National 3 to Advanced Higher modification summaries
We have published modification summary documents that explain, in more detail, the modifications to assessment in National 5 to Advanced Higher courses — and some National 3 and National 4 courses and freestanding units — that we announced in June.
Modification summary documents are now available for all subjects, and you can access them from the ‘Course information 2021-22’ tab on each of our NQ subject webpages.
Additional supportive guidance
To accompany the modification summary documents, we have published some additional supportive guidance for the following courses:
- Art and Design: Guidance on National 5 and Higher portfolios
- Business Management: National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher
- Dance: Guidance on National 5 and Higher practical activities, and freestanding units
- Economics: National 5 and Higher
- Physical Education: National 3, National 4 and freestanding units
About the modifications to assessment for session 2021-22
For most courses, these are the same modifications to assessment that were put in place for session 2020-21. In response to feedback from teachers and lecturers, and the recent easing of public health restrictions, we have adjusted the modifications in around 70 courses for session 2021-22, to give learners more opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. These adjustments are specific to each course and fall into three broad categories:
- Reinstating coursework, or parts of coursework, that were removed in session 2020-21.
- Adjusting the requirements of performances or practical activities, or providing additional guidance on performances or practical activities, in response to the easing of public health restrictions (practical and performance-based subjects will still have appropriate modifications in place to ensure compliance with public health guidance, while supporting learners to demonstrate their skills).
- Clarifying which course content will or will not be assessed in session 2021-22.
The modifications will help reduce the volume of assessment and ease teacher, lecturer and learner workload, while maintaining the credibility of the qualifications. This will also allow for any lost learning caused by Covid-19 and will support learners as they progress to the next stage of their qualifications.