SQA and Assessments
SQA Alternative Certification Model 2020/21
The Scottish government have announced that there will be no external assessment of national qualifications i.e. National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses this year 2020/21. This means there will be no examinations or prelims.
SQA has developed an Alternative Certification Model (ACM) that is based on internal assessment i.e. assessments delivered in school overseen by teachers, not by SQA. This will enable teachers to derive provisional grades from a combination of demonstrated attainment and teacher judgement.
A fundamental principle of the ACM is that grades are derived from available pupil evidence and cannot be inferred. This means if there is no assessment evidence available then there can be no award and of course the quality of the evidence available will determine the quality of award achieved.
So this year examinations are replaced with a range of key assessments across each of the subject courses and in accordance with SQA subject-specific guidance. These will be flexible, classroom-based and used by teachers to determine overall and provisional grades for submission to SQA. Therefore, these assessments are vitally important and are key evidence of demonstrated attainment and achievement of learners.
School staff along with our SQA liaison manager held an information evening on Tuesday 23rd March 2021 to provide some details to parents, carers and learners around the ACM, key assessments and production of provisional grades. We have made available the presentation and hope this will be helpful for you.
Click to download the SQA Information Evening Presentation.
Further information on the SQA Alternative Certification Model (ACM): https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/96760.html
SQA have also produced a helpful booklet for learners: https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/97062.html and also a video on what you need to know here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbzGN8m38ov-_lq_FKVq2Sw
Key Assessments Overviews, Timetables and Guidance
Below are links to our key assessments overviews, timetables and provisional results guidance documents:
SQA has developed an Alternative Certification Model (ACM) that is based on internal assessment i.e. assessments delivered in school overseen by teachers, not by SQA. This will enable teachers to derive provisional grades from a combination of demonstrated attainment and teacher judgement.
A fundamental principle of the ACM is that grades are derived from available pupil evidence and cannot be inferred. This means if there is no assessment evidence available then there can be no award and of course the quality of the evidence available will determine the quality of award achieved.
So this year examinations are replaced with a range of key assessments across each of the subject courses and in accordance with SQA subject-specific guidance. These will be flexible, classroom-based and used by teachers to determine overall and provisional grades for submission to SQA. Therefore, these assessments are vitally important and are key evidence of demonstrated attainment and achievement of learners.
School staff along with our SQA liaison manager held an information evening on Tuesday 23rd March 2021 to provide some details to parents, carers and learners around the ACM, key assessments and production of provisional grades. We have made available the presentation and hope this will be helpful for you.
Click to download the SQA Information Evening Presentation.
Further information on the SQA Alternative Certification Model (ACM): https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/96760.html
SQA have also produced a helpful booklet for learners: https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/97062.html and also a video on what you need to know here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbzGN8m38ov-_lq_FKVq2Sw
Key Assessments Overviews, Timetables and Guidance
Below are links to our key assessments overviews, timetables and provisional results guidance documents:
- National 5 Key Assessments Overview
- Higher Key Assessments Overview
- Advanced Higher Key Assessments Overview
- S4 Key Assessments Timetable
- S5/6 Key Assessments Timetable (please see S4 timetable for some N5s other than English and Mathematics)
- Guidance on Producing and Quality Assuring Provisional Results
N A McLean (SQA Coordinator)
Last update: 21 April 2021
Last update: 21 April 2021
