SQA revision support published for pupils sitting exams this spring includes notice of which topics they will be tested on.
Materials will help young people prepare for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams which take place between April 26 and June 1.
Exams will be held for the first time since 2019, having been cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.
As Covid-19 has continued to disrupt education during the 2021/22 school year, SQA revision support materials have been published as part of a range of measures to ease pressure on candidates, including modifications to exams and assessments.
What are candidates being told?
Some 126 items of revision support are available for Nat 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exam courses on the Scottish Qualification Authority’s online platform Ushare.
Tailored to each subject and level, some include advanced notice of content which will or will not be in the exam, so pupils know which areas to focus revision on.
For example, revision support for the Nat 5 English exam sets out the extracts of Scottish prose, drama and poetry in the critical reading paper.
Those sitting Higher mathematics are told which topics won’t be in the exam, including vectors and finding the area between two curves.
For some courses there are study guides with hints and tips on approaching questions and gaining marks.
Pupils can also create personalised study plans based on their exam timetable using the SQA’s My Study Plan app available through the App Store and Google Play.
And a series of study support webinars will be hosted by Education Scotland with e-Sgoil.
Is the guidance fair?
The material published has been heavily criticised and ridiculed by some, with complaints about varying levels of guidance for different subjects and advice including reading questions carefully and checking spelling branded as insulting.
However, the SQA argues it is the ‘fairest and best way’ it can help pupils.
The measures are the fairest and best way we can help support all learners, while also maintaining the integrity, credibility and standard of the qualifications.”
SQA chief executive Fiona Robertson
Fiona Robertson, SQA chief executive and Scotland’s chief examining officer, said: “These revision materials and guidance are part of SQA’s commitment to providing a substantial package of additional support for learners – which includes significant modifications to this year’s exams and assessments – as they make the final preparations for their exams.
“The measures are the fairest and best way we can help support all learners, while also maintaining the integrity, credibility and standard of the qualifications.”
More information will be provided about this year’s appeal service and consideration of exceptional circumstances in the coming weeks.
