How to request personal information


Your personal information includes your name, date of birth, address, SQA qualification entries and results.

Under data protection law you have the right to ask SQA whether we are using or storing your personal information and if we are to request a copy of it. 

This is called the right of access and is commonly known as making a subject access request or SAR.

COVID-19 update

Due to the coronavirus, SQA staff are working remotely and have limited access to some information.

In some cases, we may not be able to provide you with all the information you have requested within the required 30 days. If this applies to your request we will let you know and any information we cannot currently access will be provided once we return to our offices.

If you have any questions about making a subject access request during this time please contact us at data.protection@sqa.org.uk

How do I make a Subject Access Request?

Request your personal information by completing:

Subject Access Request Form

or make a request in writing and send to data.protection@sqa.org.uk or.

Data Protection Officer
Scottish Qualifications Authority
The Optima Building
58 Robertson St
Glasgow
G2 8DQ

What happens next?

Your request will be acknowledged within five working days. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

What will I receive?

You will receive a copy of the information we hold about you; this will include personal details such as your name and Scottish Candidate Number (SCN) as well as details of the qualifications you have already achieved and any you currently undertaking. It will not include exam scripts or other non-examination material submitted to SQA such as coursework.

SQA provides a separate service to return non-examination material submitted to us for assessment.

Or if the information cannot be provided you will receive an explanation of why that is the case.

Can I access my exam script?

Your examination script is exempt from release as part of a subject access request. SQA markers are instructed not to add their comments to examination scripts, but occasionally this does happen. You are entitled to receive a copy of any marks or comments markers add to your script. We will provide these, if available, in response to your subject access request.

Can someone else request my personal information?

Not without your consent. You can ask someone to act on your behalf when making a subject access request. This could be someone like a parent, solicitor, doctor, carer or other family member; they are referred to as a third party.

If you choose to have someone act on your behalf SQA must be satisfied that the person making the request is entitled to do so. They are responsible for providing written evidence that you have consented. SQA’s subject access request form (1.15 MB) can be used for this.

Can I make a request on behalf of someone else?

You can only request information on behalf of someone else if you have their written consent (see Can someone else request my personal information? above). However if they are unable to provide their consent, as a result of a disability, you can make a request on their behalf if you are a parent or other person who is legally able to act for them.

To make this type of request:

Complete the Candidate Representative Data Access Request Form.

How else can I find out about my exam results?

The information we provide in response to subject access requests includes information about exam results, however this in not the only way to access this information. You might prefer to use one of SQA’s other services to access the information we hold about your results:

SQA provides a service to return non-examination material submitted to us for assessment.

Further information and guidance

Other rights

Along with the right to request a copy of the personal information that SQA holds about you, you also have the right to:

Correcting your information:We always want to make sure that your information is accurate, complete and up to date. You can ask us to correct any information about you that you believe is incorrect or incomplete.

Deletion of your information: You have the right to ask us to delete information about you if:

  • you think that we have kept it longer than we need to
  • we are using your information with your consent and you withdraw it - see ‘Withdrawing consent to using your information’ below
  • you have objected to our use of your personal information - see ‘Objecting to how we use your information’ below
  • SQA uses your information unlawfully

Objecting to how we use your information: You have the right to ask us to stop using your information to:

  • send you marketing materials
  • carry out some of our public roles and functions
  • carry out research

Restricting how we may use your information: You have the right to ask us to restrict how we use your personal information in certain circumstances. For example, where you have asked us to check the accuracy of your information or where we no longer need your information but you want us to keep it to help you make a legal claim.

Withdrawing consent using your information: Where you have given us your consent to use your personal information, you can withdraw that consent at any time and we will stop using your personal information for that purpose(s).

If you would like to request any of these rights please contact SQA’s Data Protection Officer, Kirsty Hurt:

  • by e-mail: data.protection@sqa.org.uk
  • in writing: Data Protection Officer, Scottish Qualifications Authority, The Optima Building, 58 Robertson Street, Glasgow G28DQ, Scotland
  • by phone: 0345 213 5229

Data Protection Registration

SQA is a registered data controller our registration number is Z5781759.

Data Protection Policy and Privacy Statement

SQA’s Data Protection Policy sets out how we ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act and the Privacy Statement sets out what personal information SQA collects and how that information is used.