Access to marked exam papers

Date published: 02/05/2025

Firstly, has any learner in the SQA’s history ever gained access to their marked exam papers? If so, how many learners have managed that, when (year/s), in what subject(s), and did they use a legal firm on their behalf to achieve it or not?

Secondly, how many learners in the SQA’s history have ever requested access to at least one of their marked Scottish Higher exam papers (scripts)? Same question specifically for this very year: how many learners have requested access to at least one of their marked Scottish Higher exam papers (scripts) in relation to the Higher exams that took place in May 2024?

Firstly, has any learner in the SQA’s history ever gained access to their marked exam papers? 

Yes. Please note that we can only provide information on learners requesting and accessing scripts for the last three complete financial years as well as the one we are currently in. So, our earliest retained records are from April 2021 rather than throughout SQA’s history as requested.

If so, how many learners have managed that, when (year/s), in what subject(s):

Learners were able to gain access to their marked exam papers/scripts as part of our access to marked exam papers trial in 2024, following a limited trial in 2023.

The limited trial included nine centres from a wide demographic covering two subject areas, one at National 5 and one at Higher. In the limited trial in 2023, 61 learners requested and received access to their N5 marked papers, 329 learners requested and received their Higher Geology Papers part 1, and 329 learners requested and received their Higher Geology Papers part 2.

The 2024 trial provided Scotland-wide access to learners’ marked papers in the following subjects:

Geography - National 5 and Higher
Graphic Communication - National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher
Media - National 5
Music - National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher
Statistics - Advanced Higher

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance, numbers of learners who received access as part of our access to marked exam papers trial in 2024 are exempt from disclosure under section 27(1) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 as it is held with a view to being published at a future date. The information will be published on our website in January 2025. We consider it to be reasonable that the information be withheld from disclosure until that time.

While not exam papers, learners are able to request the return of coursework that forms part of their overall mark in eligible subjects. Please note we do not return these materials if the learner has appealed, in line with our records retention policy of one year for appeals, but eligible materials are returned after that.

Please see below the number of requests received for the Return of Externally Assessed Materials (REAM) for Higher level coursework. There was no REAM carried out in 2021 (due to Covid-19).

All Subjects	2024	2023	2022
Total requests received	17449	17050	16137
Total requests at Higher level	7021	6933	6467

 

All Subjects (exc. A&D, Photography)	2024	2023	2022
Total requests received	1202	649	580
Total requests at Higher level	509	240	220

 

Art and Design, Photography	2024	2023	2022
Total requests received	16247	16401	15557
Total requests at Higher level	6512	6693	6247

And did they use a legal firm on their behalf to achieve it or not?

We do not hold records on learners who used a legal firm to gain access to marked scripts. For learners who gained access to their scripts without a legal firm, this was part of our access to marked exam papers trial.

Secondly, how many learners in the SQA’s history have ever requested access to at least one of their marked Scottish Higher exam papers (scripts)? 

As above, the numbers of learners who requested access as part of our access to marked exam papers trial in 2024 are exempt from disclosure under section 27(1) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 as it is held with a view to being published at a future date. The information will be published on our website in January 2025. We consider it to be reasonable that the information be withheld from disclosure until that time.

Apart from the access to marked exams trial, learners also may request access to their marked exam scripts as part of a subject access request (SAR) under data protection legislation. The figures provided below are for SARs specifically asking about exam scripts. There are numerous SARs we receive either specifically asking for all information, or non-specific about what information is being requested, which we then treat as being for all information. In these cases, all information could include marked exam scripts. These are still not given, though they have not been asked for specifically.

From the financial year 2021/2022 onwards (up to date as of 20/11/2024) 52 subject access requests have been made specifically for access to one or more marked Higher exam script. All requesters will have been advised that we do not provide marked exam scripts in response to a SAR.

Same question specifically for this very year: how many learners have requested access to at least one of their marked Scottish Higher exam papers (scripts) in relation to the Higher exams that took place in May 2024?

As above, the numbers of learners who requested access as part of our access to marked exam papers trial in 2024 are exempt from disclosure under section 27(1) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 as it is held with a view to being published at a future date. The information will be published on our website in January 2025. We consider it to be reasonable that the information be withheld from disclosure until that time.

As of 20/11/2024, 19 subject access requests been made specifically for access to one or more marked Higher exam script from the 2023/2024 NQ exam diet. Of these 19, two (2) were for Higher exams not sat in May. Meaning that 17 requests were in relation to Higher exams that took place in May 2024.