Scotsnet exams thread 2022

[WeAllHaveWings]

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.

I have found the whole process really difficult to follow. It's been really confusing, school has not been great unfortunately.
They are doing 3 lots of prelims in done subjects.
DS is S5 and is doing
French H
Spanish H
English H
Modern studies H
Maths Nat 5
Bloody maths he is really struggling with but really needs a minimum of Nat 5.

@FannyFifer

I have found the whole process really difficult to follow. It's been really confusing, school has not been great unfortunately. They are doing 3 lots of prelims in done subjects. DS is S5 and is doing French H Spanish H English H Modern studies H Maths Nat 5 Bloody maths he is really struggling with but really needs a minimum of Nat 5.

@FannyFifer is it 3 full sets of prelims or just different sections e.g. French has 4 elements - taking, reading, listening and writing, English has - folio, critical essay, Scottish text, ruae, Maths - calculator and non calculator It might be they are splitting the prelims into manageable chunks.

Ds has just heard today they are doing another full set of prelims in March with the warning if they miss a exam in april/may or exams are cancelled (please no!) this might be their final mark.

So some parts of some subjects they are doing three times. French talking x3, a part of MS 3x as well. I've honestly not a scooby what's going on.
The parents night was a shambles, so awkward, 4 mins then cut off, took over a minute till teachers actually appeared, just pointless.

We had our five minutes slot too with mid sentence cut-offs. In fact one teacher couldn't connect with audio and just waved at us for a minute or so on the screen and then wandered off (presumably to get help).

I did, however, contact the school afterwards and spoke to this teacher on the phone for a full 20 minutes!!!!!! RESULT!!!!!!

I have mixed views about the online parents evenings. On one hand, they are a far more efficient use of time. On the other, I don't think 5 minutes is long enough for Highers and AH. We also had a problem last year where the connection with one teacher didn't work and we ended up getting only 30 seconds. I contacted the school and asked for a call back but no one ever gave me a ring.

If you can speak to the maths teacher it may be helpful. At our local school a lot of the pupils do very poorly in the maths prelims but do much better in the final exams. Someone (not a teacher) told me this is because in maths they assess the young people at the standard they are expected to achieve when they sit the exams in the May, but most other subjects assess the young people at the standard they would expect at that point in the course. Perhaps a teacher could confirm. Last year DS failed his Higher maths prelim pretty badly and I was all set to try and persuade him to give it up and focus on getting good grades in his other subjects. I'm glad I didn't as he ended up getting an A! He must have at least doubled his prelim score.

We assess in English at the required standard for May. Content heavy subjects may assess only, say 2/3rds of the course (Geography etc). Maths, the problem is usually that they have not yet covered some content but,even if they have, there has not yet been time for repetitive practice.

DD in S3 has her L5 Maths assessment this week. It is being done in exam conditions and will be their first 'grade', we were told in an email. The email basically said i they don't pass, they will move down to Nat 4.

DD is worried and upset about this. She's been getting around 80% in all her tests so far but it seems they won't matter and if she fails, she will be a Nat 4.

I'd be very surprised if DD did fail as she's good at maths and has been studying but I'd also be annoyed if her coursework counted for nothing.

supported study is being offered but DD doesn't want to go and thinks studying at home will be enough. I'm trying to get her to see the benefits of doing both.

@heelforheelandtoefortoe Ds rarely goes to supported study, but he only made that decision after going a couple of times for each subject before realising he was better at home working on the specific topics he struggled with. He keeps an eye on what they are covering and occasionally goes if it is a topic he needs help with. In S3 I would encourage her to go and see what the supported study is about and how it could help. Ds was initially hesitant about going just because his friends weren't going so we had a chat about that.

Heel

I'm sure your DD will be fine. If things go pear shaped, you have a very good reason to appeal to the school given her previous great marks.

