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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Lauren Gilmour PA & John-Paul Clark

Thirty per cent of Scots exam result appeals in 2022 were upgraded, SQA figures show

Thirty per cent of exam appeals were upgraded in the 2022 exam diet, according to figures released by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

In the first year that in-person exams have taken place since 2019, 17,300 of the 58,035 appeals submitted were upgraded for learners who did not perform as expected on the day of exams or for other mitigating circumstances, representing 11% of total entries in 2022.

Some 81% of grades were the same as teacher estimates or higher, according to the figures from the SQA. Final attainment figures will be released in December 2022.

The SQA reported a strong performance overall from learners, but warned against making comparisons to the last three years.

Appeals form the final part of a support package geared towards learners as mitigation for the Covid-19 pandemic.

The service was put in place for one year in light of the "unique circumstances" of 2022 where most learners were sitting formal exams for the first time following two years of Covid-19 disruption.

Appeals were carried out independently by subject specialists who assessed evidence provided by schools and colleges and did not see exam grades or estimates.

Fiona Robertson, the SQA's chief executive and Scotland's chief examining officer, said: "This is the first year that exams have taken place since 2019, but 2022 did not mark a return to normal. It was right that SQA and the wider education community put in place a wide-ranging package of support for learners.

"The final part of this package, the Appeals 2022 service, enabled those learners who didn't perform to their best on the day to have other assessments gathered throughout the year assessed by experienced subject leaders - teachers and lecturers who work with us throughout the year in creating assessments and supporting markers.

"I would encourage those learners who didn't receive the appeals outcomes they hoped for this year to talk to their teacher or lecturer about their next steps in learning."

If a student's grade has changed, they will receive their new certificate by post later this month.

Discussions are now taking place about the approach to awarding qualifications next year.

Earlier this year, the SQA confirmed that changes to the way National 5, Higher and Advanced Highers are assessed will remain in place into next year to take into account the disruption to learning over the last three years.

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