How “Appeals” and Exam Estimates work

SQA stuff Mr Ross has been speaking to a lot of people about Post Results Service over the past 2 weeks. This is what people often call a “Remark” or “Appeals”. It’s worth being very clear about this process at the start of the year so that everyone understands how it works and can be as prepared as possible for it from the start of this year.

SQA - Estimates At the end of April every year, teachers send Estimates of what they believe you will achieve for your Final Award to the SQA: This will include how they think you will perform in the exam as well as any coursework you submit. This is their professional judgement in knowing their subject, knowing how SQA courses are set up and marked as well as knowing you and what you have done in class.

SQA - Estimates The Estimate is REALLY important. Teachers will look at how you performed in Prelims, class work, homework, course work such as assignments, any Unit Assessments, etc. They will be looking to see: whether you have been consistent across the year. are on an upward trajectory as you start to improve your knowledge and skills.

SQA - Estimates The Estimate is just that. It is the teachers professional judgement that if you perform to the best of your ability, then they believe this is what you could achieve. It is not a guarantee of what you will achieve. We’ll come back to the importance of the Estimate later.

SQA - Exceptional Circumstances During exam season or in the build up to it, if you are unwell, a close family member becomes unwell, someone passes away or something else traumatic happens in your life… in otherwards something Exceptional has happened, this system kicks into place. You may be able to sit the exam though clearly not to the best of your ability. You may not sit the exam at all. You/Parents must let the school know ASAP and/or a Doctors Medical Line is required.

SQA - Exceptional Circumstances Mr Ross then contacts SQA straight away to let them know. He then asks the teacher of the exam you have that day - sometimes all of your teachers teachers if the Exceptional Circumstance is likely to affect more than one exam - for evidence Your teachers looks out your best work which proves what you are capable of doing normally or, in otherwards, when this Exceptional Circumstance isn’t happening. All of this work is sent to SQA.

SQA - Exceptional Circumstances If you sat the exam, the SQA marker will mark the exam first as well as looking at the extra evidence. If your Exam Grade is better than your Estimate and better than the evidence the school sent to SQA, they will always give you the better grade. If your performance is below the Estimate, they will go through every piece of evidence we sent to see if they can increase what was produced in the exam. If you didn’t sit the exam at all, the entire grade is based on what we send away.

SQA - Exceptional Circumstances So, the Exceptional Circumstances system is linked to your Estimate in two ways. If you sit the exam and don’t meet the Estimate, SQA will look in detail at the extra materials we send to them. The Estimate will have been based on much of that same material in the first place so SQA will be looking for strong pieces of work. So it is in your interest to make sure that your school work is as good as you can produce to give an accurate and strong Estimate.

SQA - Exceptional Circumstances There is no way of knowing who will need to use the Exceptional Circumstances system. We’ve used it every year since it started. It is almost guaranteed we will use it every year. Without being too pessimistic, it could be you. But, you won’t know until something exceptional happens! So, the stronger your work is throughout the year, the better.

SQA - Post Results Service This is after the Results come in. After that exciting day in August when you get the text, email or envelope telling you how you got on. If the school thinks the SQA marker has made a mistake in their marking, we can ask them to look at the quality of the marking again. We do not send any of your materials to them. If you were unwell during the exams, this will not influence SQA or even the schools decision to enter a PRS request. You should have told the school in May-June and we could have used the Exceptional Circumstances system.

SQA - Post Results Service It is not enough that: someone missed a Grade by 1 or 2 marks a pupil wishes they had done better. someone needs a better grade for College/Uni/job. The school have to be convinced that something is wrong with the marking. How will the school know this? It is based on the Estimate we sent to SQA in April. Is the SQA mark clearly at odds with the evidence used to make your Estimate?

SQA - Post Results Service Strict guidelines from Highland Council state that the final grade needs to be at least 2 Bands lower than your Estimate and that the school feel the Final Grade is genuinely wrong.

SQA and work across the year. So, you really REALLY want your teacher to see your best work from the start of the year. You are unlikely to start with the highest grades. But, most people will build up across the year. This is why we spend a lot of time on goals and target setting so that you gain an increasing understanding of courses and how to succeed across all of your subjects. What can you be doing to help yourself to be your best for these key points in the SQA system?!?

ESTIMATES sent to SQA at end of April Exceptional Circumstances Before or during exam period ESTIMATES sent to SQA at end of April Producing the best work you can throughout the year showing progress in Knowledge and Skills Post Results Service After Results are released if school feels grade is clearly wrong