance taken into account in a remark?

Reply 8

Labrador99

Volunteer Team

Original post by fbailliesharp

It sounds like it could be worth a shot, if your school are willing to put it in! I'm not sure about music, so best to check with your music teacher/school on that one :smile:

Most marks do come back unchanged, but if you are only a mark away, it's worth a shot!

Reply 9

fbailliesharp

Original post by Labrador99

It sounds like it could be worth a shot, if your school are willing to put it in! I'm not sure about music, so best to check with your music teacher/school on that one :smile:

Most marks do come back unchanged, but if you are only a mark away, it's worth a shot!

Thanks for getting back to me, does anyone know the success rates? Also anyone know about music, is the practical listened to?

Reply 10

Labrador99

Volunteer Team

Original post by fbailliesharp

Thanks for getting back to me, does anyone know the success rates? Also anyone know about music, is the practical listened to?

If you look at this part of the SQA website and scroll down until you get to 'Results Services Report 2017', then it's the excel spreadsheet called 'Results Services Report Statistical Tables 2017'- that details how many of each service were requested, and how many of each outcome there were for each subject/level.
Hope this helps :smile:

Reply 11

td035050

My son got a B in Nat 5 Biology. He got 75% in exam and 44% in coursework. School is refusing a remark as he was predicted a B. Should I appeal to the school, seems an unusually low, almost a fail, mark for the coursework....

Reply 12

Labrador99

Volunteer Team

Original post by td035050

A B is still a great grade! Ultimately the decision about a remark lies with the school, as only they can submit one, so if they don't think the grade will change, they won't want to submit one (as if it is unchanged, they get charged). A lot of people don't do great in the coursework, and even a change of a couple of marks in the coursework won't make a huge difference overall, with it being a smaller component of the overall mark.
This probably isn't what you'd like to hear, but is my opinion on it, though of course, it is up to you what you try and do :smile:

Reply 13

td035050

Original post by Labrador99

I get what you mean. One mark more and he has an A, exactly same situation for Chemistry too. We want answers from school so it doesn’t happen again for Highers.....

Reply 14

Labrador99

Volunteer Team

Original post by td035050

I get what you mean. One mark more and he has an A, exactly same situation for Chemistry too. We want answers from school so it doesn’t happen again for Highers.....

The unfortunate thing about these is that different schools have different policies on them :s-smilie:

With it only being one mark away, there is a reasonable case to be made for giving it a shot, but equally, for most students going on to highers, national 5s are of limited importance. You can try and encourage the school (if you haven't already and feel you want to make sure you've done your best), but a B rather than an A at national 5 is far from the end of the world, and he can still go on to get great grades in his highers this year!

Reply 15

Blookie

Hi I am getting a Priority Marking review for my ADV H English course where I was 5 marks off an A. I was predicted 26/30 for my portfolio but I was given a tragic 15/30. Do you think there is much chance of my marks going up? I have a conditional at Durham

Reply 16

Labrador99

Volunteer Team

Original post by Blookie

In terms of percentage success, the odds are not that great for any marking reviews. And although 5 marks is a fair bit, English can be subjective and with your uni place depending on it, you understandably want to be absolutely sure that you have tried everything as your uni place is dependant on it, so I think the marking review was absolutely a good decision :smile:

But in all honesty, while there is a chance, I wouldn't get your hopes up too much and would encourage you to look into different options if you haven't already. Hope it's successful for you though! :smile:

Reply 17

amamanon

Original post by Labrador99

What are the percentage rates of success for each subject at higher?

Reply 18

Labrador99

Volunteer Team

Original post by amamanon

What are the percentage rates of success for each subject at higher?

If you go on this page on the SQA website and click on the one called 'Results Services Report Statistical Tables 2017', that will give you all of the data you could need :smile:

Reply 19

amamanon

Original post by Labrador99

If you go on this page on the SQA website and click on the one called 'Results Services Report Statistical Tables 2017', that will give you all of the data you could need :smile:

Can we get a copy of our exam? Im am 90% sure my exam was marked wrong but cant get a remark cos i got a band 2 A