Scotland's exam results 'incredibly positive' as all pass rates increase
Digital exam results were sent out at 8am on Tuesday morning.
Exam pass rates at all levels have increased this year, including a record number of National 5 passes.
Almost 150,000 young people across Scotland are receiving their all-important exam results this morning, with texts emails being sent out at 8am.
A record 269,115 National 5 passes were achieved, up 0.8 per cent on last year. On top of this, 76.7 per cent passed their Highers, an increase of 0.8 per cent, and 77.6 per cent passed their Advanced Highers, an increase of 0.9 per cent.
This is also an increase on the pre-pandemic pass rates recorded in 2019.
There was also a 121 per cent increase in the number of vocational and technical qualifications achieved since the pandemic.
Education Secretary Màiri McAllan has congratulated all the young people receiving their results today.
“My congratulations go to everyone receiving their results. I know how much hard work and resilience it takes to get here and you all deserve enormous credit.
“These are incredibly positive results across the board, with academic passes up at every level – National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher – as well as record numbers of vocational qualifications.
“This is testament to the breadth and strength of Scotland’s education system, the professionalism of our teachers and school staff and the hard work of our young people.”
She added: “For those young people who may be disappointed with their results, I would urge them to remember that there is no wrong path.
“Teachers, as well as services such as the Skills Development Scotland helpline and Qualifications Scotland learner support hub, are there to help plan your next steps.”
This is also the first time Qualifications Scotland has been in charge of the exam results - the new body took over from the SQA after a number of controversies.
More than 131,000 people sat National 5s, Highers and Advanced Highers across 460 different schools, colleges and training centres. A further 17,000 will get their results for vocational courses too.
While all results will be sent out by post, around 67,000 young people have signed up to get their results digitally by text message or email.
However, 664 students at North-East Scotland College who are due to get skills for work qualifications will not receive them today due to a technical problem. Work has been ongoing for the past week to try and resolve the issue, and these students are now expected to get their results next week.
Most exams are graded from an A to a D, although National 2, 3 and 4s are a simple pass or fail.
Grade boundaries change slightly every year as well, but generally speaking it is 50 per cent for a C and 70 per cent for an A.
Ms McAllan also says the poverty-related attainment gap has narrowed, and attainment has increased in the most deprived areas of Scotland.
Ms McAllan said: “It is particularly pleasing to see another narrowing in the attainment gap between the most and least deprived areas.
“This builds on similar progress in the gaps for literacy and numeracy levels, as well as for the number of young people entering initial positive destinations, which has narrowed by almost two thirds since 2009/10.
“This is welcome progress but we will not be complacent and will continue to do all we can to close the poverty related attainment gap even further, having empowered headteachers and invested £1.75 billion in the Scottish attainment challenge over the past decade, with up to £200 million being invested this year as well.
“Curriculum for Excellence aims to prepare young people for their future in life, learning and work, and today’s results show that it is doing that. The diversity of qualifications – whether they are gained through academic study, vocational and technical learning or work-based opportunities – is equipping young people with the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to flourish in the modern world. And the range is wider than ever, with qualifications in sports, creative industries, childcare, engineering and journalism among others.”
However, the Scottish Conservatives say there is still a “postcode lottery” to educational achievement.
Shadow Scottish Secretary Andrew Bowie said: “I’d like to congratulate Scotland’s pupils for their hard work across the last school year and to our dedicated teachers for supporting them every step of the way.
“Plummeting teacher numbers and spiralling levels of school violence have made their another very difficult year for pupils across Scotland.
“This has created a challenging environment for pupils to get the grades they hoped for, which is why they deserve a huge amount of credit for achieving great results.
“However, it’s clear some pupils are still facing a postcode lottery when it comes to educational achievement.”
Meanwhile the Scottish Greens have written to the education secretary urging them to ditch high-stake exams in favour of continuous assessment.
Laura Moodie MSP, the party’s education spokeswoman, said: "Congratulations to every pupil, teacher, and lecturer across Scotland on reaching results day. Many will be celebrating today, but if your results aren't what you hoped for, remember there are plenty of pathways ahead and support is available.
"For too many young people, everything comes down to a handful of high-stakes exams.
“That's unfair to students dealing with illness, difficult circumstances at home, or other challenges beyond their control. We need an education system that recognises achievement throughout the year, not just on exam day.
"That's why I've written to the cabinet secretary for education, urging her to be bold and deliver the reforms that Scotland’s exam system has been waiting for.”
Ms Moodie said a previous review by Professor Louise Hayward gave SNP ministers “a clear blueprint for a fairer, more modern system”, and said this should now be adopted in full.
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