SQA Exams will NOT go ahead - but you will still receive qualifications

"We must do our utmost to ensure that the interests and life chances of our young people, due to sit exams from the end of April this year, are protected. Their achievements must be rightfully and fairly recognised"

"I want the 2020 cohort to hold their heads high and gain the qualifications and awards that they deserve after many years of hard work"

"I want them to be assured that we are doing all we can to deliver the best outcome for them"

Reply 2

"Scotland's Chief Examining Officer has advised me that with the support of the wider education system a credible certification model can be put in place that can command confidence in the absence of the exam diet to ensure that young people in our schools and colleges, who through no fault of their own are unable to sit exams, are in no way disadvantaged"

Reply 3

"I anticipate that this model will use coursework, teacher assessments of estimated grades and prior attainment as the basis of certification".

"In order for such an approach to be effective, the Scottish Qualifications Authority will require relevant units to be completed and coursework and teacher estimated grades to be submitted by the agreed deadlines, or indeed sooner where that is possible".

F*ck F*ck F*ck

Original post by Labrador99

A statement that Joseph Goebbels would be proud of. Is anyone really stupid enough to believe this?

Reply 6

Original post by Labrador99

"I should stress that these elements form part of the suite of materials provided to the SQA every year when a full exam has been in operation".

Reply 7

Statement from SQA:

This is an unprecedented situation, and the closure of schools for an extended period will affect almost every family across Scotland.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority has recently been working through a range of scenarios in relation to the exam diet, including disruption and postponement. However, as the Deputy First Minister has outlined in Parliament today, the exam diet in 2020 cannot go ahead and I have been asked by the Deputy First Minister to develop an alternative certification model.

That work has started, at pace, and I will say more on that as soon as I can. What I can say now is that we want to ensure that we have as much information on the achievements of learners as possible.

That is why the Deputy First Minister has asked schools and colleges to continue to work with young people to ensure that any units and coursework are completed and estimated grades are provided by teachers, drawing on the available evidence gathered throughout the year, to SQA’s existing deadlines, or earlier if that is possible. For many learners, we will also have prior attainment information which will be helpful to us.

I fully appreciate that this will be an uncertain time for learners who have worked hard throughout the year and will now, with their families, be worried about what this means for them. Everyone here at SQA will do their utmost, with the support of the education system, to ensure that their hard work is rightly and fairly recognised, and allows them to proceed to further learning or work.

We will work to ensure that learners receive their results no later than 4 August, as planned. We are considering more fully the impact this decision will have on our exceptional circumstances and post-results services. I will confirm that we will offer a free post-results service to ensure that schools and colleges continue to have a mechanism to question any result.

I would strongly encourage all candidates to sign up to MySQA, our online and text service, as a direct way to receive their results.
Everyone at SQA is fully committed to delivering for Scotland’s young people at this exceptionally difficult time.

Fiona Robertson
SQA Chief Executive and Scotland’s Chief Examining Officer

Reply 8

username4490612

Original post by Labrador99

John Swinney has just confirmed SQA exams will NOT go ahead this year, for the first time since they started in 1888.

More to follow on alternative arrangements...

‚SQA exams will not go ahead as planned since 1888’ Damn that was such a depressive shock

Reply 9

Original post by Kubsyy

‚SQA exams will not go ahead as planned since 1888’ Damn that was such a depressive shock

Yep - even went on through both world wars :shock:

Reply 10

Can we throw out all our revision from this year?

Reply 11

123543

Original post by Maggie-xx

Can we throw out all our revision from this year?

Don't do it right now, there may be marked questions or papers within your notes that can be used as evidence to support your teacher's estimate.

Reply 12

Original post by 123543

Don't do it right now, there may be marked questions or papers within your notes that can be used as evidence to support your teacher's estimate.

Thanks I just though more along the lines of home revision x

Reply 13

muta23

Will the SQA offer an examination at the start of the next academic year for people who where not happy with the grades they received and believe that if they would’ve taken an examination they would do better? This seems to be the case in England and makes it a much more fairer system to implement.

Reply 14

username4490612

Original post by muta23

That’s what I also thought. They have it in England so why can’t we?

Reply 15

Original post by Kubsyy

That’s what I also thought. They have it in England so why can’t we?

I feel like this virus may incentivise a change in the operations of many things one of which exams where by individuals will be required to work year round to gain a qualification and not just at last minute

Reply 16

Original post by muta23

There's due to be a statement from SQA tomorrow about their plan of action, so hopefully this will be clarified then :smile:

Reply 17

123543

Original post by Labrador99

There's due to be a statement from SQA tomorrow about their plan of action, so hopefully this will be clarified then :smile:

Thanks for letting us know, do you know what time and if it will be televised?

Reply 18

Original post by 123543

Thanks for letting us know, do you know what time and if it will be televised?

They usually just do written ones, so don't think it will be on TV...Not sure of timings either - have been told it will be this morning, just not sure when :smile:

Reply 19