May I ask what 'supported study' is? I have never heard the term in schools in the north east of Scotland. If it's lessons outside school hours, lucky you! We get nothing including during exam study leave. The kids are just left to their own devices at home.

its study time with a teacher to help you with any topics you struggle with. Sometimes there's no specific topic, other times there is. I remember they had it available during Easter holidays too, like extra lessons, and I found it helpful for particular topics.

There may be supported study taking place, but your DC hasn't mentioned it. At a recent parents night I found there was much more supported study than I had been aware of, my DC just hadn't wanted to go to it.

I also have a DC going through the S3 maths tests this week. I hope they go OK. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

This is me starting with exams for the third (and final) time. Ds1 and Ds2, both mid twenties now, have finished uni and are working!

Ds (15) is in S4, doing N5’s and sat his prelims the first fortnight back after Christmas. He was predicted all A’s except chemistry (B) and got all A’s except English and Gaelic (67% & 69%). Hopefully, with a bit of a push, he will improve those.

He wants to do computer science at university however our school only started offering the computer science N5 this year, so starting with the year below him. He hopes to join that class next year but we’re not sure if that will be possible yet. I think the school will be keen for him to do 5 highers but I think he might find that too much. He has Developmental Co-ordination Disorder and we are awaiting results on assessments for ADHD/ASC (should have been this week but the meeting was cancelled). Worst case scenario, he can hopefully crash the higher in S6.

My older boys were definitely offered supported study but Ds3 hasn’t mentioned it yet.

Hello Threeboys

Your son has a great set of prelim results.

My DS (S5) wants to study computer science at uni but he is not studying it at school. He asked university admissions departments and they say computer science is not necessary. They want you to take as much maths as possible though.

My DS is taking maths, applications of maths and physics this year and hopes to also take advanced highers in mechanics and physics next year.

Thank you aurea. I should say Ds2 studied computer science at university without any problem and had not done it in school. He is now working in app development and enjoying it.

Ds3 was told today that he can’t do computer science in school next year but that our local uni is offering several courses including this N5 as an evening class so has decided to apply for that instead. He is planning maths, physics and possibly chemistry at higher and will definitely want to do music. I’m not sure if they will want him to do 5 plus his N5. We might have more flexibility if he gets a (another) diagnosis.

Does anyone have experience of their children getting extra help for exams?
My child was diagnosed last year with ADHD and now takes medication which does help considerably. She still struggles greatly with lots of things though.

She is doing highers this year which has been very hard going as organisational skills are non existent. She always under performs due to running out of time during exams.

Her diagnosis was private and has been waiting for nhs assessment for 18mths and may be another year before she's seen. Would school accept this private diagnosis to avail of special help for exams? What sort of help could she get? Does anyone have experience of this?
I'm actually thinking it would be more beneficial for uni as I'm so worried how she would cope with independent learning and living away troon home.
She's very reluctant for me to investigate this as doesn't want anyone to know. I realise this is unavoidable.

@jazzlesarethebestsweets

Does anyone have experience of their children getting extra help for exams? My child was diagnosed last year with ADHD and now takes medication which does help considerably. She still struggles greatly with lots of things though.

She is doing highers this year which has been very hard going as organisational skills are non existent. She always under performs due to running out of time during exams.

Her diagnosis was private and has been waiting for nhs assessment for 18mths and may be another year before she's seen. Would school accept this private diagnosis to avail of special help for exams? What sort of help could she get? Does anyone have experience of this?
I'm actually thinking it would be more beneficial for uni as I'm so worried how she would cope with independent learning and living away troon home.
She's very reluctant for me to investigate this as doesn't want anyone to know. I realise this is unavoidable.

Exams are a nightmare for kids with ADHD. My son had a private diagnosis with shared care with our GP. He gets to take exams in a small room instead of the big hall and gets extra time although this doesn't really help him. Timed breaks are more useful. My son gets these in school exams but I'm not sure if they are allowed in national exams. It's really frustrating because no matter how clever they are and good at the subject, their exam results will never reflect that and it's then hard to get a university place competing with neurotypical kids who cope better with exams.

