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Why maintain standards?

Learner in library.SQA sets, maintains and monitors qualification and assessment standards because it is essential to fulfilling our role as Scotland's national qualifications body. We work with schools, colleges, private training providers, and employers to ensure that standards are accurate, fair, and consistently applied across all qualifications and over time. We acknowledge the vital role that standards play in ensuring that we offer worthwhile qualifications and in maintaining your confidence.

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Why set, maintain and monitor standards?

Confidence in qualifications

Learner in library.The public and media debates each year about examination results in National Qualifications suggest that people are concerned that qualification and assessment standards are not being maintained as effectively as you would like them to be - in other words, that qualifications and assessments such as examinations are becoming 'easier'. We work hard to show that there's no real need to worry by ensuring that our qualification and assessment standards are comparable with existing qualifications within the UK and internationally.

Learners' expectations

Group of learners at computer.Learners take SQA qualifications for a wide range of reasons - you may wish to improve your basic literacy or numeracy skills, find a job or study at college or university, apply for promotion, etc. No matter why you are taking one of our qualifications, we want you to enjoy the experience and see it as a positive step in your life and work.

Our qualifications should help you develop useful and relevant knowledge and skills that are widely recognised and valued. Ensuring that qualifications are based on standards that are subject to rigorous, fair and consistent quality assurance processes means that we can provide you with the knowledge and skills you need.

Quality

Learner with certificate.The level of knowledge and skills you are asked to demonstrate must be set and maintained fairly, accurately, and consistently. You would expect the examination for Higher Chemistry to be more difficult than that for Intermediate 2 Chemistry. However, you would also expect the examination for Higher Mathematics to make different but broadly equivalent demands to Higher Chemistry.

This is an example of the Scottish Standard at work. It underpins how we develop our products (namely qualifications and assessments) and ensures that they are worth having and of high quality.

SQA's awarding body role

SQA was established under the Education Act (Scotland) 1996 by the UK (Westminster) parliament. SQA is the statutory body with responsibility for national qualifications at all levels (other then university degrees) offered in schools, colleges and some higher education institutions in Scotland. The legislation gives SQA the responsibility to set qualification and assessment standards and to administer them. The Act was amended by the Scottish Qualifications Authority Act 2002.

We also approve education and training providers (we then refer to them as 'SQA centres') which offer courses leading to our qualifications.

You can find out more about SQA by continuing to browse our website, and about education and training more generally from the Scottish Government's Education and Training website and from the Scottish Parliament's Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee's web page.

Scotland's National Qualifications Body

It is our responsibility to:

  • determine the requirements for SQA awarding body's qualification and assessment standards
  • publish reports on our performance
  • investigate complaints and claims of malpractice in relation to our qualifications

The Education Act (Scotland) 1996

SQA was established under the Education Act (Scotland) 1996 by the UK (Westminster) parliament. Section 2, subsection (1) of the Act defines our functions as to:

  1. devise qualifications
  2. determine the entitlement of individuals to SQA qualifications and, where a person is so entitled, to award and record such a qualification
  3. keep under review and develop qualifications
  4. approve education and training establishments as being suitable for presenting persons for SQA qualifications; and
  5. make arrangements for, to assist in or carry out the assessment of persons undertaking education and training.

1 and 3 include a power for SQA in relation to an SQA qualification, to determine

  • what it is that a person is required to do and the level of competence he/she is required to demonstrate in order to attain the qualification and
  • the means of assessing whether he/she has done what is required or demonstrated the level of competence required.

The 'level of competence' is another way of saying 'level of knowledge and skills'.

Statutory

Established, regulated or imposed by or complying with laws passed by a law making body, eg Parliament

Scottish Qualifications Act 2002

The Education Act (Scotland) 1996 was subsequently amended by the Scottish Qualifications Authority Act 2002 which outlines how SQA is to be governed and how its Board and Advisory Council are to function.