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Original poster

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:
Mirrinpuzzle · 09/08/2022 19:44

DD went into the school and was given her exact percentage for each exam, with the bands. She needed to know whether she had A1s or A2s because her uni offer included an A1.

Mirrinpuzzle · 09/08/2022 19:46

The universities can definitely see the bands.

Givenitarest · 09/08/2022 19:49

Can anyone open that Grade Boundaries .ods document on the SQA site? I've tried on my phone and my laptop and am not getting anywhere.

Cismyfatarse · 09/08/2022 19:53

I could open it on a laptop but not a phone.

Original poster
WeAllHaveWings · 09/08/2022 19:55

Givenitarest · 09/08/2022 19:49

Can anyone open that Grade Boundaries .ods document on the SQA site? I've tried on my phone and my laptop and am not getting anywhere.

I opened earlier on my pc in excel, but not working now on my ipad. Is there specific subjects/levels you are interested in and I can paste them in?

OP posts:
Threeboysandadog · 09/08/2022 20:18

Arrgh! Ds wants to appeal his two B’s. Does he get in touch with the school? How long does he have to appeal? Is it worth it?

Bratnews · 09/08/2022 20:26

The appeal process is different this year I think you can appeal directly or through the school. You can appeal if your predicted grade is higher than your achieved grade. Here’s the sqa link to the process:

www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/79049.11314.html

Ihaveroyallyscrewedup · 09/08/2022 20:33

@neveradullmoment99 If there is no award for a subject it tells you that in the letter that comes with the certificate, he never got a letter there were only certificates in the envelope.
The differing information being sent is being looked in to and the subject which the text and email say he failed and is also not on the certificate (after getting an A on both prelim papers) has been appealed.

Threeboysandadog · 09/08/2022 20:45

Thank you @Bratnews He was predicated 8 A’s. I think he should speak to the school first. They will have a better idea of whether he’s likely to be successful or not. I was quite happy with his results.

TeenTraumaTrials · 09/08/2022 22:00

I've had a look at the grade boundary document and am not sure I understand it. So if the total marks available were 120 and the grade boundary for an A was 80 that means the percentage for an A is (100/120)*80 - 67%??

If that's the case what the heck went on with Higher Modern Studies? By my calculation the boundary for an A is about 50%? Can that be right?

DD found the Higher Mods exam hard (Twitter seemed to agree at the time) and got a B but does that mean she actually got less than 50%. She was estimated an A1 so I think she should get an A on appeal but just trying to understand the figures.

neveradullmoment99 · 09/08/2022 22:02

Sounds like they have really messed up! Really hope you get it sorted. Just absolutely ridiculous.

Bratnews · 09/08/2022 22:26

I can’t access the grade boundary file from my phone but a teacher put the modern study grade boundaries on Twitter:

H
A1 80%
A 64%
B 52%
C 41%
D 30%

Wbeezer · 09/08/2022 22:29

DS3 got an A for AH Art and a B fir crash Higher RMPS, which was a little disappointing as he got an A and the subject prize at prize giving (and the art prize!) However, he admits he got his exam technique wrong, spent ages on one essay and then belatedly realised he had another one to do in a hurry. The perils of S6 exams being his first real exams. Probably won't appeal as he has enough for what he wants to do, going to college to do a textiles HND and then art school followed by fashion world domination 😉.
I was pretty chilled, third child and last ever SQA envelope of doom, still recovering from DS2 missing a First by half a point last month though, that stung a little.

LovinglifeAF · 09/08/2022 23:50

For most of my son’s subjects the grade boundaries were v similar to 2019. Biology was only 61% for an A this year, my son was predicted band 1 for that so it’ll be interesting to find out

This is N5

MistressIggi · 09/08/2022 23:56

@Wbeezer if he had an estimate of an A (and evidence to back it up) he absolutely should appeal!
I don't know what the process is if a candidate appeals directly, but the school would have to be involved in some way as they need to send work in.

Cismyfatarse · 10/08/2022 08:59

MistressIggi · 09/08/2022 23:56

@Wbeezer if he had an estimate of an A (and evidence to back it up) he absolutely should appeal!
I don't know what the process is if a candidate appeals directly, but the school would have to be involved in some way as they need to send work in.

I can (sort of) answer this.

There is no direct appeal route without the school. An appeal is free and can only go ahead if the estimate and the grade are different. You can only appeal a grade, not a band.

We are currently making lists of those eligible (about 1/8 I am told, roughly). Pupils (not parents) need to request it. This is, in our case, simply clicking the subject on a form which will have those subject they can appeal on it.

The teacher then assembles the evidence - prelim, past papers, questions and mark scheme. These are to be scanned and sent electronically. Then we wait. With my SQA hat on, these will then be looked at and a decision made.