Arrrggg! Just wrote a long post and it disappeared!

@jazzlesarethebestsweets ds1, now 26, was diagnosed with ADHD at 7. He got extra time in standard grades and highers but was generally very poorly supported in school. His guidance teacher was as much use as a chocolate tea pot and that’s me being kind! University was totally different. He had a named person to contact with any problems. She sourced special equipment to help him and his tutors bent over backwards to facilitate his needs.

Ds3 15 is at the same school. He has been assessed for ADHD/ASC and we are awaiting a rescheduled meeting for results. Last month he was given a diagnosis of Development Co-ordination Disorder which will stand alongside any other diagnosis. The school don’t know this yet. He was given extra time in his N5 prelims and sat in a smaller room with less children. I don’t know how this was decided. He actually didn’t use the extra time and I agree with @Ramanama that schedule breaks would be more helpful as he struggles with concentration for long periods.

His guidance teacher is fantastic and has been endlessly accommodating of his needs. If it hadn’t been for her intervention I would have removed him from school in S1 and taught him at home. He has also now been given a staff mentor who meets with him every couple of weeks to see if he needs anything.

As you have a diagnosis I would meet with your daughters guidance teacher (or whoever is responsible for “pastoral care “) and see what help can be sourced for her.

Apologies for the essay.

@Threeboysandadog @Ramanama thank you for your very helpful insight.
School were not very helpful during lockdown when she was undergoing the process of diagnosis as new teachers didn't know her and no face to face teaching.
I haven't approached school since diagnosis at her request but as I saw her really struggle with her prelims I feel asking for support is the next step. She's reluctant as doesn't want to be taken out to another room etc but less formal setting , extra time would be of huge value I think.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I'm glad uni seems to be more supportive of our ND kids.

Jazzles there are deadlines for arranging additional assessment arrangements for exams so please don't delay speaking to your dc's school.

@Mistressiggi thank you.

Can I ask if anyone has much experience of modern languages spoken assessment for national 5?

My dd is predicted an a doing well with no concerns from parents night but came home very upset today after her sqa in school assessment. Basically the teacher took her prompt cards off her telling her she had too much on them. I can see from the website they’re only allowed 40 words and she was way over this but other pupils were allowed to proceed with significantly beyond the word count too. Which the teacher said she knew about but wasn’t the point!
She was then reduced to tears being told you do the exam now or get zero. Also the teacher never asked her any questions or undertook her conversation part of the exam which is worth the most marks!
I’m so upset on her behalf and waiting for a response from the school. Do you think she has a realistic chance of repeating this test given other pupils have been allowed prompt cards that break sqa rules and the teacher acknowledges this?

I didnt know the could take prompts, asked ds who did his two years ago and he says they could but he preferred to recite from memory as felt the prompts were a distraction. It must have been hard for your dd having the safety net pulled from under her.

For the presentation only, candidates may refer to up to five headings of no more than eight words each as prompts, and/or use visual aids. These headings may be in the modern language or English. Any headings used by candidates as an aid to memory do not need to be submitted to SQA for verification purposes. They are to be used as prompts and are not to be read out verbatim.

Could the problem be the way they were written rather that the number of words? Why did she go in with more than allowed, did the teacher say they could take in more? It does sound unfair if others were allowed the same volume and format, do you have solid proof of the similar prompts permitted?

For the exam accommodations, please talk to your school as soon as possible. With it without a diagnosis, the school has to document the need and prove that the accommodations make a difference well in advance. They can try out many different options but it has to be done now. Talk to support for learning or guidance.

*with or without

@Pikachuspal ds3 is doing N5 Gaelic and was allowed prompt cards with a set number of words (probably 40 but I can’t actually remember). He spent a lot of time chopping and changing to make it as easy as he could for himself but he did say he was only allowed a certain number. Definitely check what the problem was with the school. I hope she is able to redo it. I’m not surprised she is upset.