Covid exam changes to continue in Scotland next year

Changes to the way pupils were assessed during the pandemic will continue next year, Scotland's exams body has said.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) had modified National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher assessments as well as some National 3 and 4 courses.

The aim of the changes was to reduce the volume of assessment and ease the workload of pupils and teachers.

The SQA said modifications would remain because effects of the disruption would not go away after the summer.

The SQA pared back some subjects, provided a choice of assessments for some pupil and gave advance notice of topics for others in 2020-21, in a bid to help pupils who had missed classes or had lost out on time with teachers because of Covid.

Fiona Robertson, SQA chief executive and Scotland's chief examiner, said the body recognised the "ongoing disruption" Covid had brought to learning.

She added: "The effects of the disruption will not go away after the summer break.

"Carrying the assessment modifications forward into the new academic year will help to provide some certainty for learners, teachers and lecturers and help free up more time for learning and teaching of the course content, while maintaining the integrity and credibility of their qualifications."

The alternative assessments for Higher National and Vocational Qualifications (HNVQ) will also continue for 2022-23.

On Tuesday, pupils across Scotland sat their first exams in three years as the exam period got underway.

More than 128,000 candidates will sit assessments over a five-week period.

It comes after the exam diet was cancelled in 2020 - for the first time ever - as a result of the pandemic.

That year, coursework was not marked for National 5, Higher or Advanced Higher courses and instead teachers were asked to estimate pupil's grades.

However, moderation led to 125,000 estimates being downgraded and the first minister Nicola Sturgeon ended up apologising for the fiasco.

In 2021 exams were cancelled again after a surge in Covid cases led to a second lockdown. Grades were awarded again based on "teacher judgement" - but this time backed up by evidence gathered in tests.

However, pupils complained that they were sitting "exams by another name" after some schools set numerous tests in conditions similar to exams, but with much less preparation.