2026 National Qualifications Awarding:

Equalities Monitoring Report - Analytical Report

Contents

This report sets out the descriptive analyses that Qualifications Scotland has conducted on the 2026 results for groups of candidates who share specific equalities characteristics.

Additionally, we analysed the 2026 results based on candidates’ urban / rural status, and levels of deprivation as ranked by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), the Scottish Government’s standard approach to identify areas of multiple deprivation in Scotland.

The report does not set out to explain or attribute causes for the distribution of results presented.

Information on the background and context can be found in the Equalities Monitoring Report - Background and Context report. The full set of candidate characteristics considered are set out in the Methodology section below.

Methodology

Data sources and contributions

Some of the data used in this report is owned by Qualifications Scotland and some by the Scottish Government.

  • Qualifications Scotland holds data on attainment and candidate age (calculated from date of birth), sex and postcode.

  • The Scottish Government holds sensitive personal information, including protected characteristics data from the Pupil Census.

Previously, the Scottish Government produced analysis on Scottish Qualifications Authority’s (SQA) behalf for protected characteristics data and urban / rural status, which was included in SQA’s Equalities Monitoring Report.

In 2024, SQA applied to process candidate level equalities data from the Pupil Census for the purpose of producing the statistical results contained in its Equalities Monitoring Report. This responsibility was transferred to Qualifications Scotland in February 2026 when Qualifications Scotland replaced SQA and became the new national awarding body.

In this report, Qualifications Scotland undertook the analysis and produced the commentary for 2022 to 2026 relating to candidates’ protected characteristics.

The figures are produced by independent statistical staff in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

The data in this publication is defined as being statistical for the purposes of information governance and data protection. This primarily means that the associated processing is not carried out for the purposes of measures or decisions with respect to a particular data subject. Further information on this processing category can be found in the appropriate data protection legislation.

Limitations

  • The Pupil Census only collects and holds protected characteristics data for candidates from education authority (EA) schools. Analyses by protected characteristics in this report are therefore based on only a subset of the total cohort. EA schools provide the majority of candidates at National 5, Higher, and Advanced Higher, but this does mean that only one of the many centre types is represented.

  • For clarity, note that the analyses on age, sex, SIMD, and urban / rural classification is based on the full cohort of candidates. See Table 1.1 and 1.2 for a full breakdown of cohort coverage for each characteristic analysed.

  • For urban / rural classification and SIMD analysis, candidates with postcodes that matched their centre’s postcode were excluded due to risk that this match was due to an administrative error (see section 6.6). Previously, analysis was carried out for EA candidates only. Postcode matching to urban / rural categories was improved by compressing postcode data to remove spaces.

  • Approach to missing data: Candidates with missing values for any of these characteristics were removed for each analysis individually. This maximised the number of candidates included in the analyses but means that the statistics report on slightly different cohorts for each of the characteristics.

Table 1.1: Equalities characteristics by cohort analysed, 2022 to 2026.
Equalities characteristics Cohort
Additional support needs (ASN) Education authority candidates
Declared or assessed disabled Education authority candidates
Ethnicity Education authority candidates
Age All candidates
Sex All candidates

 

Table 1.2: Additional characteristics by cohort analysed, 2022 to 2026.
Additional characteristics Cohort
Urban / rural All candidates
SIMD All candidates

Protected characteristics

Protected characteristics data was taken from the September ‘Scottish Pupil Census’, for the relevant year, for EA school candidates. This does not include: candidates attending publicly-funded special schools; candidates attending private independent schools; candidates educated outside the school education system (for example, at home); or adults attending publicly-funded secondary schools. The census is carried out through the Scottish Exchange of Educational Data (ScotXed) project.

The information for the different protected characteristics was available for all EA candidates in the dataset, and the same dataset was used for each category. The analysis excludes grant-aided special schools and schools that are not listed in the school census.

Candidate characteristics are taken from the Scottish Government Pupil Census carried out in September — prior to the release of the exam results — and merged with attainment data. For example, the 2026 analysis uses the characteristics from the 2025 Pupil Census.

The census collects a range of information for each individual. This includes:

  • Additional support needs status: Candidates with an additional support need (ASN) include candidates who have a Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP), Individualised Education Programme (IEP) or child’s plan, and are assessed or declared disabled, or as having another support need.

  • Declared or assessed disabled status: Candidates may be assessed as having a disability by a qualified professional or be declared as having a disability by themselves or their parent / carer.

  • A pupil who was not recorded as having ASN or being disabled in the Pupil Census would be considered as non-ASN and non-disabled respectively.

  • Ethnic background: Ten ethnic backgrounds covering the full list of categories are used in this report:

    • White - Scottish

    • White - non-Scottish

    • Mixed or multiple ethnic groups

    • Asian - Indian

    • Asian - Pakistani

    • Asian - Chinese

    • Asian - Other

    • African / Black / Caribbean (includes ‘African’, ‘African - Other’, and ‘Caribbean or Black’)

    • All other categories (includes ‘Other - other’ and ‘Other - Arab’)

    • Not Disclosed / Not known (refers to the pupils whose ethnicity was not available)

Urban / rural classification

Urban / rural categories were applied to Qualifications Scotland data based on candidate postcodes.

A candidate’s home address is assigned to one of six categories that indicate how urban or rural the area is. These categories are: Large Urban Areas, Other Urban Areas, Accessible Small Towns, Remote Small Towns, Accessible Rural, and Remote Rural.

Urban / rural categorisation is from the Scottish Statistical Postcode Lookup 2026-1 for 2022 to 2026, which contains the 2022 Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification (6 fold).

For 2022 to 2026 attainment data, the Urban Rural Classification 2022 was used for analysis. In the 2024 Equalities Monitoring Report, the classification was based on Urban Rural Classification 2020. Further information about the differences between the 2020 and 2022 measures can be found on the Scottish Government website. Furthermore, data used to assign a classification in 2024 was sourced from the Scottish Postcode Directory (SPD). In line with guidance issued by the National Records of Scotland in April 2025 that all statistical productions should use the Scottish Statistical Postcode Lookup (SSPL) and not the SPD, since 2025 the Urban Rural Classification used for all years contained in the report has been based on the most up to date SSPL data available (Scottish Statistical Postcode Lookup 2026-1 for 2026).

Candidates with a missing postcode or the same postcode as the centre (suggestive of an administration error) were excluded from the analysis (<1% of dataset).

Age

Date of birth was used to calculate a candidate’s age in years on 31 May (typically the completion date for National Qualifications) in the given year.

The age categories were set as: ‘below 15’, ‘15 to 18’ and ‘above 18’ years, with approximately 99% of candidates falling in the age bracket of 15 to 18.

Sex

Qualifications Scotland has adopted the International Organization for Standardisation (ISO), and Information Standards Board for Education, Skills and Children’s Services (ISB) categories for legal sex type.

These standards allow the use of the following values: Male, Female, Not Known, and Not Applicable.

Consistent with Provisional Attainment Statistics publications, candidates with a legal sex status Not Known and Not Applicable were removed from the analysis related to sex due to low volumes.

Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) data

The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) is a relative measure of deprivation across small areas (called ‘data zones’), which can be grouped into five bands (quintiles), each containing 20% of the data zones. Quintile 1 contains the 20% most deprived data zones in Scotland. The population size of data zones can vary and have ‘roughly equal populations’.

For 2022 to 2026 attainment data, the SIMD 2020 measure was used for analysis. In the 2025 Equalities Monitoring Report, data was sourced from the SIMD postcode look-up file (SIMD 2020 version 2). In line with guidance issued by the National Records of Scotland in April 2025 that all statistical productions should use the Scottish Statistical Postcode Lookup (SSPL), from 2026 the SIMD used for all years contained in the report will be based on the most up to date SSPL data available (Scottish Statistical Postcode Lookup 2026-1 for 2026).

Candidates with a missing postcode or the same postcode as the centre (suggestive of an administration error) were excluded from the analysis (<1% of dataset).

Further notes around the methodology

National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher are treated separately.

Individual candidates entered for qualifications at different levels may be included at each relevant level.

Percentages are rounded and may not always sum to 100%. Percentage values less than 0.05% are denoted by the shorthand ‘[low]’. Percentage point differences are calculated prior to rounding.

‘N’ refers to No Awards in the grade breakdown tables.

In 2026, age was calculated by subtracting 31 May (of the appropriate year) from the candidate’s date of birth. This resulted in the difference in terms of days which was then divided by 365.25 to give the age in years (0.25 is added to account for leap years).

In 2024, the approach to rounding was changed to round half up (for example 0.5 rounded to 1). In 2023, the approach to rounding was to round to even (0.5 rounded to 0).

Variation in assessment and awarding arrangements

When reviewing the analyses in this report, please note the different awarding arrangements in place between 2022 and 2026. This means that it is not possible to compare attainment between years without full consideration of the essential contextual information outlined in the background information section.

For consistency with Provisional Attainment Statistics – August, figures for 2026 are generally presented with reference to attainment in the previous year (2025).

National 5 entries by characteristics

National 5 entries by age, sex, SIMD, and urban / rural classifications

The majority of National 5 entries were from 15 to 18 year-olds in all years from 2022 to 2026.

In 2026, the percentage of entries from female candidates was 49.3% and from male candidates was 50.7%.

The percentages of candidate entries from SIMD 1 and SIMD 3 have increased in 2026 compared to 2025, with corresponding decreases in percentages from SIMD 2, SIMD 4 and SIMD 5. Historically, SIMD data has shown a greater percentage of National 5 entries from candidates from the least deprived SIMD quintiles.

The percentage of candidate entries from Large Urban Areas has increased compared to historic levels. Large Urban Areas made up 39.8% of National 5 entries in 2026 compared to 38.2% in 2022, with corresponding decreases in other urban / rural categories.

