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In Scotland the Higher is one of the national school-leaving certificate exams and university entrance qualifications of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate (SQC) offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority which superseded the old Higher Grade on the Scottish Certificate of Education (SCE). Most people refer to both simply as "Highers". (For information on the lower SCE grade see Standard Grade.)
The Higher is Level 6 on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework.
History
Higher Grade
SCE Higher Grade was the historic terminal exam for the majority of Scottish secondary school students, especially those seeking work in skilled industries or progress onto higher education. They are usually taken in the 5th Year of secondary school (often referred to as S5, and entered at age 15 or 16). It was introduced in 1970(?) and progressed on from the SCE Ordinary Grade.Students studied for one academic year (in practice two terms - Winter and Spring), sitting exams in the May of S5. The majority of courses were examined by written papers with practical work present in subjects such as Art and Design.
There existed a further extension qualification, the Certificate of Sixth Year Studies, which was awarded on a separate certificate.
Revision
In 1992 a new series of Revised Higher Grade courses was put in place. When listed on the SCE the subject name would be followed by (Revised).
The revision process changed the curriculum content and the method of examination with the majority of Higher Grade courses changing to two terminal papers with a coursework element. Paper A was a short answer question paper and Paper B required longer, more in depth answers. Coursework could account for anything from 20% (English) to 60% (Computing Studies) of the final mark.
By 1996 Scottish Higher Education Institutions were generally only accepting Revised Higher Grade for entry, except where a student was classed as a Mature Student (aged over 25).
Higher Still
- ''Main Articles see Scottish Qualifications Authority and Higher Still
In 1999, a new style of Higher examination system was introduced in Scotland. "Higher Still" was designed to link the most basic examination offered by the SQA (Access 3) with the most difficult one (Advanced Higher) on a continuous "ladder of achievement". At the end of each unit (each about 40 hours long) students sit a very basic competency test. All three must be passed (with two or less attempts) or the student is not allowed to sit the final course assessment.
The system was criticised at the time as objections were placed with regards to the modularisation of subjects such as English and Art which require an accumulation of critical and productive skills over a full year rather than the passing of discrete modules, which was seen as a system much better suited to scientific subjects. The educational system seems to have adapted.
Higher became Level 6 on the SCQF and is now a National Course, and a component of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate.
Marking fiasco
- ''Main Article see SQA exams fiasco
The new system was not entirely successful, however, and 2000 saw a marking fiasco that cost the head of the authority his job and severely damaged the career of the Education Minister, Sam Galbraith. Thousands of students received incorrect or late results, leading to a difficulties both for the students, UCAS (the University and Colleges Admissions Service), and Higher Education Institutions, as many students did not receive accurate exam results until after the universities' academic year had started.
As a result, for a while Revised Highers qualifications were considered superior to the new National Qualifications. With many schools refusing to implement Higher Still when it was introduced (particularly in subjects such as English, which was frequently taken as a Revised Higher as late as 2001, due to both the administrative problems and the modularisation objection). Recently, this situation has settled down and both styles of Higher are now considered equivalent).
Current courses
All NQ Higher subjects follow the same modular structure and grading system. It is a common mistake to confuse vocational Higher National Courses (HNC) with NQ Higher courses.
Structure
As a result of the Higher Still reforms, every Higher course now consists of:
- A compulsory core which all candidates must complete
- Optional elements which a candidate and/or centre choose to study
- Three progress exams, commonly referred to as a NAB (for National Assessment Bank, from which these exams are selected by teachers). These are assessed by a centre and moderated by the SQA
- Coursework which candidates complete in parallel to other studies
- A terminal exam which candidates sit once they have achieved sufficiently well in the progress exams - it is the final examination which determines the grade and level of pass.
Grades
Higher examinations, in common with all National Qualification levels, have 5 grades: A, B, C, D and No Award. A, B and C all indicate that the candidate has achieved the Higher, with D representing a "first fail" where a candidate just failed to achieve sufficiently to move from Intermediate 2, the next level down, and No Award represently no attainment (0 to 44% on a Standardised Scale). On standardised mark scales, a D-grade represents scores of 45-49%.
External links
- Scottish Qualifications Authority official website
- Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework official website
- Higher Still Notes website
See also
"Higher (Scottish)"