Standard Grade
Encyclopedia
Standard Grades are Scotland's educational qualifications for students aged around 14 to 16 years, which are due to be fully replaced in 2014 when Scottish Qualifications Authority
's Higher Still system becomes the main qualifications as part of the major shake up of Scotland's education system as part of Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework
overhaul.
qualification, and was phased in from the late-1980s until the early-1990s.
Standard Grade courses are taken over a student's third and fourth year in secondary education. Exams are taken at the end of the 4th Year (around May), with preliminary examinations
taken several months earlier in November. (However, certain subjects may be "fast tracked" at some schools (for example Dalziel High school, who was the first school to use this system), where the course is started in at the beginning of 2nd year and finished at the end of 3rd year (this means pupils start standard grades at age 12/13 and finish them at age 14/15) or by doubling teaching time and sitting courses over 1 year as with Highers
.) The exams are provided by the Scottish Qualifications Authority
, which also offers the more recent National Qualifications on the Scottish Qualifications Certificate
.
Students will typically study 8 subjects at Standard Grade. Generally speaking, different subjects can be taken independently of each other. The two main restrictions on this choice are timetable arrangements, and the fact that many less popular subjects are not offered by all schools.
Students are awarded a numerical grade for each examination (which may consist of several papers) ranging from 1 (best) to 7. The table below lists the grades, the exam level and equivalence to the new National Qualification exams and the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework
(SCQF for short).
's Higher Still system as many, students and teachers alike, feel that the jump from Standard Grade to Higher
is too difficult, particularly in subjects such as English. Although they are not exactly the same, the Foundation Level is similar to Higher Still's Access 3 level, whilst General is similar to Intermediate 1 and Credit is similar to Intermediate 2.
In some schools which use Higher Still qualifications as replacements for Standard Grades, students are now required to take an exam at the end of 3rd year (either Access 3 or Intermediate 1), and then take the Intermediate 1 or 2 exam (depending on which exam they took in 3rd year) at the end of their 4th year. This allows them to then go onto Intermediate 2 or Higher level in 5th year, as students already do each year.
Standard Grades are set to end in 2013 and will be replaced by the National 4 system in 2014. But – unlike Standard Grades – the National 4 will not involve an external exam. The qualification will be awarded on the basis of coursework and tests generated and marked by the school.
* Core subject
Most schools in Scotland have periods between 50–55 minutes long, although this is generally accepted as an hour of a compulsory subject.
The course choice process begins after the Christmas and New Year of S2, with the completed forms being handed in around the end of February.
Scottish Qualifications Authority
The Scottish Qualifications Authority is a non-departmental public body responsible for accreditation and awarding. It is partly funded by the Education and Lifelong Learning Directorate of the Scottish Government, employing 750 staff, based in Glasgow and Dalkeith...
's Higher Still system becomes the main qualifications as part of the major shake up of Scotland's education system as part of Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework
Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework
The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework is the national credit transfer system for all levels of qualifications in Scotland...
overhaul.
History
The Standard Grade replaced the old O-GradeO-grade
The Ordinary Grade of the Scottish Certificate of Education is a now-discontinued qualification which was studied for as part of the Scottish secondary education system...
qualification, and was phased in from the late-1980s until the early-1990s.
Standard Grade courses are taken over a student's third and fourth year in secondary education. Exams are taken at the end of the 4th Year (around May), with preliminary examinations
Prelim Exams
In Scottish schools, Preliminary Examinations are exams set in high schools after about two-thirds of a subject's course has been completed, often around December for S4 pupils, and February for S5/S6 pupils....
taken several months earlier in November. (However, certain subjects may be "fast tracked" at some schools (for example Dalziel High school, who was the first school to use this system), where the course is started in at the beginning of 2nd year and finished at the end of 3rd year (this means pupils start standard grades at age 12/13 and finish them at age 14/15) or by doubling teaching time and sitting courses over 1 year as with Highers
Higher (Scottish)
In Scotland the Higher is one of the national school-leaving certificate exams and university entrance qualifications of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. It superseded the old Higher Grade on the Scottish Certificate of Education...
.) The exams are provided by the Scottish Qualifications Authority
Scottish Qualifications Authority
The Scottish Qualifications Authority is a non-departmental public body responsible for accreditation and awarding. It is partly funded by the Education and Lifelong Learning Directorate of the Scottish Government, employing 750 staff, based in Glasgow and Dalkeith...