All decisions will come out on the same day.

We don't know the day, or deadlines, yet.

URGENT appeals (if a University places relies on it) must be assembled by 19th August but these are rare and usually only for those going to University outside Scotland.

Deadlines may now be available but weren't yesterday.

I run a large department and individual teachers will assemble the appeal for their pupils. I will check them, turn them into PDFs and send.

We have a large number so it is going to be a massive workload issue. At 1 in 8 across Scotland it is thousands of packets of information needed.

I am not sure what will happen when the Unions see the workload and if pressure will be applied to make the process easier.....watch this space.

Cismyfatarse · 10/08/2022 09:04

Friday 2nd September for schools to submit.

It does say you can send your own appeal. I have no idea on earth how that will work as schools hold all the students' work, mark schemes etc. Must be to stop schools trying to refuse.

Results of appeals at the end of October but no specific date.

Anyone with kids doing this it is worth them gathering anything they might have taken home (marked essays etc). It used to be only work done under exam conditions plus folio but who knows now.....might be able to include anything at all. Extra stuff never hurts.

Rae36 · 10/08/2022 11:19

Hope everyone is feeling ok today now the dust has settled.
Good luck to those needing appeals to get into whatever they are hoping for next.

Ds got a C at Nat5 for a subject he's really hoping to take at Higher, I've tried to suggest he emails his teacher now to ask if he can still go ahead, the teacher had said he needed a B. I suggested being pro-active might be a good thing but he just rolled his eyes at me. He's going for the 'turn up in class and hope the teacher doesn't notice' approach.

SandyIrvine · 10/08/2022 12:41

@Rae36 I would be proactive about asking teacher about the likelihood of success at higher with a C. They used to publish progression stats and it was surprising how few passed a higher without an A at nat 5. A few buck the trend (like friends of my DC who never bothered for national 5s and stepped up for highers).

Threeboysandadog · 10/08/2022 12:50

@Rae36 my nephew got a C for N5 history, a B for higher and an A for advanced higher so all is not lost with a C. Hopefully his teacher will realise that.

I’m disappointed that ds is disappointed because I’m delighted. Most of his friendship group are very bright and quite a few have tutors so he’s not comparing like with like.

LovinglifeAF · 10/08/2022 13:12

SandyIrvine · 10/08/2022 12:41

@Rae36 I would be proactive about asking teacher about the likelihood of success at higher with a C. They used to publish progression stats and it was surprising how few passed a higher without an A at nat 5. A few buck the trend (like friends of my DC who never bothered for national 5s and stepped up for highers).

Yes our school showed us a presentation with the stats about obtaining a higher after a C at Nat 5. I got the clear impression they’d discourage taking a subject to higher with less than a B at Nat 5.

Rae36 · 10/08/2022 14:16

I'd be happier if he did fewer highers and got better grades. But he's really keen so it's up to him.

it was surprising how few passed a higher without an A at nat 5

That's quite depressing. With ds's nat5 results then he'd only get 1 higher? We'll gloss over that report, but I'll try to encourage him to swap one of his proposed highers for something else. Problem is there were not many alternatives he fancied. It was surprisingly hard to choose.

LovinglifeAF · 10/08/2022 14:57

Rae36 · 10/08/2022 14:16

I'd be happier if he did fewer highers and got better grades. But he's really keen so it's up to him.

it was surprising how few passed a higher without an A at nat 5

That's quite depressing. With ds's nat5 results then he'd only get 1 higher? We'll gloss over that report, but I'll try to encourage him to swap one of his proposed highers for something else. Problem is there were not many alternatives he fancied. It was surprisingly hard to choose.

The ones the school showed us a B also gave a decent chance at a pass.

Yes there is a push for 5 highers now I think as this is one of the measures schools are assessed on. My son is doing 5 as did I back in the day but when I was at school quite a lot of people did 4 in s5, seems to be less of a thing now. Unless they do something else eg a Nat 5 as well.

SandyIrvine · 10/08/2022 15:07

@Rae36. Perhaps not as bad as you think progression wise. If I remember back to 2019 it was approx 25% with a C who passed the higher but some subjects were better than others. So over 3 subjects you would be more likely to pass at least one than none at all. However chance of passing all 3 is low. The school can advise.

Also some schools are better than others with progression eg focusing on those with lower nat 5 grades with better teachers/supported study.

Wbeezer · 10/08/2022 18:00

DS3 bucked the progression stats by improving his grades in one subject and managing to pass Higher Biology after getting a B (actually it might have been a C I can't remember). It look a lot of effort and supervision though and a tutor for Biology. He pulled his finger out when he realised he needed at least 4 Highers for what he wanted to d, he needed a goal.