National Qualifications 14-18
Most pupils study towards Standard Grades during their 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. Students who complete the course but do not achieve a grade 1-6 will be awarded a grade 7.
Standard Grade levels
| Level | Grade |
|---|---|
| Credit | 1 or 2 |
| General | 3 or 4 |
| Foundation | 5 or 6 |
| Course completed | 7 |
National Courses and National Units
National Units are qualifications which usually take around 40 hours to complete, and are assessed by the student's teacher. National Courses at Intermediate, Higher and Advanced Higher are usually made up of three National Units, together with an external exam.
Access levels and cluster awards
Access Levels 1, 2 and 3 don’t involve national examinations. At Access Levels 2 and 3, the units can build up to form cluster awards in subjects such as Business, Computing, Media Studies and Social Subjects.
Intermediate 1 and 2
Intermediate 1 and 2 are challenging but achievable qualifications for students who’ve completed Standard Grades, or those who wish to take up a new subject at school or college.
For some students, Intermediate 2 is a stepping stone to taking a Higher, as completing a Higher in one year can be very demanding. Some schools now offer Intermediate units and courses as an alternative to Standard Grades in the third and fourth years.
Higher
Highers are aimed at students who’ve passed subjects at Standard Grade Credit level, or who have successfully completed a subject at Intermediate 2. Adults looking to study Highers at college may not need previous qualifications.
Highers are normally needed for entry into university or college to study for degrees and Higher National Certificate or Diploma courses (HNCs and HNDs).
Advanced Higher
Advanced Highers are aimed at students who have passed Highers, and want to extend the skills and knowledge they have already gained. Useful for entry into higher education or the workplace, they are usually taken in the sixth year at school or college.
How national courses and units are assessed
Unit assessments (often known as 'NABs') are tasks set and marked by teachers and lecturers. Students are told in advance when they will take place, giving them plenty of time to revise.
National Courses from Intermediate 1 to Advanced Higher include an external assessment - an exam, project work or folio completed during the course. These are marked by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).
The student's performance in this external assessment decides the grade they are awarded for the course.
Grades and course awards
To attain a course award a student has to pass all 3 internal units as well as achieve a grade in the external assessment. Most Intermediate 1 to Advanced Higher Courses are awarded Grades A-D