Table 2.1: The percentage of entries by age category (all candidates) for National 5, 2022 to 2026.
Age Category 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
15 to 18 99.3 99.3 99.3 99.3 99.3
Below 15 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Over 18 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5

 

Table 2.2: The percentage of entries by sex (all candidates) for National 5, 2022 to 2026.
Sex 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Female 50.1 50.2 50.2 49.8 49.3
Male 49.9 49.8 49.8 50.2 50.7

 

Table 2.3: The percentage of entries by SIMD quintile (all candidates) for National 5, 2022 to 2026.
SIMD Quintile 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
SIMD 1 16.5 16.6 16.9 16.9 17.2
SIMD 2 17.1 16.9 17.1 17.2 17.1
SIMD 3 18.4 18.3 18.1 17.8 17.9
SIMD 4 22.7 22.7 22.9 23.1 23.1
SIMD 5 25.4 25.4 25.0 25.0 24.6

 

Table 2.4: The percentage of entries by urban / rural classification (all candidates) for National 5, 2022 to 2026.
Urban/Rural Classification 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Accessible Rural 13.5 13.0 12.9 12.7 13.0
Accessible Small Towns 10.3 10.4 10.2 10.5 10.5
Large Urban Areas 38.2 39.0 39.6 39.8 39.8
Other Urban Areas 31.7 31.6 31.1 30.8 30.7
Remote Rural 4.5 4.3 4.3 4.4 4.2
Remote Small Towns 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.8

 

National 5 entries by protected characteristics (EA schools only)

The percentage of National 5 entries from EA candidates with ASN in 2026 was 40.5%, an increase from 37.5% in 2025. Since 2022 the percentage of entries from EA candidates with ASN has increased year-on-year, with corresponding decreases in candidates with no ASN identified through the Pupil Census.

The Pupil Census attributes the year-on-year increase as ‘likely due in part to continued improvements in recording and the introduction of the additional need types’, rather than any change in the population.

The percentage of entries from EA candidates declared or assessed disabled has varied at National 5 from 1.9% to 3.0% in the period 2022 to 2026.

The largest ethnicity category was White — Scottish, which made up 71.0% of entries in 2026. In general, this percentage has declined year-on-year between 2022 and 2026 with corresponding increases in the other ethnicity categories.

Table 3: The percentage of entries by protected characteristics (EA schools only) for National 5, 2022 to 2026.
Characteristic 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
ASN 30.1 32.1 34.8 37.5 40.5
No ASN 69.9 67.9 65.2 62.5 59.5
Not declared or assessed disabled 97.9 98.1 97.8 97.5 97.0
Declared or assessed disabled 2.1 1.9 2.2 2.5 3.0
White - Scottish 78.8 76.5 74.5 72.5 71.0
White - non-Scottish 11.2 12.2 13.0 13.6 13.8
Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8
Asian - Indian 0.9 1.2 1.2 1.5 1.5
Asian - Pakistani 2.3 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.6
Asian - Chinese 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.1 1.2
Asian - Other 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.2 1.2
African / Black / Caribbean 1.7 1.9 2.5 3.0 3.4
All other categories 1.0 1.1 1.4 1.4 1.6
Not Disclosed / Not known 1.2 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.8

 

Higher entries by characteristics

Higher entries by age, sex, SIMD, and urban / rural classifications

The majority of entries for Higher are from candidates in the 15 to 18 age bracket, with year-on-year increases over time between 2022 to 2026.

The percentage of entries from female candidates at Higher in 2026 was 53.6% and from male candidates was 46.4%.

The percentages of candidate entries from SIMD 1, SIMD 2 and SIMD 4 have increased in 2026 compared to 2025, with corresponding decreases in percentages from SIMD 3 and SIMD 5. Historically, SIMD data has shown a greater percentage of Higher entries from candidates from the least deprived SIMD quintiles.

The percentage of candidate entries from Large Urban Areas has increased compared to historic levels. Large Urban Areas made up 41.7% of Higher entries in 2026 compared to 40.0% in 2022, with corresponding decreases in other urban / rural categories.

Table 4.1: The percentage of entries by age category (all candidates) for Higher, 2022 to 2026.
Age Category 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
15 to 18 98.8 99.0 99.2 99.3 99.3
Below 15 [low] [low] [low] [low] [low]
Over 18 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.7 0.7

 

Table 4.2: The percentage of entries by sex (all candidates) for Higher, 2022 to 2026.
Sex 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Female 53.7 53.7 54.1 53.9 53.6
Male 46.3 46.3 45.9 46.1 46.4

 

Table 4.3: The percentage of entries by SIMD quintile (all candidates) for Higher, 2022 to 2026.
SIMD Quintile 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
SIMD 1 13.8 13.8 14.0 14.4 14.6
SIMD 2 15.2 15.3 15.2 15.2 15.6
SIMD 3 18.0 17.6 17.5 17.5 17.0
SIMD 4 23.9 23.9 24.0 24.1 24.2
SIMD 5 29.2 29.5 29.4 28.7 28.6

 

Table 4.4: The percentage of entries by urban / rural classification (all candidates) for Higher, 2022 to 2026.
Urban/Rural Classification 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Accessible Rural 13.2 13.4 13.1 13.1 12.7
Accessible Small Towns 10.1 10.0 10.0 9.9 10.0
Large Urban Areas 40.0 40.2 41.1 41.3 41.7
Other Urban Areas 31.1 30.6 30.4 30.5 30.2
Remote Rural 4.1 4.1 3.9 3.9 3.9
Remote Small Towns 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.5

 

Higher entries by protected characteristics (EA schools only)

For Higher in 2026, the percentage of entries from EA candidates with ASN was 36.9%, an increase from 33.4% in 2025. Since 2022 the percentage of entries from EA candidates with ASN has increased year-on-year, with corresponding decreases in candidates with no ASN identified through the Pupil Census.

The Pupil Census attributes the year-on-year increase as ‘likely due in part to continued improvements in recording and the introduction of the additional need types’, rather than any change in the population.

EA candidates declared or assessed disabled have accounted for 1.6% to 2.7% of Higher entries since 2022.

The largest ethnicity category was White — Scottish, which made up 70.0% of entries in 2026. In general, this percentage has declined year-on-year between 2022 and 2026 with corresponding increases in the other ethnicity categories.

Table 5: The percentage of entries by protected characteristics (EA schools only) for Higher, 2022 to 2026.
Characteristic 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
ASN 25.2 27.1 30.1 33.4 36.9
No ASN 74.8 72.9 69.9 66.6 63.1
Not declared or assessed disabled 98.4 98.3 98.1 97.8 97.3
Declared or assessed disabled 1.6 1.7 1.9 2.2 2.7
White - Scottish 79.1 76.4 73.6 71.9 70.0
White - non-Scottish 9.7 11.5 12.6 13.1 13.9
Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9
Asian - Indian 1.0 1.1 1.5 1.6 1.8
Asian - Pakistani 2.8 2.7 3.0 3.0 3.0
Asian - Chinese 0.8 0.9 1.1 1.3 1.4
Asian - Other 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4
African / Black / Caribbean 1.8 2.1 2.5 3.2 3.5
All other categories 0.9 1.2 1.5 1.3 1.5
Not Disclosed / Not known 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5

 

Advanced Higher entries by characteristics

Advanced Higher entries by age, sex, SIMD, and urban / rural classifications

The majority of Advanced Higher entries were from 15 to 18 year-olds in all years from 2022 to 2026.

For Advanced Higher in 2026, the percentage of entries from female candidates was 57.1% and from male candidates was 42.9%.

The percentages of candidate entries from SIMD 1, SIMD 2, SIMD 3 and SIMD 4 have increased in 2026 compared to 2025, with corresponding decreases in percentages from SIMD 5. Historically, SIMD data has shown a greater percentage of Advanced Higher entries from candidates from the least deprived SIMD quintiles.

Large Urban Areas made up 45.0% of Advanced Higher entries in 2026, a decrease compared to 45.7% in 2025. However, the percentage has increased compared to historic levels, with it accounting for 40.2% of entries in 2022.

Table 6.1: The percentage of entries by age category (all candidates) for Advanced Higher, 2022 to 2026.
Age Category 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
15 to 18 99.6 99.5 99.6 99.6 99.7
Below 15 [low] [low] [low] [low] 0.0
Over 18 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.3

 

Table 6.2: The percentage of entries by sex (all candidates) for Advanced Higher, 2022 to 2026.
Sex 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Female 55.2 55.3 54.9 56.7 57.1
Male 44.8 44.7 45.1 43.3 42.9

 

Table 6.3: The percentage of entries by SIMD quintile (all candidates) for Advanced Higher, 2022 to 2026.
SIMD Quintile 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
SIMD 1 9.0 9.4 9.2 9.6 10.2
SIMD 2 11.4 11.6 11.7 11.8 12.2
SIMD 3 16.5 16.0 15.7 15.6 15.6
SIMD 4 25.3 25.2 25.2 25.1 25.4
SIMD 5 37.9 37.8 38.2 38.0 36.5

 

Table 6.4: The percentage of entries by urban / rural classification (all candidates) for Advanced Higher, 2022 to 2026.
Urban/Rural Classification 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Accessible Rural 15.1 14.7 15.2 14.2 14.8
Accessible Small Towns 10.4 9.8 10.0 10.2 9.6
Large Urban Areas 40.2 43.5 43.6 45.7 45.0
Other Urban Areas 29.1 27.1 26.4 25.8 26.2
Remote Rural 4.1 3.9 3.7 3.2 3.3
Remote Small Towns 1.1 0.9 1.1 0.9 1.0

 

Advanced Higher entries by protected characteristics (EA schools only)

In 2026, the percentage of Advanced Higher entries from EA candidates with ASN was 34.2%. In 2025, the percentage of entries from candidates with ASN was 29.9%. Since 2022 the percentage of entries from EA candidates with ASN has increased year-on-year, with corresponding decreases in candidates with no ASN identified through the Pupil Census.

The Pupil Census attributes the year-on-year increase as ‘likely due in part to continued improvements in recording and the introduction of the additional need types’, rather than any change in the population.

