Results

How are National Courses graded?

Courses at National 5, Higher, and Advanced Higher are graded A-D.

National 2, National 3, and National 4 courses are not graded — the units that make up these course are assessed as pass or fail.

Do grades A-D in National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses have bands?

Yes. grades in National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher have:

  • upper A (band 1) or lower A (band 2)
  • upper B (band 3) or lower B (band 4)
  • upper C (band 5) or lower C (band 6)
  • Grade D (band 7)

This information is not included on your certificate.

Where can I find my grade bands and how many marks I got?

Your school, college or training provider can tell you your grade band and how many marks you were awarded for each part of your course assessment (for example, exam and coursework).

You may need to wait until the start of term to request this information, as it is sent to the SQA co-ordinator at your school, college or training provider. Even if staff are available during results week, they may not have access to this information yet.

Alternatively, you can ask SQA for this information by submitting a subject access request. You can do this by completing our online form or by emailing data.protection@sqa.org.uk with details of your request. You will also need to include your name, Scottish Candidate Number (SCN) and your date of birth.

View more information on how to make a subject access request.

What are grade boundaries?

Grade boundaries are the marks needed to achieve a particular grade for a course.

In each National Course, the course assessment (which may involve an exam or coursework, or both) has an intended level of demand and difficulty. This reflects the grade descriptors for the course and the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) level at which the course is set.

If we find that a course assessment has been easier or more difficult than intended, we adjust the grade boundaries to make sure that the level of difficulty required to achieve an A, B, C or D in the assessment remains unchanged from one year to the next.

More on how grade boundaries are decided.

We take our responsibility to uphold the high standards of Scottish qualifications very seriously.

What does grade D mean?

National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses are awarded at grades A to D, so if you receive a grade D result it means you’ve been awarded the course.

Grade D represents a score of 40-49% in the course assessment. Candidates who score less than 40% are not awarded the course and will receive a ‘No Award’ result.

Is a Grade D in a National 5 worth more than a pass at National 4?

Yes. National 5 courses (which are graded A - D) are worth 24 SCQF credit points at SCQF level 5. National 4 courses (which are not graded) are worth 24 SCQF credit points at SCQF level 4 and have a lower level of demand and challenge compared with National 5 courses.

What does 'No Award' mean?

For National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses, ‘No Award’ means you have not passed the course assessment.

Candidates must score at least 40% to be awarded. Those who score less than 40% will receive a ‘No Award’ result.

Is there a fallback position for National Qualifications?

No, there is no automatic fallback. For example, if you fail a National 5 course, you will not automatically receive a National 4 award.

If I fail a course, can I repeat it the following year?

Yes, it is possible to repeat a National Course. However, you will need to discuss this with your school, college, or training provider first as they will make the final decision on whether to re-enter you for the course.

If you repeat a National 5, Higher or Advanced Higher course, you will need to re-take the full course and its assessments.

If you have previously completed a coursework assessment, such as a project or an assignment, you need to produce a new one. However, you may be able to use your previous research.

Why is there no grade showing for my course on my certificate?

Please check which course you are missing a grade for, and whether it is a National Course or a Skills for Work course (Skills for Work courses are available at National 5 and Higher).

Skills for Work courses are not graded – they are assessed as pass or fail by your teacher or lecturer. If a Skills for Work course is listed on your certificate, this means you have passed the course.

If your certificate is missing a grade for a National Course at National 5, Higher or Advanced Higher, this normally means you have not achieved a grade A to D in the course assessment and have received a ‘No Award’ result.

If you have received a ‘No Award’ result for one or more of your courses, this would normally be stated on the letter that accompanies your Scottish Qualifications Certificate (SQC).

Why have my National Units not been graded like my course results?

National Units are not graded – they are assessed as pass or fail by your teacher, lecturer or training provider. If the units are listed on your certificate, you have passed them. If they are not on your certificate, it is possible you have failed them, or that your school, college or training provider has delayed a decision on your result until you complete the evidence needed for a pass.

If you think your unit results are missing, please discuss this with your school, college or training provider.

Why are there no levels against my National Units?

Some National Units do not have levels. These are usually units called 'modules' or 'short courses' that were offered by SQA's predecessor bodies. We now call them 'unlevelled National Units'.

I have a letter that says I haven’t been successful in achieving the full award in the National Course.

Unfortunately, this means that you have not achieved grades A-D in any of the course assessments for the National Courses you took this year.

I didn’t get the grade (or grades) I was expecting, can I submit an appeal?

If you have concerns about a grade or (grades), you might want to consider submitting an appeal using our free Appeals Service. You can appeal directly to us, or you can ask your school, college or training provider to do this for you.

Visit appeals.

I didn’t get the grade (or grades) I needed to secure my place on a college or university course, or in training or employment. What should I do?

If you have concerns about a grade (or grades) you might want to consider submitting an appeal using our free Appeals Service. Your appeal can be prioritised if you have a conditional place at university or college, or in training or employment that depends on your grade.

Visit appeals to find out more.

UCAS

If you don't get the results you were hoping for, the Universities & Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) can give guidance on what to do next.

Skills Development Scotland

You can contact Skills Development Scotland Results Helpline, where qualified careers advisors will be on hand to discuss careers advice, clearing vacancies and alternative options.

  • Telephone number: 0808 100 8000
  • Website:My World of Work
  • Hours: 6 to 7 August 08:00 to 20:00; 8 to 9 August 09:00 to 17:00