SQA offers support to young people ahead of results day

Wednesday 31 July 2024

Support and information are available to the tens of thousands of young people across Scotland eagerly awaiting the outcome of their SQA exams and coursework.

Around 145,000 learners across the country will receive the result of their SQA Nationals, Highers, Advanced Highers, National Progression Awards, Skills for Work Awards, National Certificates and Awards on Tuesday 6 August.

All learners will receive a copy of their Scottish Qualifications Certificate delivered to their home address by first-class post, while everyone who signed up for and activated a MySQA account will also receive their results by text and/or email the same morning.

If learners do not receive their certificate with their post, they can contact their school, college or training provider, who can provide results and work with SQA to find out what has happened to the certificate.

On Results Day, SQA will open its Candidate Advice Line at 8am to answer learners’ questions about their certificates. Candidates can also speak to dedicated careers advisors on the Skills Development Scotland Helpline if they have any questions about their next steps.

SQA’s free appeals service opens at 9am on Tuesday 6 August and candidates can submit an appeal directly via the SQA website, or ask their school, college, or training provider to submit one on their behalf.

Priority appeals are also available for learners who have a conditional offer for a college or university place or for a training or employment offer. Priority appeals must be submitted to SQA by Tuesday 13 August or by Wednesday 21 August if the learner’s school, college or training provider submits the appeal for them. All other appeals must be submitted by Tuesday 27 August or by Friday 30 August if the learner’s school, college or training provider submits the appeal for them.

This year SQA is also offering the opportunity for some learners to be able to see their marked exam papers. This is a trial so is limited to five subjects. Learners who sat the subjects in the trial can ask their school, college or training provider to see their marked exam paper and this can help them decide whether to appeal. The service will be available from Tuesday 6 August.

Annette McKenna, Senior Operations Manager at SQA explains: “Candidates with concerns about their National 5, Higher, or Advanced Higher grades can appeal their grade for free. I would encourage anyone considering an appeal to speak to their teacher or lecturer and discuss their options with them first.

“Candidates should also look out for the ‘Your Results’ guide which will be included alongside their Scottish Qualifications Certificate on Tuesday 6 August. It can also be viewed now online at www.sqa.org.uk/results. In it there is useful information about how their exams and coursework have been marked, how their grades have been decided, deadlines for appeals, and what to do if they have any questions about their results.”

SQA re-introduced full course assessments for session 2023-24, including coursework, following extensive discussions with educators, learners, parents and carers. As part of its grading decisions, SQA will consider any impact on learners completing coursework for the first time. These considerations will be incorporated into SQA’s well-established grading processes.

Learners, and their families and carers, can be confident that the qualifications they receive are credible and fair, and that they reflect the knowledge, understanding and skills they have acquired and demonstrated through their hard work. Colleges, universities and employers, can also be confident that the standards and integrity of the qualifications have been maintained in 2024.

SQA’s Candidate Advice Line will be available on Results Day from 8am to 6pm, then Wednesday 7 August to Friday 9 August from 8:30am to 5pm. The line can be reached on 0345 279 1000.

Skills Development Scotland’s helpline can be contacted on 0808 100 8000 and will be open from 8am to 8pm on Tuesday 6 August and Wednesday 7 August. It will be open 9am to 5pm on Thursday 8 August and Friday 9 August.

More information is available online at www.sqa.org.uk/results.