Between 2022 and 2026, the percentage of entries at Advanced Higher from EA candidates declared or assessed disabled has ranged from 1.4% to 2.1%.

The largest ethnicity category was White — Scottish, which made up 65.9% of entries in 2026. In general, this percentage has declined year-on-year between 2022 and 2026 with corresponding increases in the other ethnicity categories.

Table 7: The percentage of entries by protected characteristics (EA schools only) for Advanced Higher, 2022 to 2026.
Characteristic 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
ASN 22.5 24.3 26.8 29.9 34.2
No ASN 77.5 75.7 73.2 70.1 65.8
Not declared or assessed disabled 98.6 98.5 98.3 98.1 97.9
Declared or assessed disabled 1.4 1.5 1.7 1.9 2.1
White - Scottish 75.6 73.2 69.8 67.0 65.9
White - non-Scottish 11.6 12.0 14.7 15.1 15.1
Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 1.8 2.1 2.1 2.4 2.3
Asian - Indian 1.7 1.9 2.0 3.0 2.7
Asian - Pakistani 2.8 3.3 2.9 3.3 3.2
Asian - Chinese 1.5 1.5 1.7 2.2 2.6
Asian - Other 1.2 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8
African / Black / Caribbean 1.5 1.9 2.3 2.6 3.4
All other categories 1.2 1.1 1.7 1.4 1.7
Not Disclosed / Not known 1.1 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.3

 

Distribution of attainment across different groups

The sections below outline attainment by equalities characteristics. As with other analyses in this report, historic attainment from 2022 to 2025 is provided for contextualisation of 2026 outcomes.

The discussion in this section focuses on grade A and grade A to C attainment rates.

We advise caution in interpreting some of the percentage point changes for different groups over time. For some characteristics, the numbers used to calculate the grade breakdowns are small and likely to be more variable as a result.

Attainment by age

The majority of entries at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher were from candidates aged between 15 and 18 for all years of the analysis.

Due to the small numbers of entries from candidates aged below 15 and above 18, there is limited equalities analysis that we can conduct on the age characteristic due to the risk of disclosing the identities and results of individual candidates. For this reason, we will not undertake further analyses of attainment by the age category in the rest of this report.

Attainment by sex

This section outlines 2026 attainment outcomes by legal sex. For context, 2022 to 2025 attainment outcomes are also provided.

National 5 grade distribution by sex

Female candidates’ A to C and A attainment rates are greater than those of male candidates at National 5 in each year in the period 2022 to 2025. This remains the case in 2026.

The A to C attainment rate for female candidates in 2026 was 80.9% (an increase of 0.5 percentage points from 80.4% in 2025) and for male candidates was 77.5% (an increase of 1.2 percentage points from 76.3% in 2025). The difference in A to C attainment between female and male candidates in 2026 was 3.4 percentage points. This was a decrease on the 2025 value of 4.1 percentage points.

The A attainment rate for female candidates had an increase of 1.1 percentage points from 43.6% in 2025 to 44.7% in 2026. Male candidates had an increase of 1.3 percentage points from 34.7% in 2025 to 36.0% in 2026. The difference in A attainment between female and male candidates in 2026 was 8.7 percentage points. This was a decrease on the 2025 value of 8.9 percentage points.

National 5 grade distribution by sex graphs
Figure 1.1: National 5 A and A to C attainment for female candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 1.2: National 5 A and A to C attainment for male candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

 

Table 8: National 5 grade distribution percentage by sex, 2022 to 2026.
Year Category A B C D N A to C
2022 Female 44.2 22.1 16.2 10.4 7.1 82.5
2022 Male 36.4 23.8 18.9 12.1 8.7 79.2
2023 Female 42.4 21.8 16.4 10.7 8.7 80.6
2023 Male 34.8 22.9 19.2 12.8 10.3 76.9
2024 Female 42.6 20.9 15.9 10.7 9.9 79.4
2024 Male 33.3 22.7 19.1 12.9 12.0 75.1
2025 Female 43.6 21.5 15.2 10.2 9.4 80.4
2025 Male 34.7 23.2 18.4 12.4 11.3 76.3
2026 Female 44.7 21.5 14.8 9.6 9.5 80.9
2026 Male 36.0 23.7 17.9 11.6 10.9 77.5

 

Higher grade distribution by sex

Female candidates’ A to C and A attainment rates are greater than those of male candidates at Higher in each year in the period 2022 to 2025. This remains the case in 2026.

The A to C attainment rate for female candidates had an increase of 0.6 percentage points from 78.4% in 2025 to 79.0% in 2026. Male candidates had an increase of 1.0 percentage points from 73.0% in 2025 to 74.0% in 2026. The difference in A to C attainment between female and male candidates in 2026 was 5.0 percentage points. This was a decrease on the 2025 value of 5.4 percentage points.

In 2026, the A attainment rate for female candidates was 33.9%, a decrease of 0.2 percentage points from 34.1% in 2025. Male candidates had an A attainment rate of 27.4% in 2026, an increase of 0.4 percentage points from 27.0% in 2025. The difference in A attainment between female and male candidates in 2026 was 6.5 percentage points. This was a decrease on the 2025 value of 7.1 percentage points.

Higher grade distribution by sex graphs
Figure 2.1: Higher A and A to C attainment for female candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 2.2: Higher A and A to C attainment for male candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

 

Table 9: Higher grade distribution percentage by sex, 2022 to 2026.
Year Category A B C D N A to C
2022 Female 37.9 24.3 18.9 11.6 7.3 81.1
2022 Male 31.2 24.3 20.9 13.7 10.0 76.4
2023 Female 35.4 24.6 19.6 12.3 8.2 79.5
2023 Male 29.8 23.5 20.9 14.7 11.0 74.3
2024 Female 33.2 24.0 20.5 13.5 8.8 77.7
2024 Male 26.9 22.7 22.0 15.9 12.5 71.5
2025 Female 34.1 24.5 19.8 13.0 8.6 78.4
2025 Male 27.0 23.9 22.1 15.2 11.8 73.0
2026 Female 33.9 24.9 20.2 12.7 8.3 79.0
2026 Male 27.4 24.2 22.3 15.1 10.9 74.0

 

Advanced Higher grade distribution by sex

Female candidates’ A to C and A attainment rates are greater than those of male candidates at Advanced Higher in each year in the period 2022 to 2025. This remains the case in 2026.

In 2026, the A to C attainment rate for female candidates was 80.3%, an increase of 1.3 percentage points from 79.1% in 2025. Male candidates had an A to C attainment rate of 73.9% in 2026, an increase of 0.4 percentage points from 73.5% in 2025. The difference in A to C attainment between female and male candidates in 2026 was 6.5 percentage points. This was an increase on the 2025 value of 5.6 percentage points.

The A attainment rate for female candidates in 2026 was 31.3% (a decrease of 0.3 percentage points from 31.6% in 2025) and for male candidates was 30.4% (a decrease of 0.7 percentage points from 31.1% in 2025). The difference in A attainment between female and male candidates in 2026 was 0.9 percentage points. This was an increase on the 2025 value of 0.5 percentage points.

Advanced Higher grade distribution by sex graphs
Figure 3.1: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for female candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 3.2: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for male candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

 

Table 10: Advanced Higher grade distribution percentage by sex, 2022 to 2026.
Year Category A B C D N A to C
2022 Female 34.6 27.1 22.2 11.3 4.9 83.9
2022 Male 32.6 24.7 20.8 13.1 8.7 78.1
2023 Female 33.8 26.5 21.9 12.3 5.5 82.2
2023 Male 31.9 24.3 20.6 13.6 9.6 76.8
2024 Female 30.2 24.7 23.2 14.1 7.9 78.1
2024 Male 29.7 22.0 20.2 15.2 12.9 71.8
2025 Female 31.6 25.0 22.6 13.3 7.6 79.1
2025 Male 31.1 22.1 20.3 14.0 12.6 73.5
2026 Female 31.3 25.9 23.2 12.0 7.6 80.3
2026 Male 30.4 22.7 20.8 14.5 11.6 73.9

 

Attainment by SIMD quintile

This section outlines attainment outcomes by SIMD quintile from 2022 to 2026.

We advise caution in interpreting some of the percentage point changes for different SIMD quintiles over time. For example, the numbers used to calculate the grade distribution for Advanced Higher are small and likely to be more variable as a result.

National 5 grade distribution by SIMD quintile

For each year in the period 2022 to 2026, the A to C rate increased progressively from quintile 1 (most deprived) to quintile 5 (least deprived). In 2026, the difference in A to C attainment between the most deprived and least deprived quintiles was 15.6 percentage points. This was a decrease on the 2025 value of 16.4 percentage points. The difference in A to C rates between quintile 1 and quintile 5 across the years ranged from 14.6 to 17.0 percentage points.

For the years in the period 2022 to 2026, the National 5 A attainment rate generally increased progressively from SIMD quintile 1 to SIMD quintile 5. In 2026, the difference in A attainment between the most deprived and least deprived quintiles was 26.1 percentage points. This was a decrease on the 2025 value of 27.2 percentage points. In each of the years, candidates in quintile 5 achieved an A attainment rate of more than 25 percentage points above those in quintile 1.

