NQ Understanding Standards 2021-22
SQA will continue to provide a programme of Understanding Standards support for teachers and lecturers in session 2021-22.
We have a wide range of subject-specific materials that can help you prepare your learners for assessment and strengthen your own understanding of the standards required in SQA assessments.
We regularly review and update these materials to ensure they remain relevant and useful, and we will continue to publish new materials where these are needed.
Available Understanding Standards materials
- Candidate evidence and commentary materials: Published examples of assessment evidence produced by candidates, with a written commentary from an SQA Senior Examiner that explains why the candidate has, or has not, achieved the standards required for the assessment. Candidate evidence and commentary materials can help you become more familiar with the national standards for assessment and can also be used for training and benchmarking purposes.
- Audio presentations: PowerPoint presentations with an audio narration. These give an overview of the assessment requirements in each course or focus on the requirements for specific assessments such as a question paper or an item of coursework.
- Webinar recordings: Recordings of previous live webinar sessions, which give an overview of the assessment requirements in each course or focus on the requirements for specific assessments such as a question paper or an item of coursework.
- Video and audio recordings for performances and practical assessments: A range of video and audio recordings that demonstrate the standards for performance or practical-based assessments, which include examples of products produced by candidates or recordings of candidate performances.
2020-21 Understanding Standards materials
Where appropriate, we have reviewed and updated the Understanding Standards materials published in session 2020-21 to ensure they remain relevant for session 2021-22.
New Understanding Standards materials for session 2021-22
We will also continue to publish new Understanding Standards materials in session 2021-22 to support you with preparing your learners for assessment this year.
Where to access Understanding Standards materials
To access Understanding Standards materials for your subject, visit our Understanding Standards website at www.understandingstandards.org.uk or you can also access them through the NQ subject pages of the SQA website.
Additional secure material for some courses is available from the SQA Secure website, which you can access through your SQA Co-ordinator.