When do Scottish exam results come out? Date for Nat 4, Nat 5 and Higher results in Scotland

Thousands of Scottish pupils are anxiously awaiting the big day when they find out their exam results.

Students will be awaiting their results next week.

Its been a turbulent few years to be a pupil following the coronavirus pandemic.

Covid-19 has changed the way many work and live, school children have been hit hard. Social distancing measures implemented throughout the last 18 months mean education has been, at best, heavily disrupted.

However, this year’s results day is unlikely to see students on edge waiting to learn their exam marks, with pupils taking National 5s, Highers and Advanced Highers informed of their provisional results before the holidays.

Though officially exams results, this year’s grades are centred on assessments at school.

It is the second year in a row that exams have been cancelled in Scotland. The 2020 results system was heavily criticised with then Scottish Education Secretary John Swinney and the Scottish Qualifications Authority coming under fire after downgrading approximately 125,000 exam results using a system many felt penalised pupils from poorly performing schools.

How have exam results been graded?

When Scottish Highers and advanced Highers were cancelled by Deputy First Minister John Swinney last December, an ‘alternative certification model’ was formed by the National Qualifications Group, which includes representatives from different areas of the Scottish education system.

Pupils have been graded based on assessments that have been conducted in school, with their grades then submitted to Scottish Qualifications Authority.

The system has not come without criticism though.

A survey conducted by the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association revealed just 20 per cent of school teachers thought the tests were “fair and reasonable”, while 92 per cent felt the whole process had added stress to their pupils.

When are Nat 4, Nat 5 and Scottish Higher exam results out?

The Scottish Qualification Certificate Authority will release the exam results on on Tuesday 10 August 2021. Scottish Qualification Certificate’s will be delivered to pupils by first class post.

If you have applied to a university or college through UCAS, they also receive pupil’s results, though students have been advised if they don't receive their certificate on results day to contact their school or college immediately who so they can advise of the result, and where the certificate is.

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