National 5 grade distribution by SIMD quintile graphs
Figure 4.1: National 5 A and A to C attainment for SIMD 1 candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 4.2: National 5 A and A to C attainment for SIMD 2 candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 4.3: National 5 A and A to C attainment for SIMD 3 candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 4.4: National 5 A and A to C attainment for SIMD 4 candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 4.5: National 5 A and A to C attainment for SIMD 5 candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

 

Table 11.1: National 5 grade distribution percentage by SIMD quintile, 2022 to 2026.
Year Category A B C D N A to C
2022 SIMD 1 26.7 24.5 21.9 15.1 11.7 73.2
2022 SIMD 2 31.7 23.7 20.4 13.7 10.4 75.9
2022 SIMD 3 37.1 23.7 18.4 12.1 8.6 79.3
2022 SIMD 4 44.2 22.9 16.5 10.0 6.5 83.6
2022 SIMD 5 53.7 21.0 13.1 7.5 4.7 87.8
2023 SIMD 1 25.8 23.2 21.9 15.7 13.4 70.9
2023 SIMD 2 30.0 23.1 20.3 14.2 12.4 73.4
2023 SIMD 3 34.8 23.1 18.9 12.7 10.5 76.9
2023 SIMD 4 42.5 22.3 16.7 10.5 8.0 81.4
2023 SIMD 5 52.0 20.8 13.6 7.9 5.8 86.4
2024 SIMD 1 24.6 22.6 21.3 15.8 15.8 68.5
2024 SIMD 2 29.2 22.3 20.1 14.0 14.5 71.5
2024 SIMD 3 34.8 22.4 18.4 12.8 11.6 75.6
2024 SIMD 4 41.7 22.1 16.5 10.6 9.1 80.3
2024 SIMD 5 51.8 20.2 13.4 8.1 6.5 85.4
2025 SIMD 1 26.2 23.1 20.8 14.8 15.2 70.0
2025 SIMD 2 30.1 23.3 19.2 13.9 13.6 72.5
2025 SIMD 3 35.8 22.9 17.9 12.0 11.3 76.6
2025 SIMD 4 42.6 23.0 15.8 10.2 8.4 81.4
2025 SIMD 5 53.4 20.4 12.7 7.6 6.0 86.5
2026 SIMD 1 27.4 23.6 20.0 14.0 15.0 71.0
2026 SIMD 2 31.7 23.6 18.9 12.7 13.0 74.2
2026 SIMD 3 37.7 23.2 17.1 11.3 10.8 77.9
2026 SIMD 4 44.2 22.7 15.2 9.5 8.4 82.1
2026 SIMD 5 53.5 20.6 12.5 7.3 6.1 86.6

 

Table 11.2: National 5 percentage point difference (pp) in A and A to C attainment between SIMD quintile 1 and SIMD quintile 5. All percentage point differences are in favour of candidates in SIMD quintile 5.
Attainment 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
A 26.9 pp 26.2 pp 27.3 pp 27.2 pp 26.1 pp
A to C 14.6 pp 15.5 pp 17.0 pp 16.4 pp 15.6 pp

 

Higher grade distribution by SIMD quintile

For each year in the period 2022 to 2026, the A to C rate increased progressively from quintile 1 (most deprived) to quintile 5 (least deprived). In 2026, the difference in A to C attainment between the most deprived and least deprived quintiles was 15.9 percentage points. This was a decrease on the 2025 value of 16.8 percentage points. The difference in A to C rates between quintile 1 and quintile 5 across the years ranged from 15.0 to 17.0 percentage points.

For the years in the period 2022 to 2026, the Higher A attainment rate generally increased progressively from SIMD quintile 1 to SIMD quintile 5. In 2026, the difference in A attainment between the most deprived and least deprived quintiles was 21.5 percentage points. This was a decrease on the 2025 value of 21.8 percentage points. In each of the years, candidates in quintile 5 achieved an A attainment rate of more than 20 percentage points above those in quintile 1.

Higher grade distribution by SIMD quintile graphs
Figure 5.1: Higher A and A to C attainment for SIMD 1 candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 5.2: Higher A and A to C attainment for SIMD 2 candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 5.3: Higher A and A to C attainment for SIMD 3 candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 5.4: Higher A and A to C attainment for SIMD 4 candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 5.5: Higher A and A to C attainment for SIMD 5 candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

 

Table 12.1: Higher grade distribution percentage by SIMD quintile, 2022 to 2026.
Year Category A B C D N A to C
2022 SIMD 1 22.3 23.5 24.4 17.5 12.3 70.2
2022 SIMD 2 26.4 24.5 22.4 15.4 11.3 73.3
2022 SIMD 3 30.7 24.8 21.4 13.8 9.4 76.8
2022 SIMD 4 37.5 24.8 19.1 11.4 7.2 81.5
2022 SIMD 5 45.3 23.8 16.0 9.0 5.9 85.1
2023 SIMD 1 20.1 23.5 24.5 18.3 13.6 68.1
2023 SIMD 2 24.4 23.8 22.7 16.4 12.6 70.9
2023 SIMD 3 29.4 24.5 21.3 14.7 10.1 75.2
2023 SIMD 4 35.0 24.5 19.7 12.4 8.4 79.1
2023 SIMD 5 43.3 23.9 16.7 9.7 6.4 84.0
2024 SIMD 1 18.8 21.6 24.7 19.8 15.0 65.2
2024 SIMD 2 21.7 22.8 23.9 17.9 13.8 68.3
2024 SIMD 3 26.9 23.6 22.3 15.6 11.6 72.8
2024 SIMD 4 32.1 24.1 20.8 13.7 9.3 77.0
2024 SIMD 5 40.7 23.9 17.7 10.7 7.0 82.2
2025 SIMD 1 19.3 22.5 24.5 18.7 15.0 66.3
2025 SIMD 2 23.4 23.9 22.7 17.3 12.7 70.0
2025 SIMD 3 27.0 24.9 22.1 15.1 10.9 74.0
2025 SIMD 4 32.9 24.7 20.5 13.0 8.8 78.1
2025 SIMD 5 41.1 24.5 17.6 10.2 6.7 83.1
2026 SIMD 1 19.9 23.0 24.8 18.4 13.8 67.8
2026 SIMD 2 22.8 24.2 24.0 17.0 12.0 71.0
2026 SIMD 3 27.4 24.9 22.3 14.9 10.5 74.6
2026 SIMD 4 32.6 25.4 20.7 12.9 8.3 78.8
2026 SIMD 5 41.4 24.8 17.5 10.0 6.3 83.7

 

Table 12.2: Higher percentage point difference (pp) in A and A to C attainment between SIMD quintile 1 and SIMD quintile 5. All percentage point differences are in favour of candidates in SIMD quintile 5.
Attainment 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
A 23.0 pp 23.2 pp 21.9 pp 21.8 pp 21.5 pp
A to C 15.0 pp 15.8 pp 17.0 pp 16.8 pp 15.9 pp

 

Advanced Higher grade distribution by SIMD quintile

For each year in the period 2022 to 2026, the A to C rate increased progressively from quintile 1 (most deprived) to quintile 5 (least deprived). In 2026, the difference in A to C attainment between the most deprived and least deprived quintiles was 12.1 percentage points. This was a decrease on the 2025 value of 13.3 percentage points. The difference in A to C rates between quintile 1 and quintile 5 across the years ranged from 11.4 to 15.4 percentage points.

For the years in the period 2022 to 2026, the Advanced Higher A attainment rate generally increased progressively from SIMD quintile 1 to SIMD quintile 5. In 2026, the difference in A attainment between the most deprived and least deprived quintiles was 16.8 percentage points. This was a decrease on the 2025 value of 18.1 percentage points. In each of the years, candidates in quintile 5 achieved an A attainment rate of more than 15 percentage points above those in quintile 1.

Advanced Higher grade distribution by SIMD quintile graphs
Figure 6.1: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for SIMD 1 candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 6.2: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for SIMD 2 candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 6.3: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for SIMD 3 candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 6.4: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for SIMD 4 candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 6.5: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for SIMD 5 candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

 

Table 13.1: Advanced Higher grade distribution percentage by SIMD quintile, 2022 to 2026.
Year Category A B C D N A to C
2022 SIMD 1 21.0 25.8 26.2 17.9 9.1 73.0
2022 SIMD 2 24.1 24.1 25.5 16.3 10.1 73.7
2022 SIMD 3 30.2 24.8 23.8 13.7 7.4 78.9
2022 SIMD 4 33.5 26.8 21.7 11.7 6.3 82.0
2022 SIMD 5 41.0 26.8 18.2 9.1 4.9 86.0
2023 SIMD 1 22.7 24.7 25.5 17.5 9.7 72.8
2023 SIMD 2 25.7 23.6 23.1 17.8 9.7 72.4
2023 SIMD 3 27.5 26.2 24.0 14.2 8.1 77.7
2023 SIMD 4 32.5 26.3 21.5 12.4 7.3 80.4
2023 SIMD 5 40.1 25.6 18.5 10.1 5.7 84.2
2024 SIMD 1 18.7 21.1 25.5 18.9 15.8 65.2
2024 SIMD 2 20.8 22.0 24.0 18.7 14.4 66.9
2024 SIMD 3 25.5 24.2 23.7 16.1 10.6 73.4
2024 SIMD 4 29.9 23.4 22.3 14.4 10.1 75.6
2024 SIMD 5 37.0 24.4 19.2 12.0 7.4 80.7
2025 SIMD 1 20.3 21.3 26.4 17.3 14.7 68.0
2025 SIMD 2 21.1 24.1 25.8 16.4 12.6 71.0
2025 SIMD 3 27.1 24.5 21.9 15.2 11.2 73.6
2025 SIMD 4 31.9 24.0 21.6 13.1 9.5 77.4
2025 SIMD 5 38.4 23.9 19.0 11.5 7.3 81.2
2026 SIMD 1 20.2 23.1 26.3 18.0 12.4 69.6
2026 SIMD 2 24.0 24.0 24.3 15.4 12.2 72.4
2026 SIMD 3 27.3 24.4 24.3 13.6 10.4 76.0
2026 SIMD 4 31.5 24.2 22.4 12.8 9.1 78.1
2026 SIMD 5 37.0 25.4 19.3 11.1 7.3 81.7

 

Table 13.2: Advanced Higher percentage point difference (pp) in A and A to C attainment between SIMD quintile 1 and SIMD quintile 5. All percentage point differences are in favour of candidates in SIMD quintile 5.
Attainment 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
A 20.1 pp 17.4 pp 18.3 pp 18.1 pp 16.8 pp
A to C 13.0 pp 11.4 pp 15.4 pp 13.3 pp 12.1 pp

 

Attainment by additional support needs (ASN)

This section outlines attainment outcomes by additional support needs status from 2022 to 2026.

