How we select centres for verification - National Qualifications

Qualification groups

For the purposes of verification, courses are grouped into subject verification groups (eg French, Spanish, German or Italian), and then into a broad subject qualification group (eg Modern Languages). Typically, centres will not be selected for more than one verification group within a qualification group in each academic session. Download Qualification Groups 2017-18 (12 KB).

Using this approach helps us manage the volume of verification across a centre.

In each qualification group we verify:

1. centres who are new to delivery in the qualification group as a whole. That is, centres entering candidates in a qualification group in which they have not previously entered candidates or there has been no previous verification activity.
2. centres with not accepted outcomes in the previous session or the most recent verification activity within a qualification group.
3. centres who have not been selected for four or more years in the qualification group.

In addition, we also do a proportion of 'random' selections in all verification groups. The volume of selections in each verification group is considered carefully. Where courses include an internally assessed component (IACCA), verification will usually be more frequent.

Where centres are eligible for selection under any of these criteria, the selection can be for any course within the wider qualification group.

Centre requests for selection

You may request external verification of any unit(s) or IACCA(s) during rounds 1 and 2. If you would like to request verification, please email nqverification@sqa.org.uk with details of the qualification, level(s) and unit(s) and/or IACCA(s) you would like verified. Requests for round 1 must be submitted by Monday 12 November 2018. Requests for round 2 must be submitted by Monday 14 January 2019.