SQA's evaluation of the 2023 Approach to Assessment of Graded National Courses

Thousands of learners and practitioners across Scotland have taken part in our evaluation of how National 5, Higher and Advanced Highers were awarded in 2023.

The research findings, together with our engagement with the education community, has informed our decisions about the approach to awarding in the 2023-24 session.

Key findings from the research have been shared with the wider education community to inform their decision making. The research will add to the other sources of insight into how the 2022-23 session performed, such as national attainment data, published in August 2023.

The findings have also contributed to Scottish Government plans for reviewing the Maths curriculum, its education reform programme and its reminder to schools on the appropriate use of dual presentation.

2023 evaluation reports

Evaluation summary report

This report summarises the range of evaluation activity carried out by SQA since the conclusion of the 2022–23 academic session.

Learner summary report

A summary of the findings for learners – outlining what learners themselves told us and what teachers, lecturers and senior examiners said.

Experiences of and Reflections on 2023 National Qualifications Assessment

This report pulls together the views of learners, practitioners, senior appointees and Qualifications Development staff to give a full picture of the feedback received on important issues relating to standards and the ways that learners were assessed in 2023.

Learner Experiences report

Detailed research that aims to understand the experience of assessment in 2023 from the perspective of learners, building a picture of how the 2023 assessment approach worked in practice. The research involved two stages — large-scale surveys, followed by a series of in-depth interviews.

Practitioner Experiences report

Detailed research that aims to understand the experience of assessment in 2023 from the perspective of practitioners, building a picture of how the 2023 assessment approach worked in practice. The research involved two stages — large-scale surveys, followed by a series of in-depth interviews.

Reflections of Senior Appointees and Qualification Development Teams

A report outlining the results of engagement with experienced subject specialists and SQA Qualification Development colleagues who support the delivery of National Courses. The purpose of this engagement was to gather participants’ perspectives on how the assessment approach worked in practice, with particular focus on themes relating to standards.

Technical Appendix

A report setting out the methodology and approach to analysis for the work with learners, practitioners, senior appointees and SQA Qualification Development colleagues.

Relationship Between Teacher Estimates and Results in Scotland

A report examining the relationships between awarded grades and estimates in exam years. SQA collects estimates of attainment from centres every year as part of the procedure for awarding National Courses. This analysis includes 2023, 2022, and the three years prior to the pandemic (2017 to 2019) but does not include 2020 and 2021 when exams did not take place.

Dual Entry Analysis

In the 2022–23 academic year, it was evident that there was a sizeable increase on recent years in the number of learners presented at both National 4 and National 5 for a single subject. This report explores the entry and attainment profiles of National 5 candidates and examines the impact of dual presentation over the five-year period 2019 to 2023.

National 5 Mathematics Analysis

A to C attainment across most courses at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher were above pre-pandemic levels in 2023. A notable exception was A to C attainment for National 5 Mathematics, which was below pre-pandemic levels. While there are a number of factors that influence attainment, this report focuses on exploring the impact that presenting candidates for more than one Mathematics award has on attainment.

Earlier research