National 5 grade distribution by additional support needs

In 2026, the A to C attainment rate for candidates with additional support needs was 73.1%. This was an increase of 1.0 percentage points from 72.1% in 2025. Candidates without additional support needs had an A to C attainment rate of 82.0% in 2026, an increase of 1.2 percentage points from 80.8% in 2025. The difference in A to C attainment between those with and without additional support needs in 2026 was 8.9 percentage points. This was an increase on the 2025 value of 8.7 percentage points.

In 2026, the A attainment rate for candidates with additional support needs was 30.3%. This was an increase of 0.8 percentage points from 29.5% in 2025. Candidates without additional support needs had an A attainment rate of 44.2% in 2026, an increase of 2.1 percentage points from 42.1% in 2025. The difference in A attainment between those with and without additional support needs in 2026 was 13.9 percentage points. This was an increase on the 2025 value of 12.6 percentage points.

National 5 grade distribution by additional support needs graphs
Figure 7.1: National 5 A and A to C attainment for candidates with additional support needs, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 7.2: National 5 A and A to C attainment for candidates without additional support needs, 2022 to 2026.

 

 

Table 14: National 5 grade distribution percentage by additional support needs, 2022 to 2026.
Year Category A B C D N A to C
2022 ASN 29.3 23.6 21.2 14.6 11.3 74.1
2022 No ASN 42.2 23.4 16.9 10.5 7.0 82.5
2023 ASN 28.4 22.7 20.9 14.8 13.3 72.0
2023 No ASN 40.7 22.7 17.2 11.0 8.4 80.6
2024 ASN 27.6 22.1 20.6 14.8 14.8 70.4
2024 No ASN 40.5 22.2 16.7 10.9 9.6 79.4
2025 ASN 29.5 22.9 19.7 14.0 13.9 72.1
2025 No ASN 42.1 22.8 15.9 10.3 8.9 80.8
2026 ASN 30.3 23.6 19.3 13.2 13.7 73.1
2026 No ASN 44.2 22.7 15.2 9.5 8.5 82.0

 

Higher grade distribution by additional support needs

In 2026, the A to C attainment rate for candidates with additional support needs was 71.9%. This was an increase of 1.2 percentage points from 70.7% in 2025. Candidates without additional support needs had an A to C attainment rate of 78.0% in 2026, an increase of 1.1 percentage points from 76.9% in 2025. The difference in A to C attainment between those with and without additional support needs in 2026 was 6.2 percentage points. This was a decrease on the 2025 value of 6.2 percentage points.

In 2026, the A attainment rate for candidates with additional support needs was 24.9%. This was an increase of 0.5 percentage points from 24.4% in 2025. Candidates without additional support needs had an A attainment rate of 31.5% in 2026, an increase of 0.3 percentage points from 31.1% in 2025. The difference in A attainment between those with and without additional support needs in 2026 was 6.5 percentage points. This was a decrease on the 2025 value of 6.7 percentage points.

Higher grade distribution by additional support needs graphs
Figure 8.1: Higher A and A to C attainment for candidates with additional support needs, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 8.2: Higher A and A to C attainment for candidates without additional support needs, 2022 to 2026.

 

 

Table 15: Higher grade distribution percentage by additional support needs, 2022 to 2026.
Year Category A B C D N A to C
2022 ASN 26.0 24.0 22.7 16.0 11.2 72.8
2022 No ASN 35.1 24.7 19.9 12.2 8.2 79.6
2023 ASN 24.7 23.4 22.9 16.8 12.2 71.0
2023 No ASN 32.9 24.7 20.2 13.1 9.1 77.8
2024 ASN 23.2 22.3 23.5 17.7 13.3 69.0
2024 No ASN 30.3 24.2 21.2 14.3 10.0 75.7
2025 ASN 24.4 23.4 22.9 16.7 12.6 70.7
2025 No ASN 31.1 24.9 20.9 13.6 9.5 76.9
2026 ASN 24.9 23.8 23.1 16.5 11.7 71.9
2026 No ASN 31.5 25.4 21.2 13.2 8.7 78.0

 

Advanced Higher grade distribution by additional support needs

In 2026, the A to C attainment rate for candidates with additional support needs was 74.4%. This was an increase of 2.4 percentage points from 72.0% in 2025. Candidates without additional support needs had an A to C attainment rate of 75.6% in 2026, an increase of 0.8 percentage points from 74.9% in 2025. The difference in A to C attainment between those with and without additional support needs in 2026 was 1.2 percentage points. This was a decrease on the 2025 value of 2.8 percentage points.

In 2026, the A attainment rate for candidates with additional support needs was 25.1%. This was a decrease of 0.4 percentage points from 25.5% in 2025. Candidates without additional support needs had an A attainment rate of 27.9% in 2026, an increase of 0.1 percentage points from 27.8% in 2025. The difference in A attainment between those with and without additional support needs in 2026 was 2.8 percentage points. This was an increase on the 2025 value of 2.3 percentage points.

Advanced Higher grade distribution by additional support needs graphs
Figure 9.1: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for candidates with additional support needs, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 9.2: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for candidates without additional support needs, 2022 to 2026.

 

 

Table 16: Advanced Higher grade distribution percentage by additional support needs, 2022 to 2026.
Year Category A B C D N A to C
2022 ASN 27.0 25.8 24.9 14.2 8.1 77.7
2022 No ASN 30.7 26.6 22.5 13.0 7.2 79.8
2023 ASN 26.8 24.8 24.1 15.3 8.9 75.7
2023 No ASN 29.3 26.0 22.5 14.0 8.2 77.8
2024 ASN 24.6 22.2 23.7 17.0 12.5 70.5
2024 No ASN 26.4 23.7 23.0 15.8 11.0 73.1
2025 ASN 25.5 23.4 23.1 16.1 11.8 72.0
2025 No ASN 27.8 24.0 23.1 14.5 10.7 74.9
2026 ASN 25.1 24.4 24.9 15.1 10.5 74.4
2026 No ASN 27.9 24.7 23.0 13.9 10.4 75.6

 

Attainment by declared or assessed disabled status

This section outlines attainment outcomes by declared or assessed disabled status from 2022 to 2026

We advise caution in interpreting some of the percentage point changes for different groups over time. For declared or assessed disabled entries, and in particular at Advanced Higher, the numbers used to calculate the percentage breakdowns for different levels are small and likely to be more variable as a result.

National 5 grade distribution by declared or assessed disabled status

In 2026, the A to C attainment rate for candidates who are declared or assessed disabled was 72.0%. This was an increase of 0.3 percentage points from 71.7% in 2025. Candidates who are not declared or assessed disabled had an A to C attainment rate of 78.6% in 2026, an increase of 0.9 percentage points from 77.7% in 2025. The difference in A to C attainment between those who are and those who are not declared or assessed disabled in 2026 was 6.7 percentage points. This was an increase on the 2025 value of 6.0 percentage points.

In 2026, the A attainment rate for candidates who are declared or assessed disabled was 26.4%. This was a decrease of 0.7 percentage points from 27.1% in 2025. Candidates who are not declared or assessed disabled had an A attainment rate of 38.9% in 2026, an increase of 1.3 percentage points from 37.6% in 2025. The difference in A attainment between those who are and those who are not declared or assessed disabled in 2026 was 12.5 percentage points. This was an increase on the 2025 value of 10.5 percentage points.

National 5 grade distribution by declared or assessed disabled status graphs
Figure 10.1: National 5 A and A to C attainment for candidates who are declared or assessed disabled, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 10.2: National 5 A and A to C attainment for candidates who are not declared or assessed disabled, 2022 to 2026.

 

 

Table 17: National 5 grade distribution percentage by declared or assessed disabled status, 2022 to 2026.
Year Category A B C D N A to C
2022 Declared or assessed disabled 29.4 23.8 21.1 15.4 10.3 74.3
2022 Not declared or assessed disabled 38.5 23.5 18.2 11.6 8.2 80.1
2023 Declared or assessed disabled 27.1 24.0 22.4 14.9 11.6 73.5
2023 Not declared or assessed disabled 36.9 22.7 18.3 12.1 9.9 77.9
2024 Declared or assessed disabled 24.6 23.0 21.9 16.0 14.5 69.5
2024 Not declared or assessed disabled 36.3 22.2 18.0 12.2 11.4 76.4
2025 Declared or assessed disabled 27.1 23.3 21.3 14.2 14.2 71.7
2025 Not declared or assessed disabled 37.6 22.8 17.2 11.6 10.7 77.7
2026 Declared or assessed disabled 26.4 24.7 20.8 13.9 14.1 72.0
2026 Not declared or assessed disabled 38.9 23.0 16.7 10.9 10.5 78.6

 

Higher grade distribution by declared or assessed disabled status

In 2026, the A to C attainment rate for candidates who are declared or assessed disabled was 69.6%. This was an increase of 0.8 percentage points from 68.8% in 2025. Candidates who are not declared or assessed disabled had an A to C attainment rate of 75.9% in 2026, an increase of 1.0 percentage points from 75.0% in 2025. The difference in A to C attainment between those who are and those who are not declared or assessed disabled in 2026 was 6.3 percentage points. This was an increase on the 2025 value of 6.2 percentage points.

In 2026, the A attainment rate for candidates who are declared or assessed disabled was 21.1%. This was a decrease of 0.3 percentage points from 21.4% in 2025. Candidates who are not declared or assessed disabled had an A attainment rate of 29.3% in 2026, an increase of 0.2 percentage points from 29.1% in 2025. The difference in A attainment between those who are and those who are not declared or assessed disabled in 2026 was 8.2 percentage points. This was an increase on the 2025 value of 7.6 percentage points.

Higher grade distribution by declared or assessed disabled status graphs
Figure 11.1: Higher A and A to C attainment for candidates who are declared or assessed disabled, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 11.2: Higher A and A to C attainment for candidates who are not declared or assessed disabled, 2022 to 2026.