, which also offers the more recent National Qualifications on the Scottish Qualifications Certificate
Scottish Qualifications Certificate
The Scottish Qualifications Certificate is the successor to the Scottish Certificate of Education and the Record of Education and Training in Scotland, and is the main educational qualification awarded to students in secondary, further, and vocational education. The SQC is awarded by the Scottish...
.
Students will typically study 8 subjects at Standard Grade. Generally speaking, different subjects can be taken independently of each other. The two main restrictions on this choice are timetable arrangements, and the fact that many less popular subjects are not offered by all schools.
Levels of award
There are three sub-levels (or "tiered" papers) at which Standard Grade exams can be taken, namely "Foundation Level" , "General Level" and "Credit Level" . At one sitting, students generally sit either the Foundation and General level papers together, or the General and Credit level papers together.Students are awarded a numerical grade for each examination (which may consist of several papers) ranging from 1 (best) to 7. The table below lists the grades, the exam level and equivalence to the new National Qualification exams and the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework
Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework
The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework is the national credit transfer system for all levels of qualifications in Scotland...
(SCQF for short).
| Level | Grades | NQ Exam | SCQF Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit Level | 1 and 2 | Intermediate 2 Intermediate 2 Intermediate 2 level is Level 5 on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework. Though equivalent to the Credit Level Standard Grade, there is an element of debate to this as it is perceived to be more difficult in some subjects, but less in others.... |
SCQF 5 |
| General Level | 3 and 4 | Intermediate 1 Intermediate 1 Intermediate 1 is an educational qualification in Scotland on the Scottish Qualifications Authority Scottish Qualifications Certificate achievement ladder similar to General Level at Standard Grades; it is the next step after Access 3... |
SCQF 4 |
| Foundation Level | 5 and 6 | Access 3 | SCQF 3 |
| Course Failed | 7 |
Higher Still
In 2008 it was decide to that The Standard Grade system is now being slowly phased out in favour of the Scottish Qualifications AuthorityScottish Qualifications Authority
The Scottish Qualifications Authority is a non-departmental public body responsible for accreditation and awarding. It is partly funded by the Education and Lifelong Learning Directorate of the Scottish Government, employing 750 staff, based in Glasgow and Dalkeith...
's Higher Still system as many, students and teachers alike, feel that the jump from Standard Grade to Higher
Higher (Scottish)
In Scotland the Higher is one of the national school-leaving certificate exams and university entrance qualifications of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. It superseded the old Higher Grade on the Scottish Certificate of Education...
is too difficult, particularly in subjects such as English. Although they are not exactly the same, the Foundation Level is similar to Higher Still's Access 3 level, whilst General is similar to Intermediate 1 and Credit is similar to Intermediate 2.
In some schools which use Higher Still qualifications as replacements for Standard Grades, students are now required to take an exam at the end of 3rd year (either Access 3 or Intermediate 1), and then take the Intermediate 1 or 2 exam (depending on which exam they took in 3rd year) at the end of their 4th year. This allows them to then go onto Intermediate 2 or Higher level in 5th year, as students already do each year.
Standard Grades are set to end in 2013 and will be replaced by the National 4 system in 2014. But – unlike Standard Grades – the National 4 will not involve an external exam. The qualification will be awarded on the basis of coursework and tests generated and marked by the school.
Compulsory subjects
The Scottish Government states that all pupils must take the subjects below. However, there are exceptions.- English (4 hours per week minimum)
- MathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
(4 hours per week minimum) - Science (At least one from: Chemistry, Biology, Physics, General ScienceScienceScience is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
) (3 hours per week minimum) - Social Sciences (At least one from: HistoryHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, GeographyGeographyGeography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
or Modern StudiesModern StudiesModern Studies is a subject unique to the Scottish secondary school curriculum , that is concerned with the study of local, national and international issues from a social, political and economic perspective...
) (3 hours per week minimum) - Physical Education (PE) * (1 hour per week minimum)
- Religious, Moral and Philosophical Education (RMPS) * (1 hour per week minimum)
- Education for Personal and Social Development (PSE)* (1 hour per week minimum)
* Core subject
Most schools in Scotland have periods between 50–55 minutes long, although this is generally accepted as an hour of a compulsory subject.
The course choice process begins after the Christmas and New Year of S2, with the completed forms being handed in around the end of February.
External links
- http://www.sqa.org.uk – Scottish Qualifications Authority
- http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/NQExamTimetable2010.pdf – 2010 Exam Timetable