Scottish Exam Results 2020

[Lidlfix]

After hearing DD3's deep sigh and worried voice observe "this time in four weeks..." I feel it's acceptable to begin the 2020 thread.

Over the years Scotsnet regulars and visitors have given great support, advice and even (tales of blissfully unaware snoring DC) light hearted relief to each other over the years.

This year has been particularly fearful for us and our DC and I know how much I have appreciated results threads in previous years. As there are plenty of threads with political discussions and chances for posters to express concerns about what politicians/councils/ schools/ teachers are or aren't doing, can I gently ask that we keep this to topic?

I have DD3 waiting on 1 AH and 2 Highers for a conditional offer and DD4 waiting on 5 Highers - results depending she'd like to apply for Law for the end of S6.

@waxonfeckoff The priority appeals requests are for those who are waiting on results to confirm a university offer so it is that group of pupils who have priority and their longstop date for appeals, I believe from communication from my own school, is earlier than that of appeals for the rest of the pupils.

So it would appear that irrespective of whether they’ve left school, if the grades are needed for uni, they get priority.

Thanks coco that's very useful. It's for a uni place for my friends son. He performed poorly in Nat5s against his course work, just prior to highers in S5 he got some help with exam anxiety so did better but not enough, he did really well in in his prelims this year and has been tracking at or above his requirements and his teacher has told him this and knows what he needs (2 are languages and has same teacher). All looking very positive but it's pretty much a one stop shop for him and where he wants to go obviously concerned.

My nephew gets results this year so me and his mum will be texting from 6am like we have done since 2016 😂🙈

This is my Disis's last SQA free year for a while so she'll be waiting nervously for word about her DNs. We have DC who are the same age but who are older now and it was nice to have someone to share the torture with. Next year we will share it again then I am done.

I had no idea that the schools already had the results! For some reason this has made me even more nervous for Tuesday . Does that normally happen or is it just peculiar to this very peculiar year?!

I remember 2 years ago Dd was furious that her UCAS. Had been updated the week before to offering a place and she hadn't known 😂

Super, I think it always happens.

Thanks Wax

I think maybe the Unis or UCAS also get access to the results at this time so they can sort out their offers and if they want to reduce on their conditional requirements etc. I'm sure last year when he checked, DS2s information on UCAS showed his offer confirmed at a date earlier than the results came out though that update wasn't visible to him until results day. Emails from Unis sometimes come out early too.

Groovee, it wouldn't have been visible to your DD until results day. I got DS to keep checking for a few days prior just in case but there was nothing there. Then when he checked on results day the update was dated some days earlier.

I'm so glad I don't have to worry about this any more.

Best wishes to those who are anxiously awaiting results.

Me too pb! And not to derail but just while you are here, at least my DS2 didn't have to sit that horrid economics exam in the 2nd semester. Every cloud has a silver lining.

True

Back on topic, my neighbours are very worried for their ds (who is waiting for his Higher results) as he didn't get his act together for his Prelims (which at his school are sat before Christmas) but had got his head down after he got his bad results.

At least he's got S6 to get serious now - and now knows how important the whole year's efforts are.

His school (which ds went to as well) are really good about having the SMT (and others) in to go through options with their young people once they've got their results.

I saw a notice from DSs old school - should really remove myself from various groups now - saying that this year they wont be doing a face to face open time for DC who need to change course or need support with their results. They are doing a phone service instead which is good. This still gives them a specific window to contact and have staff available to help.

It is getting close now, hope everyone gets the grades they need/deserve. This must be such a difficult results day for schools and how to manage it. I wonder how many appeals will be sought this year and more importantly how many grades will be adjusted as a result. It's all been very quiet from the SQA I feel there has to my knowledge been no indication whether results this year are on a par with others or if final grades are broadly in line with teachers estimates but I may have missed this. I suppose there isn't long to find out now.

DD's school are having recoursing during the induction day which seems fair enough as it will give the SLT a chance to really interrogate the data. DD3's uni emailed them last week to say everything was paused pending results being issued.

Desperate to know for my pupils too I had such a great time with my N5 and Highers this year and I am glad that I have that to look back on rather than those last few days.

Monday is going to be such a long day...

Out of curiosity lidl, and you may not really have a feel for it anyway, but how often do you look at the results and are surprised as it wouldn't be what you'd have scored someone? guess it goes both ways as some would have pulled something epic out the bag and others would have had a poor day.

Pretty much what you said Wax and I do love to be proved wrong in a positive way. You can see the natural just get it pupils, the steady progress makers and the pull it out bag after cramming. Off days happen and sometimes surprise Bs as they took their feet of the gas and that is always sad as the normal "remark" tends not to change the grade. Folio can be interesting and helps you see what SQA view positively and use that to inform your teaching the following year.

That's the thing I suppose, even SQA only ever really see the ones who are unhappy as you'll not hear so much from the ones who got a pass when they thought they'd fail or a better grade than they expected. I can't say we ever thought about going back on a particularly favourable mark that DS2 pulled out for maths given that his main coach (DS1) didn't think he had it in him to do much more than squeak a pass.

@WaxOnFeckOff I read an article in tes about this and I think it may have been picked up by the telegraph in March this year, I can’t remember exactly but I do remember reading it in the papers.

UCL Institute of education in 2016 (so a few years ago but things don’t change that much) had researched into the prediction of A-level grades on UCAS application (made by teachers) and actual results.
75% turned out to be lower and 10% were higher and most of the 15% left were as predicted but I do remember there was a very small percentage for folk who didn’t sit the exam for whatever reason.

My post is in no way a criticism of teachers and we obviously have a very different system to England’s where most candidates here apply through UCAS with grades already known.
However, I think with the emphasis on different pathways to higher education, employment and training and the flexibility of the curriculum for excellence, where picking up dropped subjects Is far easier later on in senior phase and with the second chance of S6, predicted grades are more important now than they were in my day.

Jodri that would be interesting, when you say 75% were lower, do you mean that achieved grades were 75% lower than teacher predictions?

I agree though that you can't really compare as those estimates are purely about getting DC offers and wouldn't always be about the considered opinion that I think the current process needed to be.

@waxonfeckoff I read it as that 75% of candidates achieved an actual A level result that was a grade lower than predicted, rather than a mark 75% lower. So, 75% of candidates were predicted A but got a B

Here is the link @WaxOnFeckOff. www.tes.com/news/five-out-six-level-grade-predictions-teachers-are-wrong-study-shows

Very interesting @Jodri so it would appear that in a normal year of A levels predictions are in a way purely aspirational grades for most candidates. To a lay person like myself it appears over the years there has almost become a tug of war( not the right analogy but you will get what I mean) between uni admissions and schools. What happened first did unis increase their entry requirements and therefore poor teachers have been almost forced in to upping their predictions to give students at least the chance of an offer or has it been the other way round??
No way 75% of A level students dont get their first choice uni offer so unis must accept lower grades fairly frequently??
Suppose what I am getting at is that it feels like a bit of a game with very unclear rules. Perhaps it is just me?

Sorry that wasn't very well worded Jodri but you answered the question I was trying to ask :o