 

 

Table 18: Higher grade distribution percentage by declared or assessed disabled status, 2022 to 2026.
Year Category A B C D N A to C
2022 Declared or assessed disabled 25.9 24.1 23.1 16.6 10.4 73.0
2022 Not declared or assessed disabled 32.9 24.5 20.5 13.1 8.9 78.0
2023 Declared or assessed disabled 25.6 24.9 21.1 17.0 11.3 71.6
2023 Not declared or assessed disabled 30.8 24.4 20.9 14.0 9.9 76.1
2024 Declared or assessed disabled 21.7 22.2 25.0 18.3 12.9 68.9
2024 Not declared or assessed disabled 28.3 23.6 21.8 15.3 11.0 73.7
2025 Declared or assessed disabled 21.4 23.2 24.2 18.6 12.6 68.8
2025 Not declared or assessed disabled 29.1 24.4 21.5 14.6 10.5 75.0
2026 Declared or assessed disabled 21.1 22.8 25.7 17.4 13.0 69.6
2026 Not declared or assessed disabled 29.3 24.9 21.8 14.3 9.7 75.9

 

Advanced Higher grade distribution by declared or assessed disabled status

In 2026, the A to C attainment rate for candidates who are declared or assessed disabled was 73.5%. This was a decrease of 1.8 percentage points from 75.3% in 2025. Candidates who are not declared or assessed disabled had an A to C attainment rate of 75.3% in 2026, an increase of 1.3 percentage points from 74.0% in 2025. The difference in A to C attainment between those who are and those who are not declared or assessed disabled in 2026 was 1.8 percentage points. This was an increase on the 2025 value of 1.3 percentage points.

In 2026, the A attainment rate for candidates who are declared or assessed disabled was 25.2%. This was a decrease of 4.1 percentage points from 29.4% in 2025. Candidates who are not declared or assessed disabled had an A attainment rate of 27.0% in 2026, a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from 27.1% in 2025. The difference in A attainment between those who are and those who are not declared or assessed disabled in 2026 was 1.8 percentage points. This was a decrease on the 2025 value of 2.3 percentage points.

Advanced Higher grade distribution by declared or assessed disabled status graphs
Figure 12.1: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for candidates who are declared or assessed disabled, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 12.2: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for candidates who are not declared or assessed disabled, 2022 to 2026.

 

 

Table 19: Advanced Higher grade distribution percentage by declared or assessed disabled status, 2022 to 2026.
Year Category A B C D N A to C
2022 Declared or assessed disabled 30.4 24.8 22.4 16.1 6.2 77.6
2022 Not declared or assessed disabled 29.8 26.4 23.1 13.3 7.4 79.3
2023 Declared or assessed disabled 29.5 25.0 22.5 16.0 7.0 77.0
2023 Not declared or assessed disabled 28.7 25.7 22.9 14.3 8.4 77.3
2024 Declared or assessed disabled 26.9 22.8 21.6 16.6 12.0 71.4
2024 Not declared or assessed disabled 25.9 23.3 23.2 16.1 11.4 72.4
2025 Declared or assessed disabled 29.4 23.2 22.8 14.3 10.4 75.3
2025 Not declared or assessed disabled 27.1 23.8 23.1 15.0 11.0 74.0
2026 Declared or assessed disabled 25.2 24.9 23.4 18.2 8.3 73.5
2026 Not declared or assessed disabled 27.0 24.6 23.7 14.3 10.5 75.3

 

Attainment by urban / rural classification

Urban / rural grade breakdowns of attainment have historically been more variable over time and across levels than the other equalities categories in this analysis. In general, however, where one group had higher attainment than another historically, this remained the case in 2026.

We advise caution in interpreting some of the percentage point changes for different groups over time. For some characteristics, such as remote small towns, the numbers used to calculate the grade breakdowns for different levels are small and likely to be more variable as a result.

National 5 grade distribution by urban / rural classification

National 5 grade distribution by urban / rural classification graphs
Figure 13.1: National 5 A and A to C attainment for Large Urban Areas candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 13.2: National 5 A and A to C attainment for Other Urban Areas candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 13.3: National 5 A and A to C attainment for Accessible Small Towns candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 13.4: National 5 A and A to C attainment for Remote Small Towns candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 13.5: National 5 A and A to C attainment for Accessible Rural candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 13.6: National 5 A and A to C attainment for Remote Rural candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

 

Table 20: National 5 grade distribution percentage by urban / rural classification, 2022 to 2026.
Year Category A B C D N A to C
2022 Accessible Rural 43.1 22.7 16.7 10.5 7.0 82.5
2022 Accessible Small Towns 40.2 23.0 18.1 11.1 7.6 81.3
2022 Large Urban Areas 43.1 22.4 16.6 10.3 7.6 82.1
2022 Other Urban Areas 36.5 23.6 18.6 12.4 8.9 78.7
2022 Remote Rural 39.1 24.1 18.2 11.3 7.3 81.4
2022 Remote Small Towns 30.4 24.3 20.7 15.0 9.7 75.4
2023 Accessible Rural 40.3 22.4 17.2 11.2 8.8 80.0
2023 Accessible Small Towns 37.5 22.8 18.2 12.0 9.5 78.5
2023 Large Urban Areas 42.3 21.6 16.7 10.7 8.7 80.6
2023 Other Urban Areas 34.8 22.8 18.8 12.9 10.7 76.4
2023 Remote Rural 35.0 24.3 19.5 12.3 8.9 78.8
2023 Remote Small Towns 29.4 22.6 21.5 14.4 12.1 73.5
2024 Accessible Rural 40.3 21.7 16.9 11.3 9.8 78.9
2024 Accessible Small Towns 36.9 22.1 17.8 12.1 11.1 76.8
2024 Large Urban Areas 41.0 21.1 16.5 11.2 10.2 78.7
2024 Other Urban Areas 34.4 22.4 18.6 12.5 12.1 75.4
2024 Remote Rural 35.3 23.0 18.5 12.4 10.8 76.8
2024 Remote Small Towns 27.3 22.6 19.8 15.0 15.3 69.7
2025 Accessible Rural 40.6 22.6 16.4 10.8 9.5 79.6
2025 Accessible Small Towns 38.7 22.5 17.2 11.4 10.2 78.4
2025 Large Urban Areas 42.5 21.4 15.7 10.5 9.9 79.6
2025 Other Urban Areas 35.2 23.3 18.0 12.3 11.2 76.5
2025 Remote Rural 36.7 23.6 18.0 11.7 9.9 78.4
2025 Remote Small Towns 30.3 21.8 19.8 14.0 14.0 72.0
2026 Accessible Rural 42.7 22.5 16.0 10.0 8.7 81.2
2026 Accessible Small Towns 39.5 23.2 16.6 10.9 9.9 79.3
2026 Large Urban Areas 43.2 21.8 15.3 9.9 9.8 80.3
2026 Other Urban Areas 36.9 23.2 17.4 11.3 11.1 77.6
2026 Remote Rural 36.0 24.3 17.5 11.8 10.3 77.8
2026 Remote Small Towns 29.9 22.8 18.8 13.8 14.6 71.6

 

Higher grade distribution by urban / rural classification

Higher grade distribution by urban / rural classification graphs
Figure 14.1: Higher A and A to C attainment for Large Urban Areas candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 14.2: Higher A and A to C attainment for Other Urban Areas candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 14.3: Higher A and A to C attainment for Accessible Small Towns candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 14.4: Higher A and A to C attainment for Remote Small Towns candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 14.5: Higher A and A to C attainment for Accessible Rural candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 14.6: Higher A and A to C attainment for Remote Rural candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

 

Table 21: Higher grade distribution percentage by urban / rural classification, 2022 to 2026.
Year Category A B C D N A to C
2022 Accessible Rural 36.1 25.3 19.4 11.8 7.4 80.8
2022 Accessible Small Towns 33.3 25.1 20.3 13.0 8.3 78.7
2022 Large Urban Areas 37.7 23.6 18.8 11.7 8.2 80.1
2022 Other Urban Areas 31.6 24.4 20.9 13.6 9.6 76.8
2022 Remote Rural 33.0 25.2 20.9 12.9 8.0 79.1
2022 Remote Small Towns 26.7 24.0 23.7 15.5 10.1 74.4
2023 Accessible Rural 34.8 24.2 19.6 12.7 8.6 78.7
2023 Accessible Small Towns 32.9 24.4 20.5 13.4 8.8 77.8
2023 Large Urban Areas 35.2 23.7 19.3 12.7 9.1 78.2
2023 Other Urban Areas 29.4 24.4 21.3 14.4 10.6 75.1
2023 Remote Rural 30.7 24.7 21.8 14.1 8.8 77.2
2023 Remote Small Towns 24.6 23.1 23.0 17.5 11.8 70.7
2024 Accessible Rural 31.5 24.4 21.0 13.6 9.5 76.9
2024 Accessible Small Towns 29.9 23.9 21.2 14.4 10.5 75.1
2024 Large Urban Areas 33.5 22.8 20.1 13.8 9.8 76.4
2024 Other Urban Areas 26.5 23.6 22.3 15.9 11.6 72.4
2024 Remote Rural 26.0 24.1 22.2 16.0 11.7 72.3
2024 Remote Small Towns 20.5 21.7 25.7 18.5 13.7 67.8
2025 Accessible Rural 33.9 24.6 19.8 13.0 8.6 78.4
2025 Accessible Small Towns 30.0 24.6 21.4 14.1 9.9 76.1
2025 Large Urban Areas 33.3 23.7 19.9 13.3 9.9 76.8
2025 Other Urban Areas 27.3 24.6 22.2 15.0 10.8 74.2
2025 Remote Rural 27.3 25.0 22.4 15.6 9.7 74.7
2025 Remote Small Towns 20.2 24.3 22.4 18.9 14.2 66.8
2026 Accessible Rural 31.8 25.3 20.6 13.3 9.0 77.7
2026 Accessible Small Towns 31.5 25.0 21.2 13.6 8.7 77.7
2026 Large Urban Areas 33.6 23.9 20.2 13.0 9.2 77.8
2026 Other Urban Areas 27.1 24.9 22.6 15.1 10.3 74.6
2026 Remote Rural 27.7 26.5 22.1 14.8 8.9 76.4
2026 Remote Small Towns 25.8 22.9 23.5 17.0 10.7 72.2

