FOI20/21 202 ACM Costs

Date published: 16/06/2021

The 2021 exams have been cancelled and will be replaced with the alternative certification model (ACM). I'm looking to understand how much the ACM is expected to cost this year and what impact that has had on SQA funding.

1  Therefore could you please outline how much the alternative certification model is expected to cost this year and break this figure down into the key costs the SQA expects to incur, including how much it expects the appeals process to cost in 2021 and how much has been budgeted for quality assurance and evidence gathering.

2  Could you also provide information on how these costs will be covered and outline SQA's main sources of income, including SQA's main sources of income for the previous two years so it's possible to make a comparison between the body's funding this year as compared to previous years?

3  In a previous FOI the SQA told me it anticipated that "the cost of awarding National Qualifications in 2021 will be less than had an exam diet been held" - has funding from the Scottish government reduced to reflect this? if so please give details, making it clear how much SQA receives in a typical year and how much it is receiving this year?

4  Has the levy paid by local authorities reduced to reflect the fact that the ACM will cost less? If so, please give details, making it clear how much SQA receives in a typical year and how much it is receiving this year? If not, could you please outline how much funding the SQA will receive via the levy this year?

Clarification received on 1 April 2021

I'm asking for the total cost of delivering the alternative certification model regardless of financial or calendar year

I receive an foi about the cost of the alternative certification model last year; an update of this foi based on the figures relevant to 2021 exam diet is what I'm looking for ( I received that foi response on 24th December 2020 and I have pasted its contents below)

FOI 202 Response (20 KB)