Given the level of disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic over the last two years, and that many learners will be sitting national exams – at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher – for the first time, we understand that you and your child are likely to be seeking information about what to expect.
SQA has produced a booklet – Your Exams 2022 – which tells learners what they need to know about their upcoming exams. The booklet can be downloaded from our website, and your child should also receive a hard copy from their school or college.
This blogpost outlines some of the information provided in Your Exams 2022, including preparing for exams, what to expect on the day, and this year’s appeals service.
Preparing for exams
Exams start on Tuesday 26 April and finish on Wednesday 1 June 2022. Exams will only be cancelled by the Scottish Government if public health advice restricts physical gatherings at the time of the exams.
You can view the exam timetable, which shows the dates and times of all exams, on our website. You may also wish to download the MyExams app, which allows you to create a timetable showing only the exams that your child is sitting.
To help your child organise their revision, they can create a personal study plan by downloading the MyStudyPlan app.
In recognition of the significant levels of disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the education system has worked together to provide a package of services.
This includes SQA’s modifications to the exams and coursework for this year to enable more time for learning and teaching. Revision support is also available to help your child prepare for this year’s exams.
As part of the National e-Learning Offer e-Sgoil is running a series of Easter Study Support webinars for learners. The live and interactive webinars will cover 66 courses across National 4, National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher, and will be delivered by subject specialist teachers. Registration closes at the end of the day on Wednesday 6th April. e-Sgoil also continues to offer an ongoing Study Support programme for 2021/22.
Your child can also prepare for their exams by practising with previous exam papers. You can download past papers, together with instructions for marking them, from our website.
Support during exams
The Your Exams 2022 booklet contains essential information and rules which your child must be aware of before they sit their first exam. The rules are there to make sure that exams are fair for everyone.
If your child needs additional support while sitting their exams, arrangements can be made to give them an equal chance to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. ‘Assessment arrangements’ allow learners who are disabled, and/or have additional support needs, to use different ways to complete an exam. These arrangements will be put in place by your child’s school, college or training provider and you should speak to them if you require more information.
Our exam exceptional circumstances consideration service is in place to support your child if they are unable to sit an exam. It is applicable in the following scenarios:
- If your child is unable to attend an exam due to unforeseen circumstances, such as a medical condition or bereavement.
- If there has been disruption at your child’s school, college or training provider on the day of the exam, which means the exam cannot take place.
Your child’s school, college or training provider must submit exceptional circumstances requests to SQA within 10 days of the exam, so it is important that you or your child contacts them as soon as possible, explaining what has happened.
If your child needs to use the exam exceptional circumstances service, their school, college or training provider will send evidence of their assessments to SQA to be reviewed by subject experts, who will judge it against the national standard for that course to determine their grade.
Receiving results
Your child will receive their results by post on results day, Tuesday 9 August.
If they do not receive their certificate on results day, they should contact their school, college or training provider immediately, who will be able to tell them their results and will work with us to find out what has happened to their certificate.
If your child wants to receive their results by text or email, they need to register online for the MySQA service. They will still receive their certificate by post.
Appeals 2022
As in any year, it is important that there is a process available for learners who want to appeal their SQA results.
For each of your child’s courses, their school, college or training provider will submit an estimated grade to SQA, prior to the exams starting. This estimate is based on their performance in assessments that they have taken during the year and forms an important part of the eligibility criteria to appeal.
Your child’s teacher or lecturer should inform your child of their estimate for each course before submitting it to SQA. If your child has any queries about their estimate, they should discuss this with their teacher or lecturer as soon as possible.
If your child’s final grade is lower than the estimate their school, college or training provider submitted to us before the exams they may be able to appeal. After receiving their results, your child should speak to their school, college or training provider if they have any questions about their results, or if they are considering submitting an appeal.
The appeals service is free and will be open for learners to appeal either directly to SQA, or through their school, college or training provider, from 9am on results day, Tuesday 9 August.
Appeals process
Once an eligible appeal is submitted, we will carry out a clerical check on the exam script(s) and coursework where applicable. SQA appointees – practising teachers and lecturers – will also review evidence of your child’s assessments from throughout the year that their school, college or training provider sends to us, to determine the final grade.
An appeal can be prioritised if your child has a conditional place at university or college, or in training or employment that depends on their grade. Please ensure your child confirms with their school, college or training provider if they have a conditional offer as all priority appeals must be validated by the school, college or training provider.
Further information on the appeals process for 2022 will be available after the exams have taken place.
Keeping you informed
To stay up to date, please visit sqa.org.uk/nq2022 and follow us on Facebook @ScottishQualificationsAuthority.
