Invigilator Costs

For each of the last 10 years how much has the SQA spent on invigilators for SQA exams?

The information you requested is contained within the attached spreadsheet.

As you will see there has been an increase in invigilator costs. The main reason for this is the increase in the number of invigilator hours required to manage the exams. In recent years, we have seen significant increases in the number of learners requiring Assessment Arrangements, such as extra time or separate accommodation, and this is the most significant driver of the increased demand for invigilation. While the number and lengths of some exams has varied slightly over recent years, this is not a major factor in the increase in the cost of invigilation.

Assessment arrangement requests have increased from 62,505 in 2019 to 104,695 in 2024.

In practice this means that more invigilators are required to manage the additional rooms, equipment and time needed to accommodate the requests, ensuring that all exams and assessments are appropriately supervised and learners who have additional support needs are supported.

SQA is committed to continue to support the diversity of Scotland’s learner community and we are pleased to accommodate candidates who require assessment arrangements. We will continue to work in partnership with schools and colleges and other centres to recruit appropriate numbers of invigilators.

Information Sheet (18 KB)