Exams to be scrapped for pupils taking 3 subjects in Scottish schools

Exams will be scrapped for three subjects in Scotland from the next school year, it has been announced.

The move was revealed by bosses at the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), which is soon to be turned into Qualifications Scotland.

The decision comes after SNP ministers last year rejected a call to remove all exams for S4 pupils, following a recommendation made after a review led by Professor Louise Hayward of Glasgow University.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said at the time there would be greater use of continuous assessment, although exams would remain for most National 5 courses.

Now, it has emerged pupils sitting National 5 Practical Cake Craft, National 5 Practical Metalworking and National 5 Practical Woodworking courses will no longer face externally marked question papers from the next academic year.

The decision was revealed during a visit on Thursday to Portobello High School in Edinburgh, by interim SQA chief executive John Booth, and Scotland’s new chief examiner, Donna Stewart.

A sign for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) building in Edinburgh. | PA

The pair recently replaced Fiona Robertson, who held both roles before quitting last month after a series of controversies.

They said the courses have a strong focus on developing practical skills and contain a small amount of theory-based content, which can be effectively assessed by other means.

For National 5 Practical Cake Craft, the existing course assignment will be expanded to include a section where learners explain the processes and techniques they have used to produce and finish their cake in the linked practical activity.

In National 5 Practical Metalworking, and National 5 Practical Woodworking, a new case study will be added to the remaining practical activity, ensuring learners’ skills and knowledge of the course content can be assessed.

SQA will provide teachers and lecturers with support to help them prepare for the changes to assessment.

Ms Stewart said: “Feedback from teachers and lecturers has been at the heart of our decision to remove question papers from National 5 Practical Cake Craft, National 5 Practical Metalworking and National 5 Practical Woodworking courses.

“Last year, we issued a short survey to teachers and lecturers at 361 schools and colleges across Scotland and conducted focus groups to ask practitioners’ views on whether to remove the question paper from these courses and other courses.

“The responses we received – also published today – have given us the evidence base we needed to introduce new approaches to assessing knowledge and understanding in Practical Cake Craft, Practical Metalworking and Practical Woodworking.

“This decision will improve the validity of the course assessment, while being mindful of the workload associated with an increase in internal assessment.”

Mr Booth said: “This announcement adheres to SQA’s commitment in our Prospectus for Change, which stated we would review the balance of approaches to assessment across National Qualifications. It also aligns with recommendations from the Scottish Government’s independent review of qualifications and assessment, which recommended a reduction in the number of exams in S4-S6.

“SQA – and subsequently Qualifications Scotland – will conduct a longer-term programme of work to review and reform National Courses and their assessments; including working towards extending the range of approved assessment methods used in National Qualifications, rebalancing assessment methods across National Courses, and exploring digital assessment opportunities.”