FOI24/25 015 SQA MCA Exams Chief Mate Navigation & Stability

Can I please request a breakdown of SQA MCA Exams Chief Mate Navigation & Stability results for the March 2024 and November / December 2023 diets by examination centre please if that is allowed?

The information relating to the total results for the SQA MCA Exams Chief Mate Navigation & Stability for the relevant period is attached.

However, we are unable to provide the information by examination centre as this is considered exempt under section 33 (1)(b) of the Act.

The provision of Chief Mate Navigation and Stability exams is done in a commercial environment with the centres competing against each other for candidates. If the results were to be placed in the public domain, this could have an adverse effect on some centres. It could affect the centres ability to attract candidates and as such have an adverse effect their commercial interests. As the centres compete against each other to try to get the shipping companies to send their cadets/employees to go to their centre, this information could influence this.

When a section 33 exemption is being applied, a public authority must undertake the public interest test.

Whilst it is understood that the results for each centre would be of interest to some people, it is not in the public interest to put information in the public domain that could have a damaging effect on a centre.

Additionally, some candidates that sit the examination a centre may not have been trained by the centre as they may have completed their approved course of learning at a different centre.  Hence the % pass rate for the centre might not represent the candidates from that centre. We only have the information for the centres the exams are taken at. We do not hold information on where candidates studied the courses.

As mentioned, because centres compete against each other, it would be damaging to place information that may be misleading into the public domain.

Accordingly, the public interest in disclosing the information is outweighed by maintaining the exemption.

FOI24/25 015 Information Sheet (10 KB)