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About the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)

SQA Optima Reception. SQA is the national accreditation and awarding body in Scotland.

We work in partnership with industry, universities, colleges and schools to provide high quality, flexible and relevant qualifications and assessments - embedding industry standards where appropriate.

We strive to ensure that SQA qualifications are inclusive, accessible to all, that they provide clear progression pathways, facilitate lifelong learning and recognise candidate achievement..

We aim to be recognised as a national and international leader in the delivery of our qualifications, statutory obligations and the quality of our services.

Our comprehensive spectrum of services makes us responsive to employers’ needs and able to focus on key Government priorities, such as the Skills Strategy, helping to ensure the delivery of a highly academically-educated and vocationally skilled workforce that is relevant, responsive and adaptable to the demands of the global economy and society.

Learn more about what we do

We are sponsored by the Scottish Government’s Learning Directorate and we employ approximately 750 staff located at our Glasgow, Dalkeith and Newtongrange sites.

To see a detailed organisation structure, please use the following link: Organisation Structure (256 KB)

There are approximately 1,500 centres approved to offer our range of qualifications.