SQA grade boundaries

This feels like a stupid question, but if grade boundaries for a Scottish exam get lowered for passing and getting A's, etc - do A-band 1 boundaries get lowered too?

Also, do you guys think the grade boundaries for higher maths will be lowered this year?

Reply 1

enhaluvr

12

That's not a stupid question~ don't worry.

Yep, if grade boundaries get lowered, what this means is that the passing mark gets lowered too, and hence the percentage of marks you need to score to achieve an A-band 1 gets lowered to follow the trend!
Hope that made sense.

I think the Higher Maths exam was slightly harder than usual. I heard a lot of mixed opinions about it.
I think there's a chance that the grade boundaries will be lowered, but it's definitely down to the SQA and how they viewed that paper.
Hoping the SQA aren't mean and that it's lowered so we can all get an A! :h:

Reply 2

rosewallsxx

OP

11

Original post by enhaluvr

That's not a stupid question~ don't worry.

Yep, if grade boundaries get lowered, what this means is that the passing mark gets lowered too, and hence the percentage of marks you need to score to achieve an A-band 1 gets lowered to follow the trend!
Hope that made sense.

I think the Higher Maths exam was slightly harder than usual. I heard a lot of mixed opinions about it.
I think there's a chance that the grade boundaries will be lowered, but it's definitely down to the SQA and how they viewed that paper.
Hoping the SQA aren't mean and that it's lowered so we can all get an A! :h:

Thanks for this! :smile:

Reply 3

antonyjoseph475

1

(Original post by enhaluvr)That's not a stupid question~ don't worry.
viewed that paper.
Hoping the SQA aren't mean and that it's lowered so we can all get an A! :h:

It was 70% for an A last year, I've heard it could be around 65% for one this year, considering most of the country found the exam harder than usual. What do you think?

Reply 4

emkelt

12

Original post by antonyjoseph475

(Original post by enhaluvr)That's not a stupid question~ don't worry.
viewed that paper.
Hoping the SQA aren't mean and that it's lowered so we can all get an A! :h:

It was 70% for an A last year, I've heard it could be around 65% for one this year, considering most of the country found the exam harder than usual. What do you think?

I agree. I looked at the boundaries of the new higher 2015 paper (C boundary was at 40 something% I believe as it was famously difficult. An upper A (assuming this means A1) was around 72%, so perhaps it could be similar this year? an A was 60% that year

I think it was a lot harder; they chose the hardest options out of the questions they could have asked, however there was no trig identities or experimental data log graphs which usually throw a lot of people off (again though, they’re worth like not so many marks overall). The question at the end of paper one was tough especially.

Reply 5

Learner126

10

I think they will probably keep it at 70% or maybe increase it by a few percentages as there was no terrible questions that seemed to confuse everyone and the questions they chose seemed to be simple past paper questions with different numbers. I hope they drop it by a few points but as a realist I kind of doubt it.

Reply 6

emkelt

12

Original post by Learner126

I think they will probably keep it at 70% or maybe increase it by a few percentages as there was no terrible questions that seemed to confuse everyone and the questions they chose seemed to be simple past paper questions with different numbers. I hope they drop it by a few points but as a realist I kind of doubt it.

Yes; the 2015 paper was definitely a lot harder to be fair, and it was significantly lowered. I think for me it was nerves. actually looking over DLB’s answers makes me feel more confident in my answers (i was panicking as i got sqrt of negative three for one of them, but i think it was correct as i wrote that it was not a solution). anyways, I think it will go down a bit(?)

Reply 7

GTTan345

4

The Nat 5 maths exam and the Nat 5 physics exam was super hard this year. I personally found the maths exam to be quite easy, but that’s only because I started doing tons of practice.

Reply 8

cantdomathlikefr

11

Original post by antonyjoseph475

(Original post by enhaluvr)That's not a stupid question~ don't worry.
viewed that paper.
Hoping the SQA aren't mean and that it's lowered so we can all get an A! :h:

It was 70% for an A last year, I've heard it could be around 65% for one this year, considering most of the country found the exam harder than usual. What do you think?

it wasnt that bad

Reply 9

Dwills kress

1

Hi everyone

Any thoughts on the H Physics paper this year 😬 I feel like it was 'easier' compared to previous years once I came home and compared it to other past papers but I really doubt the workings I've put into this paper were any good... especially towards the end. Will the grade boundaries increase or decrease for this year for Physics? Any thoughts?

Thank you 🥲

Reply 10

cantdomathlikefr

11

Original post by emkelt

I agree. I looked at the boundaries of the new higher 2015 paper (C boundary was at 40 something% I believe as it was famously difficult. An upper A (assuming this means A1) was around 72%, so perhaps it could be similar this year? an A was 60% that year

I think it was a lot harder; they chose the hardest options out of the questions they could have asked, however there was no trig identities or experimental data log graphs which usually throw a lot of people off (again though, they’re worth like not so many marks overall). The question at the end of paper one was tough especially.

doubt it.

Reply 11

cantdomathlikefr

11

Original post by Learner126

I think they will probably keep it at 70% or maybe increase it by a few percentages as there was no terrible questions that seemed to confuse everyone and the questions they chose seemed to be simple past paper questions with different numbers. I hope they drop it by a few points but as a realist I kind of doubt it.