 

Advanced Higher grade distribution by urban / rural classification

Advanced Higher grade distribution by urban / rural classification graphs
Figure 15.1: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for Large Urban Areas candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 15.2: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for Other Urban Areas candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 15.3: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for Accessible Small Towns candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 15.4: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for Remote Small Towns candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 15.5: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for Accessible Rural candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 15.6: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for Remote Rural candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

 

Table 22: Advanced Higher grade distribution percentage by urban / rural classification, 2022 to 2026.
Year Category A B C D N A to C
2022 Accessible Rural 34.8 26.3 20.9 11.8 6.1 82.1
2022 Accessible Small Towns 32.2 25.8 22.2 12.5 7.3 80.3
2022 Large Urban Areas 38.0 26.1 19.8 10.8 5.3 83.9
2022 Other Urban Areas 27.6 26.0 23.7 14.2 8.6 77.2
2022 Remote Rural 32.9 26.6 24.6 10.1 5.9 84.1
2022 Remote Small Towns 30.0 24.3 20.3 16.7 8.7 74.7
2023 Accessible Rural 33.1 26.8 21.0 12.6 6.5 80.9
2023 Accessible Small Towns 28.8 25.8 22.6 14.0 8.7 77.3
2023 Large Urban Areas 37.7 25.2 19.5 11.6 6.0 82.4
2023 Other Urban Areas 26.9 25.5 23.7 14.6 9.3 76.2
2023 Remote Rural 29.6 26.4 23.5 13.2 7.3 79.5
2023 Remote Small Towns 29.1 21.7 24.0 18.2 7.0 74.8
2024 Accessible Rural 30.5 23.7 22.2 14.2 9.4 76.3
2024 Accessible Small Towns 26.1 23.3 23.7 16.0 10.9 73.2
2024 Large Urban Areas 33.8 23.9 20.2 13.1 9.0 77.9
2024 Other Urban Areas 24.9 23.0 23.1 16.6 12.3 71.1
2024 Remote Rural 27.7 23.0 24.1 15.8 9.5 74.8
2024 Remote Small Towns 21.4 19.7 29.9 17.1 11.8 71.1
2025 Accessible Rural 32.3 24.0 21.4 13.2 9.0 77.7
2025 Accessible Small Towns 27.8 24.1 21.9 15.7 10.4 73.8
2025 Large Urban Areas 34.9 23.9 20.5 11.9 8.8 79.3
2025 Other Urban Areas 26.1 23.5 22.9 15.9 11.5 72.6
2025 Remote Rural 26.9 23.4 26.2 15.2 8.2 76.6
2025 Remote Small Towns 26.4 20.7 22.4 13.4 17.1 69.5
2026 Accessible Rural 33.0 23.7 21.8 12.8 8.7 78.6
2026 Accessible Small Towns 26.8 24.1 23.3 14.6 11.2 74.2
2026 Large Urban Areas 34.2 25.0 20.7 11.9 8.2 79.9
2026 Other Urban Areas 25.7 24.4 23.9 14.8 11.1 74.0
2026 Remote Rural 26.8 25.0 26.5 13.5 8.2 78.3
2026 Remote Small Towns 26.6 22.7 26.6 14.3 9.7 76.0

 

Attainment by ethnicity

In general, where one group had higher attainment than another group historically, this remained the case in 2026. For example in 2026, as in several previous years, the A rate and A to C rate was greater for Asian — Chinese compared to other ethnicity groupings.

We advise caution in interpreting some of the percentage point changes for different groups over time. For most ethnicity groups (except White — Scottish and White — non-Scottish), the numbers used to calculate the percentage breakdowns for each of the different levels are small and likely to be more variable as a result.

National 5 grade distribution by ethnicity

National 5 grade distribution by ethnicity graphs
Figure 16.1: National 5 A and A to C attainment for African / Black / Caribbean candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 16.2: National 5 A and A to C attainment for candidates from all other categories, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 16.3: National 5 A and A to C attainment for Asian - Chinese candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 16.4: National 5 A and A to C attainment for Asian - Indian candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 16.5: National 5 A and A to C attainment for Asian - Other candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 16.6: National 5 A and A to C attainment for Asian - Pakistani candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 16.7: National 5 A and A to C attainment for candidates from mixed or multiple ethnic groups, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 16.8: National 5 A and A to C attainment for candidates whose ethnicity was not disclosed or not known, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 16.9: National 5 A and A to C attainment for White - non-Scottish candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 16.10: National 5 A and A to C attainment for White - Scottish candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

 

Table 23: National 5 grade distribution percentage by ethnicity, 2022 to 2026.
Year Category A B C D N A to C
2022 African / Black / Caribbean 35.8 23.4 18.4 12.4 9.9 77.6
2022 All other categories 36.6 22.9 18.2 12.3 10.0 77.7
2022 Asian - Chinese 60.4 20.3 11.4 5.0 3.0 92.0
2022 Asian - Indian 54.3 20.6 13.5 7.1 4.5 88.4
2022 Asian - Other 46.6 21.3 16.0 9.5 6.5 83.9
2022 Asian - Pakistani 39.6 22.7 17.2 11.5 8.9 79.6
2022 Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 45.5 22.3 15.2 9.1 8.0 83.0
2022 Not Disclosed / Not known 35.3 23.3 20.7 11.8 8.9 79.2
2022 White - Scottish 37.2 23.7 18.6 12.1 8.4 79.5
2022 White - non-Scottish 42.6 22.8 16.9 10.2 7.4 82.4
2023 African / Black / Caribbean 33.3 22.1 18.4 14.3 11.8 73.9
2023 All other categories 34.9 23.6 17.5 11.8 12.2 76.0
2023 Asian - Chinese 61.1 18.3 10.9 6.2 3.5 90.3
2023 Asian - Indian 56.0 18.0 12.5 7.8 5.6 86.5
2023 Asian - Other 40.6 23.2 17.1 10.9 8.1 81.0
2023 Asian - Pakistani 38.8 21.9 18.1 11.6 9.5 78.8
2023 Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 46.1 20.1 15.3 10.4 8.1 81.5
2023 Not Disclosed / Not known 32.6 23.6 19.4 13.2 11.2 75.6
2023 White - Scottish 35.6 23.0 18.7 12.5 10.2 77.3
2023 White - non-Scottish 39.5 22.1 17.9 11.3 9.2 79.5
2024 African / Black / Caribbean 32.3 23.2 19.1 13.7 11.7 74.6
2024 All other categories 36.5 19.5 17.6 11.9 14.5 73.6
2024 Asian - Chinese 61.4 18.3 9.8 6.4 4.0 89.5
2024 Asian - Indian 52.9 20.0 12.5 7.8 6.8 85.4
2024 Asian - Other 43.6 20.8 15.3 10.6 9.6 79.7
2024 Asian - Pakistani 38.1 22.3 17.5 11.2 11.0 77.9
2024 Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 45.5 21.1 15.0 9.8 8.6 81.6
2024 Not Disclosed / Not known 32.4 20.7 19.2 14.1 13.5 72.4
2024 White - Scottish 34.9 22.4 18.4 12.6 11.7 75.7
2024 White - non-Scottish 38.0 21.7 17.8 11.7 10.8 77.5
2025 African / Black / Caribbean 32.4 22.7 18.6 13.4 12.9 73.7
2025 All other categories 33.4 21.8 17.9 13.5 13.3 73.2
2025 Asian - Chinese 61.8 17.9 10.4 5.6 4.3 90.1
2025 Asian - Indian 57.1 18.9 11.5 6.5 6.0 87.5
2025 Asian - Other 42.0 20.6 16.3 11.2 9.9 78.9
2025 Asian - Pakistani 37.7 21.5 17.1 11.7 11.9 76.4
2025 Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 46.0 21.7 14.6 9.3 8.5 82.2
2025 Not Disclosed / Not known 32.1 22.3 19.4 14.7 11.6 73.7
2025 White - Scottish 36.0 23.2 17.8 12.0 11.0 77.0
2025 White - non-Scottish 41.2 22.3 16.1 10.6 9.7 79.7
2026 African / Black / Caribbean 34.2 22.2 17.7 12.7 13.1 74.2
2026 All other categories 35.6 22.1 16.8 11.5 14.0 74.6
2026 Asian - Chinese 61.9 18.6 9.9 5.8 3.8 90.4
2026 Asian - Indian 58.1 18.7 11.0 6.6 5.6 87.8
2026 Asian - Other 42.2 21.7 15.4 10.5 10.2 79.3
2026 Asian - Pakistani 39.2 21.7 16.6 10.8 11.7 77.5
2026 Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 47.7 21.2 13.4 9.6 8.1 82.3
2026 Not Disclosed / Not known 33.8 23.0 18.8 11.4 13.1 75.5
2026 White - Scottish 37.1 23.5 17.3 11.3 10.8 77.9
2026 White - non-Scottish 42.2 22.5 15.7 10.3 9.3 80.4

 

Higher grade distribution by ethnicity

Higher grade distribution by ethnicity graphs
Figure 17.1: Higher A and A to C attainment for African / Black / Caribbean candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 17.2: Higher A and A to C attainment for candidates from all other categories, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 17.3: Higher A and A to C attainment for Asian - Chinese candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 17.4: Higher A and A to C attainment for Asian - Indian candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 17.5: Higher A and A to C attainment for Asian - Other candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 17.6: Higher A and A to C attainment for Asian - Pakistani candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 17.7: Higher A and A to C attainment for candidates from mixed or multiple ethnic groups, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 17.8: Higher A and A to C attainment for candidates whose ethnicity was not disclosed or not known, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 17.9: Higher A and A to C attainment for White - non-Scottish candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 17.10: Higher A and A to C attainment for White - Scottish candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

