What are National Qualifications?
The Scottish Government has recently announced changes to National Qualifications. Find out more about these changes and the future of National Qualifications within Curriculum for Excellence.
Standard Grades
Standard Grades are generally taken over the third and fourth years at secondary school, with an exam at the end of the fourth year. Students often take seven or eight subjects including Maths and English. There are three levels of study: Credit, General, and Foundation. Students usually take exams at two levels - Credit and General, or General and Foundation. This makes sure that students have the best chance of achieving as high a grade as possible. This table shows the levels and grades that can be achieved.
| Level | Grade |
|---|---|
| Credit | 1 or 2 |
| General | 3 or 4 |
| Foundation | 5 or 6 |
| Course completed | 7 |
Learning and Teaching Scotland produces some resources for Standard Grade in the 14-16 Teacher Support Series. Details can be found in the Secondary Resource Catalogue.