The Waiting is Over; 6 Main Points from the SQA Update

SQA Update October 2020; Summary

Yesterday, after a six-week wait, staff, tutors, parents and learners heard the Scottish Government’s plans for the SQA 2020/21 qualifications!

The announcement from John Swinney didn’t cover all the planned changes and left many unanswered questions leaving many upset, confused and exhausted. In an effort to try to allay fears, I have summarised the published details below:

1. National 5 Exams have been cancelled this academic year. Grades will therefore be awarded using teacher/lecturer predicted grades.

2. All assignments/ projects for non-practical subjects, except English, have been cancelled for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher.

3. Higher and Advanced Higher exams will be sat between 13th May and 4th June. The exam timetable will be published by the end of October.

4. There will be ongoing, regular assessment of the Covid-19 situation until the February ’20 half-term with regard to a decision to cancel the exam diet.

5. Exam structure in some subjects has changed and this can be found by searching by subject on https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/45625.html

6. Continuous assessment throughout this academic year will inform staff predictions in National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher. Predictions will be made to the SQA at all levels and these will be used as a guide for the SQA should the Highers and Advanced Highers be cancelled.

For those pupils who are sitting National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher Qualifications this year, there will no doubt be mixed feelings about the latest news and there will be a certain amount of concern about continuous assessments. I am very happy to discuss these at any time and will help where I can.

Tutors are very busy already this year, so I encourage anyone needing help, to seek support early. We are there to work on-to-one with pupils, or in small groups, and will always do our best to support, encourage and boost the confidence of our pupils. Many tutors are offering extra session options in order to accommodate all learners in need.

Please comment below or contact me via my website if you need assistance.