SQA exams 2023

[Aurea]

A question for Scotsnet teachers or other people in the know - sorry - so far ahead and perhaps over thinking.......

My son is due to pick subjects for S6 in the new year. How likely is it that the coursework aspect for advanced highers be reinstated?

He's very able and keen to study for four advanced highers, but I'm worried about his results suffering due to his heavy workload. If coursework were likely to be scrapped for another year this would lessen the burden.

NB his dead cert subjects are mechanics and physics (he already has maths) and his less certain subjects are chemistry and music.

With thanks 😊

I don't know about next year but in 2020 DD did 3AHs and a crash higher and workload was heavy. She was saved by Covid. I think she'd have struggled in April/May. However DD had a part time job, duties at school and kept up her sport.

I remember when DS1 was in S6 someone he knew did 5 AHs but they were quite related (? 3 maths, physics, computing) and I think he self studied most of these with a bit of a help from a local uni. He went to Oxford or Cambridge to study maths.

What is your DS thinking of doing after school?

At the moment (thanks to an FOI from a persistent college lecturer and journalist) SG have admitted they may change their minds over 21/22 exams up to the 22nd March. I don't think we'll hear about any changes to 22/23 for a long time . This year we didn't know what was being chopped until the courses were underway.

Sorry that was no help .

Thanks everyone.

Can anyone comment on the amount of work for physics and chemistry? I hear chemistry in particular is content heavy and the coursework is very time-consuming. Is this correct?

@Lidlfix

At the moment (thanks to an FOI from a persistent college lecturer and journalist) SG have admitted they may change their minds over 21/22 exams up to the 22nd March. I don't think we'll hear about any changes to 22/23 for a long time . This year we didn't know what was being chopped until the courses were underway.

Sorry that was no help .

Good grief! Do you think it would take something major (eg a lockdown) to make them change?

The project for both AH Physics and Chemistry is time consuming both in terms of practical work and write up of the report. The students tend to find this challenging as so different from other reports they have written in previous courses. I think it is a valuable part of the course as it develops skills that are useful when they go onto Higher education. I hope they bring it back soon as I think it is a loss, but understandable that they have removed it at the moment given the circumstances.

Thank you once again for your comments. All noted.

I think it is a valuable part of the course as it develops skills that are useful when they go onto Higher education.

Totally agree with this, ds isnt doing the reports this year for his AH, he also didnt do them for his Highers and his NAT5 ones were never marked. I worry it is just storing up problems for the future if he goes to uni and has no experience of this tyoe of skill and less support than he would have in school.