This document sets out our programme for the external publication of official statistics and information on our webpages for August 2026 to July 2027.

We produce official statistics in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics 3.0 (‘the Code’).

Standard 8, Practice 2 of the Code asks official statistics producers to engage users to ‘identify the most important questions the statistics need to answer. Report on the findings and your decisions in your annual statistical work programme’.

Standard 8, Practice 3 of the Code requires us to ‘gain views from a range of users to inform decisions on your work programme, including when statistics are started, stopped or changed, being clear on where and why user needs can and cannot be met, such as addressing information gaps.’

We use feedback from our users (as set out in our public involvement and engagement strategy, planned revisions, and quality improvements) to plan our annual work programme.

General improvements

We’re making the following changes to all our information:

  • applying Qualifications Scotland colour palettes and branding

  • making sure they are all formatted consistently

  • making sure that users can find all the statistics in official statistics summaries in accompanying workbooks

Interactive apps

We continue to look into how we could develop interactive apps to make it easier for our users to access the information we publish.

Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation

We are no longer using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) 2020 dataset and instead are using SIMD quintile data available in the Scottish Statistics Postcode Lookup (SSPL).

The SSPL has been developed in line with the Government Statistical Service’s Geography Policy. The current advice is to use the SSPL to ensure geographic consistency across all official statistics.

A new SIMD is due for publication at the end of 2026. We’ll consider the impact of this on our 2027 publications in line with our revisions and corrections policy.

Attainment statistics

From 2026, we’re removing entries information from all ungraded qualifications figures to improve the quality of our outputs.

We currently include a large volume of ‘evaluated but no overall award’ or ‘E’ figures in information on ungraded qualifications - such as National 2, National 3 and National 4, and Skills for Work. These open entries are removed from Qualifications Scotland systems at the end of the year but are included in our entries figures.

This presentation is what we do already with other ungraded qualifications - such as National Certificates, National Progression Awards, and Awards - and is made in line with our quality management approach.

In line with our revisions and corrections policy, we’re keen to hear users’ views before making this change. Please contact us if you use information on ungraded qualifications. If we do remove this information from our statistics, you may still be able to access the data under certain conditions.

Responses to our most recent user engagement survey 2026, and the 2024 one, included a small number of requests to add stage data (for example, S5) to statistical outputs. There were, however, few external requests for stage data in 2025. We’re continuing to monitor demand for additional stage information.

Grade boundaries

We publish information on grade boundaries as management information. This is a raw data extract from our systems and goes through very little processing. Users have said they find these useful and we’ll continue to publish them. We have no plans to change this for the year ahead.

Assessment marks

This publication will become an official statistics in development publication in 2026 and we’ll produce an accompanying summary of the main messages. We received a request to add standard deviation to the data tables alongside maximum marks, average marks and the highest marks achieved. We’ll include this addition to the tables in 2026. We’ll continue to use users’ feedback to help us with the ongoing development of these statistics.

Assessment arrangements

This is the new name for what was previously titled “summary of assessment arrangements”. This publication will become an official statistics in development publication in 2026 and we’ll produce an accompanying summary of the main messages.

We’re improving the methodology for producing statistics on assessment arrangements for candidates who were entered for the matching National Qualifications assessment. Ofqual made a similar change in 2025.

In the future, to be consistent in how we present our other official statistics information, we’d like to produce additional statistics such as:

  • the mean number of assessment arrangements requested

  • separate tables that break down information by sex, centre type, education authority and SIMD

We welcome all user feedback to help us continue to improve these statistics.

Equalities Monitoring Report

We don’t currently produce the background information and equality impact assessments (EQIAs) that you find at the start of the equalities monitoring report.

The Standards for the Public Use of Statistics, Data and Wider Analysis in the Code states ‘publish statistics, data and wider analysis separately from any related policy and ministerial statements’.

For this reason, we’re publishing the background policy and EQIAs, that are currently in the equalities monitoring report, separately from the analysis. The equalities monitoring report is moving to the analytical report section of our website in 2026, and we’ll provide the tables in a separate workbook.

Age is a protected characteristic and we include it in the current report. The age groupings are:

  • 15 to 18
  • below 15
  • over 18

The majority of candidates are 15 to 18. We don’t know how useful these age groupings are to users. If no one is using these then we would consider removing them.

The statistics broken down by sex referred to in the report are also available in the Provisional Attainment statistics publication for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher. This year, we’re providing a link to the relevant workbook to make this clear.

We’d also like to hear user’s views on moving statistics on SIMD out from the equalities monitoring report and into Provisional Attainment statistics in 2027. Poverty is not a protected characteristic, and this presentation would be consistent with our other official statistics publications.

Candidate attainment

This continues to be an official statistics in development publication. We’re looking at the consistency of formatting across our publications and making sure that all statistics in the report can be sourced from data in the workbook tables.

Appeals

We’re looking at the consistency of formatting across our publications and making sure that all statistics in the report can be sourced from data in the workbook tables. We’re now using data on the poverty-related attainment gap from the SSPL dataset.

Progression

This publication is moving from being an official statistics in development publication to an official statistics publication. We’re continuing to use users’ feedback on the app to help us with future developments.

Analytical reports

Analytical reports are stand-alone documents that we produce to meet current demands for information on topical areas of interest. Although we produce them in line with the Code, they’re not designated as official statistics and are classed as research reports. We continue to monitor areas of interest and may produce more reports across the year to meet users’ needs.

Reports published in 2025 included Estimates, Assessment Arrangements Insights, Dual Entry Patterns and Double Entry Patterns.

Estimates

Estimates is becoming an analytical report in 2026. We’re looking at the consistency of formatting across our publications. We’d like to get feedback from users of this publication and to know whether they need it to be produced annually.

Assessment Arrangements Insights

We produced this as a one-off analytical report in November 2025. We’d like users to let us know how useful they find the information it contains. If there is enough demand for some of the statistical outputs, we can look to integrate them into our main assessment arrangements publication in 2027.

Dual Entry Patterns and Double Entry Patterns

We published these reports in May 2025. We don’t intend to publish them in 2026 so we’d like users to let us know if they want one or both of them to continue.

New statistical outputs

Centre level information

We received many requests for centre level data as part of our recent user engagement survey, and directly to our mailbox. To meet user demands for this information, we are exploring options for appropriate development of centre level outputs, such as the development of a centre-level app.

Vocational technical qualifications

We also received many requests for vocational and technical qualifications data. We are looking at options for how best to present this data. If you would find this data useful, please get in touch using the contact details in the questions or comments section, about the information you want, including:

  • content
  • coverage
  • timing
  • frequency
  • how it is presented

Responsibilities

The head of profession (head of data and analytics) has final responsibility for deciding on any action necessary to comply with these procedures.

Questions or comments?

We want our outputs to be as helpful as possible. Please email us at data.analytics@qualifications.gov.scot with questions or comments on our publications.

Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code. You can also email us with your comments on how we’re meeting these standards, or you can contact OSR by email at regulation@statistics.gov.uk, or through the OSR website.