Rebalancing assessment

Over the next few years, we'll review and reform our qualifications to ensure they fit in a modern Scotland. Part of that work is to 'review the balance of approaches to assessment across National Qualifications – for example, between exams and non-exam assessments'. This wider programme of review and reform will include intensive engagement and co-design with learners, educators, employers, parents and carers, and partners.

In the meantime, survey findings from learners and educators are helping us make some simple changes to improve assessments in current National Courses – as part of our ongoing maintenance.

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The proposed changes for most courses included in this survey are being made to assessments for delivery from session 2026-27. Details of the changes are being added to the course specification and coursework assessment task for each course.

From 2026-27

From 2027-28

Methodology

An online survey was distributed between 4 February 2026 and 25 February 2026 to centres through Qualifications Scotland co-ordinators. We also advertised the survey on social media and through our Weekly Update.

In early 2024, a survey was sent to educators and learners in seven subjects asking for views on question papers, assessments and assignments.

Here are the results and recommendations from that survey.

In 2024, we conducted research with teachers and lecturers to explore whether we should remove question papers (exams) from the following  practical subjects: National 5 Practical Cake Craft, National 5 Practical Cookery, National 5 Practical Electronics, National 5 and Higher Fashion and Textile Technology, National 5 Practical Metalworking and National 5 Practical Woodworking.

As a result of this research, we

  • removed question papers from National 5 Practical Cake Craft, Practical Metalworking and Practical Woodworking for session 2025-26 onwards
  • kept the National 5 Practical Electronics exam

In 2025, we conducted research with educators and learners to explore whether we should remove question papers (exams) from the following practical subjects: National 5 Fashion & Textile Technology, Higher Fashion & Textile Technology, and National 5 Practical Cookery. This work expands on the research from 2024.

Download the report: