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Scotsnet exams thread 2022

430 replies

WeAllHaveWings · 08/01/2022 14:40

I haven't seen a thread for this years exams yet so thought I'd get the ball rolling (hopefully not too early!). Who has dc sitting exams this year and how are they getting on with their prelims so far?

ds(17) is in S6, he is sitting

Maths AH
Physics AH
Geography H (crash)
PE H (sat 2 years ago at NAT5)

They had their prelims in December which was good as they could relax over Christmas. He has had results back for 3 - will start with the good - Physics AH 70% 😀, then the no so good - Maths AH 45%, PE H 42% 😮.

He is very pleased with Physics, as he didn't expect it. The others he expected but seeing it has still been a shock. Hopefully in a good way and he will get his finger out as he hasn't been applying himself this year due recent first car freedom 🚗 + first girlfriend since he was 14 👫 + out together in said car 💏 + finally started his teenage rebelling phase 🙄.

Did anyone find it was similar in S6 with their teens? I think he is just scunnered this year with school and going through the whole studying and exam process for a 3rd year running. Many of his friends seem to feel the same this year.

OP posts:
untitled01 · 20/04/2022 20:08

SQA!!

MistressIggi · 20/04/2022 21:05

Totally normal to have estimates, I've had to make an estimate for every exam pupil for as long as I've been teaching. We needed them to know if anyone could have an appeal (and to plan interventions etc). But how they were communicated to pupils I don't remember - these days it would be on a tracking report but that's fairly new. We also always needed estimates for the ones who were applying to uni, for their references.

MistressIggi · 20/04/2022 21:27

Good luck to all your dcs by the way Flowers

untitled01 · 20/04/2022 21:41

MistressIggi thank you.

Have the SQA always been notified of the estimated results?

MistressIggi · 20/04/2022 22:08

I don't think so, but I didn't know they had been this year either? Though we input them into a database, never asked where the info goes! They only for sure need to know the estimate if there is an appeal. But everything has changed so much over the last 3 years my head is still spinning from it all.😩0

cocopops · 21/04/2022 07:59

We’ve just received estimated grades and the email from the school stated that they must produce an estimate to the SQA and this year are obliged to share the estimate with the candidate.

Effectively, my dd knows that the estimate she was given is the minimum she’ll get (if there is a need to appeal). Doesn’t make much difference to her but anecdotally I hear several of her peers have said, why bother now stressing about exams…….

PoloMintPatty · 21/04/2022 08:45

@cocopops that was my worry. We got ours through at the start of the Easter break.

FuckingHateRats · 21/04/2022 09:04

Historically, SQA have quibbled with schools' evidence and then not upheld the appeal, so I wouldn't bank on that being a guaranteed grade...

cocopops · 21/04/2022 09:11

I am relaxed about this with our school. I know the grades given are ones she’s been working at all year. In fact, I was pissed that they gave her a 2 in one subject when she’s been sitting at 80% for the prelim then 90% on the last test of the year. If that’s not robust I don’t know what is. That said, I m sure some schools may not be able to provide evidence for appeals at the estimated grade- that could be a stressful time for those needing the grades for Uni.

FuckingHateRats · 21/04/2022 09:14

What is tricky is that the evidence is not gathered in exactly the same way as in the actual exam - for example, a load of my Highers got As in their first round of critical essays and SSTs, but they didn't sit it all in one go like in the actual exam. I've used it for some of them anyway because I know their work ethic and I know they'll pull out all the stops, but will SQA quibble that? Who knows 🤷🏻‍♀️ They're a mysterious beast.

cocopops · 21/04/2022 09:17

I had presumed that when giving evidence, schools would give it based on exams done under equivalent SQA exam type conditions. I know ours has. If others haven’t, then I’m not surprised there may be a battle on appeal.

Let’s hope none of our kids need to rely on that service!

FuckingHateRats · 21/04/2022 09:32

Ours did it in timed conditions, in assessment conditions.

But in the actual exam, for English anyway, they have to sit two papers with three exam components, back to back. It's 70 marks in just over three hours.

No school sits prelims in that way. They usually have the two papers split by at least a day, which means that the prelim evidence is not ever a 100% reflection on how a candidate will perform with the pressure of keeping the entire course ready to go in such a short space of time.

FuckingHateRats · 21/04/2022 09:34

There's also the added complication that some schools will have sat peels before final coursework is due in. And if the coursework is a considerable chunk of a grade, it can change the prelim result to a different estimated grade. SQA would take into account the coursework as well, not just the prelim exam.

A couple of mine scraped a pass in their prelim but their folio is diabolical. Estimate is a 7 🤷🏻‍♀️

PrincessRamone · 21/04/2022 19:26

the email from the school stated that they must produce an estimate to the SQA and this year are obliged to share the estimate with the candidate

DS’s school have said they will not be sharing estimated grades with the pupils 🤔

WoodstockJ · 21/04/2022 21:09

I was notified of the estimate grades via email yesterday evening. All as expected and given the stress over missing the second prelims, it was a relief to
move on from that.
However, today my son was handed a sheet of paper with an estimate bands. All as expected except one subject where he has been given a 7 (equivalent
to a D) when he was expecting an 1 (A)! He was too shocked to ask anyone at school about it so doesn’t know what’s happened. It’s clearly an error but I have no idea whether it has actually been submitted and whether it can be changed.
I unsuccessfully tried to speak to
someone at the school but no one was available to take the call. I have emailed but I’m worried that it’s been submitted and that’s it!

cocopops · 21/04/2022 21:48

PrincessRamone · 21/04/2022 19:26

the email from the school stated that they must produce an estimate to the SQA and this year are obliged to share the estimate with the candidate

DS’s school have said they will not be sharing estimated grades with the pupils 🤔

This suggests that the SQA expect otherwise …..

www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/79049.html

PrincessRamone · 22/04/2022 00:11

@WoodstockJ that’s a worry! So all were as expected in the email, but the printout was different?

@cocopops thanks for that. I will pick up with the school tomorrow.

stormsurfer · 22/04/2022 07:22

Yes, SQA changed it for this year (just a few weeks before Easter). And told us we had to submit the estimates to them and tell the students. The estimates had to be as robust as when the exams were cancelled. Hence why many schools scrabbled to put together a second prelim to have more evidence of the estimate and also to give students the opportunity to increase the estimate. It's been a stressful time and the ironic thing is that SQA are saying this is all to reduce the stress to the students as they realise The impact the pandemic has had.

Very important to make sure those estimates are correct.

WoodstockJ · 22/04/2022 07:44

Yes @PrincessRamone the print out was different. He has the subject first period so hopefully his teacher can get onto it. Reread the email and they will be sent today so it should be fixable.
I will also call the school when the office opens.
The sqa never learn!

Bluepeach · 22/04/2022 14:54

@cocopops @FuckingHateRats I am confused by your reference to number grades; I thought Scottish exams are letter grades? My son has only just moved to the Scottish system so would appreciate clarification in case I am understanding things incorrectly - thanks!

FuckingHateRats · 22/04/2022 15:01

1: A 85% and above
2: A 70%
3: B 65%
4: B 60%
5: C 55%
6:C 50%
7: D 40%

These are never exactly on the whole number increments when SQA inflict them on grades, but they're the broad approximations we use in practice.

FuckingHateRats · 22/04/2022 15:02

So if I have a student with demonstrated attainment at 90%, my estimate will be an A but a band 1 A. If I have a student with 72% it'll still be an A, but a band 2 A.

applesandpears33 · 22/04/2022 15:33

I'm getting rather nervous now - still waiting to hear from one university re DS's application. I've been lurking on The Student Room forums and it looks as though very few offers have been made to Scottish students for his subject at that uni. DS seems confident he'll make the conditional offer for another course at a different uni and his teachers have estimated those grades for him so I'm keeping my fingers crossed everything works out for him.

stormsurfer · 22/04/2022 17:04

@applesandpears33 is that St Andrews you are waiting for? None of DDs friends have heard from there yet.

Bluepeach · 22/04/2022 17:17

@FuckingHateRats oh, I see. And like @cocopops my son got an estimate of A Band 2 for a couple of subjects, even though he got over 90% in his final test; in fact there was one he got 100% in his final test and his estimate was an A Band 2 but I guess it must be cumulative from August. They did emphasise though that they are not predicted grades as they don't take into account the revision/studying done over the last few weeks since the teaching content finished.