New exams body plans to shake-up qualifications system

A shake-up of the exams system could be in the pipeline after Scotland's new exams body gave more details of plans for a major review.

Qualifications Scotland, which has taken over from the SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority), wants to ensure exams are "absolutely fit for purpose".

Chief examiner Donna Stewart said it was looking at both the length of the exams and whether qualifications would continue to be offered in some "low uptake" subjects, although she said Gaelic would not be affected.

The review will not be implemented until 2031, however, she said some exams could be made shorter in the meantime.

Because exams were cancelled, teachers had provided estimated grades. The SQA then applied a moderation algorithm that downgraded many results, especially for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.

When the legislation that established Qualifications Scotland was passed last year, concerns were raised that the new body would be "little more than a rebrand" as many of the SQA staff would remain.

However, this was rejected by chief executive Nick Page who said the new board included five practising teachers.

"We are absolutely fundamentally changing this," he said.

"It is a new board. We've carried through three, four, people from the previous board and we have now got another five.

"We've got a whole new governance structure, we have got a whole new set of people. It is very different."

He described Qualifications Scotland coming fully into operation on Monday as a "momentous occasion", adding that it was "developing a world-class qualification system that enables people of whatever age, from whatever background in Scotland, to learn, have their assessment recognised and be employable".

Stewart said the new body was "looking at reform in terms of reviewing all the qualifications we have in our portfolio".

She said this work was being carried out "in collaboration" with students, teachers, and colleges lecturers along with training providers and industry.

She added that while there was currently "great uptake" for some of the qualifications on offer, there were "some we have had for a number of years that require reviewing".

However, she stressed that some subjects that had a low uptake, such as Gaelic, would not be dropped because "it has importance in our community and in our society."

Asked what qualifications might no longer be available after the review she said: "I genuinely can't tell you that, because it is not for us to determine, it is for us to listen to what Scotland needs, listen to what our learners need and actually weight that up."

Last year the SQA dropped question papers from its National 5 qualifications in the subjects of practical cake craft, practical metalworking and practical woodworking.

Stewart said: "We are just about to start engaging on a whole suite of qualifications that we will look to reduce exam length - that's one of the proposals, the actual duration of the exams."

She added that this could be done "without impacting on the integrity of the qualifications".

"What we do know the system is ready for just now is much more agile qualifications, ready for a reduced workload on teachers and ready for reduced assessment for learners, while still maintaining the integrity of our qualifications, so we are working towards those principles," she said.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said Qualifications Scotland would "deliver real improvements for learners, teachers and Scotland's education system".

"For pupils and students, they will have a strengthened role in shaping decisions on qualifications and assessment, ensuring qualifications are fit for purpose in modern Scotland - with less reliance on high-stakes exams and greater recognition of achievement in all its forms," she said.

She added: "For Scotland's education system, this is about building something we can all trust.

"Qualifications will be developed collaboratively with those who study and deliver them, ensuring they are relevant, rigorous and fairly recognise the achievements of all our children, young people and adult learners."