 

Table 24: Higher grade distribution percentage by ethnicity, 2022 to 2026.
Year Category A B C D N A to C
2022 African / Black / Caribbean 30.0 24.5 21.0 14.6 10.0 75.4
2022 All other categories 32.2 24.3 20.8 11.7 10.9 77.3
2022 Asian - Chinese 53.7 21.3 14.5 6.3 4.3 89.4
2022 Asian - Indian 42.2 24.1 17.9 9.7 6.1 84.3
2022 Asian - Other 34.0 23.5 21.1 12.6 8.8 78.6
2022 Asian - Pakistani 32.2 24.1 21.4 13.2 9.2 77.6
2022 Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 39.3 25.3 18.0 10.5 7.0 82.5
2022 Not Disclosed / Not known 33.6 23.6 19.8 13.8 9.2 77.1
2022 White - Scottish 32.1 24.6 20.8 13.4 9.1 77.5
2022 White - non-Scottish 35.3 24.6 19.5 12.3 8.4 79.3
2023 African / Black / Caribbean 25.6 23.2 23.1 16.5 11.6 71.8
2023 All other categories 30.6 23.2 19.2 16.3 10.8 72.9
2023 Asian - Chinese 49.5 21.7 15.0 8.7 5.1 86.2
2023 Asian - Indian 38.9 27.7 15.9 10.3 7.3 82.5
2023 Asian - Other 35.2 23.1 19.7 12.9 9.1 78.0
2023 Asian - Pakistani 28.6 24.2 21.1 15.4 10.6 73.9
2023 Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 37.1 25.5 18.1 11.3 8.1 80.7
2023 Not Disclosed / Not known 28.6 25.4 22.0 14.1 9.9 76.0
2023 White - Scottish 29.8 24.4 21.3 14.3 10.1 75.6
2023 White - non-Scottish 34.6 24.0 19.4 12.8 9.2 78.0
2024 African / Black / Caribbean 23.9 22.7 23.7 17.1 12.6 70.3
2024 All other categories 28.1 22.7 22.5 14.9 11.8 73.3
2024 Asian - Chinese 49.4 21.5 15.4 8.2 5.6 86.2
2024 Asian - Indian 42.5 22.0 17.0 10.4 8.1 81.5
2024 Asian - Other 28.9 24.5 21.8 15.6 9.2 75.2
2024 Asian - Pakistani 29.1 22.3 22.2 15.1 11.3 73.6
2024 Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 37.0 23.1 17.2 12.8 10.0 77.2
2024 Not Disclosed / Not known 27.7 22.1 21.9 16.3 12.0 71.7
2024 White - Scottish 27.0 23.8 22.3 15.7 11.2 73.0
2024 White - non-Scottish 31.2 23.4 21.0 14.1 10.3 75.5
2025 African / Black / Caribbean 22.8 23.2 24.4 17.1 12.5 70.4
2025 All other categories 32.6 21.7 18.9 14.9 11.9 73.2
2025 Asian - Chinese 49.3 23.2 14.9 7.9 4.8 87.3
2025 Asian - Indian 38.4 22.6 17.6 12.0 9.4 78.6
2025 Asian - Other 33.0 23.0 20.1 12.6 11.3 76.1
2025 Asian - Pakistani 26.1 24.5 21.4 15.1 12.9 72.0
2025 Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 35.9 22.8 19.9 12.4 9.1 78.6
2025 Not Disclosed / Not known 26.6 22.7 22.9 15.7 12.2 72.1
2025 White - Scottish 27.9 24.7 22.0 15.0 10.5 74.5
2025 White - non-Scottish 31.9 24.4 20.1 13.5 10.1 76.5
2026 African / Black / Caribbean 21.8 24.6 24.3 17.1 12.1 70.7
2026 All other categories 28.2 22.7 22.0 15.4 11.7 72.9
2026 Asian - Chinese 50.5 21.6 14.1 8.5 5.4 86.1
2026 Asian - Indian 45.2 21.6 16.0 10.5 6.7 82.9
2026 Asian - Other 31.3 24.6 21.1 13.9 9.1 77.1
2026 Asian - Pakistani 27.8 23.7 21.4 15.2 11.8 72.9
2026 Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 36.2 23.8 19.0 12.8 8.1 79.1
2026 Not Disclosed / Not known 26.1 23.2 22.5 15.7 12.5 71.8
2026 White - Scottish 27.7 25.2 22.5 14.7 9.9 75.4
2026 White - non-Scottish 32.8 24.7 20.3 13.4 8.9 77.8

 

Advanced Higher grade distribution by ethnicity

Advanced Higher grade distribution by ethnicity graphs
Figure 18.1: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for African / Black / Caribbean candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 18.2: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for candidates from all other categories, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 18.3: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for Asian - Chinese candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 18.4: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for Asian - Indian candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 18.5: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for Asian - Other candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 18.6: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for Asian - Pakistani candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 18.7: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for candidates from mixed or multiple ethnic groups, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 18.8: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for candidates whose ethnicity was not disclosed or not known, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 18.9: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for White - non-Scottish candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

Figure 18.10: Advanced Higher A and A to C attainment for White - Scottish candidates, 2022 to 2026.

 

 

Table 25: Advanced Higher grade distribution percentage by ethnicity, 2022 to 2026.
Year Category A B C D N A to C
2022 African / Black / Caribbean 23.8 26.6 24.4 19.0 6.2 74.8
2022 All other categories 27.5 26.8 25.8 11.5 8.4 80.1
2022 Asian - Chinese 42.7 25.8 14.7 10.0 6.9 83.1
2022 Asian - Indian 37.0 24.1 20.5 9.9 8.6 81.5
2022 Asian - Other 29.1 27.4 24.0 10.1 9.5 80.4
2022 Asian - Pakistani 25.4 25.6 23.4 16.3 9.3 74.4
2022 Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 37.3 23.5 22.1 11.0 6.1 82.9
2022 Not Disclosed / Not known 27.1 28.7 21.1 15.5 7.6 76.9
2022 White - Scottish 29.0 26.3 23.6 13.6 7.5 78.9
2022 White - non-Scottish 33.9 27.5 20.9 11.8 5.9 82.3
2023 African / Black / Caribbean 24.8 24.3 27.5 14.6 8.8 76.6
2023 All other categories 29.4 25.5 22.4 17.6 5.1 77.3
2023 Asian - Chinese 45.1 24.5 13.9 10.6 5.8 83.6
2023 Asian - Indian 30.9 24.0 24.9 10.3 9.9 79.8
2023 Asian - Other 27.6 29.0 19.3 15.1 9.1 75.9
2023 Asian - Pakistani 20.8 28.4 25.7 16.4 8.7 74.9
2023 Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 36.5 26.7 19.6 10.4 6.9 82.7
2023 Not Disclosed / Not known 28.5 26.8 22.1 14.4 8.2 77.4
2023 White - Scottish 28.0 25.6 23.1 14.8 8.6 76.6
2023 White - non-Scottish 32.3 26.1 22.0 12.5 7.2 80.3
2024 African / Black / Caribbean 18.6 22.5 24.0 20.9 14.1 65.0
2024 All other categories 29.7 24.4 20.2 14.1 11.6 74.3
2024 Asian - Chinese 39.2 21.9 17.3 11.1 10.6 78.4
2024 Asian - Indian 28.5 22.9 19.4 17.5 11.8 70.7
2024 Asian - Other 28.8 24.5 20.3 15.6 10.8 73.6
2024 Asian - Pakistani 21.4 23.8 23.3 18.2 13.3 68.5
2024 Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 30.1 24.4 21.0 15.8 8.7 75.6
2024 Not Disclosed / Not known 26.8 16.0 27.2 16.6 13.4 70.0
2024 White - Scottish 24.6 23.6 23.8 16.6 11.4 72.0
2024 White - non-Scottish 31.0 22.4 22.0 13.4 11.1 75.5
2025 African / Black / Caribbean 19.2 23.2 25.6 17.5 14.4 68.0
2025 All other categories 31.5 23.3 21.3 12.8 11.1 76.1
2025 Asian - Chinese 43.6 22.1 14.2 9.6 10.6 79.8
2025 Asian - Indian 36.4 24.2 18.6 11.5 9.4 79.2
2025 Asian - Other 24.8 23.3 21.3 17.6 12.9 69.5
2025 Asian - Pakistani 19.2 24.6 25.0 16.3 14.8 68.8
2025 Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 30.0 28.8 20.3 11.4 9.4 79.2
2025 Not Disclosed / Not known 32.8 25.2 20.2 12.6 9.1 78.3
2025 White - Scottish 25.8 23.9 23.8 15.6 10.9 73.5
2025 White - non-Scottish 30.6 22.8 22.2 13.9 10.6 75.5
2026 African / Black / Caribbean 19.7 23.2 24.1 19.1 13.8 67.1
2026 All other categories 29.4 25.4 23.0 13.3 9.0 77.7
2026 Asian - Chinese 39.5 19.7 20.0 12.8 8.1 79.1
2026 Asian - Indian 33.6 25.9 19.3 13.0 8.2 78.8
2026 Asian - Other 29.3 25.5 20.6 15.0 9.6 75.4
2026 Asian - Pakistani 21.2 24.9 25.0 16.2 12.6 71.2
2026 Mixed or multiple ethnic groups 32.7 24.5 20.6 10.7 11.5 77.8
2026 Not Disclosed / Not known 29.1 22.4 24.2 13.2 11.0 75.8
2026 White - Scottish 25.6 25.0 24.4 14.6 10.4 75.0
2026 White - non-Scottish 31.0 23.5 22.4 12.9 10.3 76.9

 

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Date of publication: 4 August 2026

Contact name: Chris Boulter

Contact email: data.analytics@qualifications.gov.scot