sqa exams 2023

[NicolaSturGONE]

So only about 2 months til the final exams so starting a thread to discuss revision, exams etc.

Have any schools released details of easter revision classes yet? I've heard nothing from our school and don't know if they are doing any. If they aren't, I might look at what else is on offer over easter.

ds is a at uni now, but I remember the worry you are all feeling when he was revising for NAT5s/Highers.

One tip he found really helped was to have short study sessions. Leave his phone outside/other side of his room, do 30-40 mins of well focussed study maths/physics - walk the dog for 10-15 mins around the block (with the phone) - switch to an essay subject for 30-40 mins, repeat. His attention would wander when revising after 30-40 so he felt it better having a break outside then come back and restart on something else.

The only time he did long sessions for was timed past paper for practice.

Has anyone noticed the SQA have changed the exam arrangements for next year back to pre pandemic exam arrangements?

I'm just a bit worried that it will make the transition from N5 to Higher harder for DD if there's things that she hasn't had a chance to do in N5 due to the modifications

I think you're right to be concerned OP, the teachers I know (and I'm one) think it's a disastrous decision.

Failed my Higher Maths in 1989. Went on to get a good degree, have since done a Masters and am about to embark on a PhD.

Hasn't held me back. Maths is HARD.

Just read this, surprised they didnt introduce the elements back with next years NAT5 cohort and let this years complete the next stages Highers and/or AH school with the modifications. But it would be difficult to organise when you have pupils taking NAT5/Highers in S5/S6 too.

The assignments/coursework being reintroduced shouldnt be too bad as they will all be in the same boat if they didnt do at NAT5 before Higher and it is a very good skill to learn before either uni, college or many work places.

I would be worried about the huge step going from reduced content subjects such as maths NAT5 to full content Higher or AH, the grade boundaries will probably drop reflect the change, but I worry it will be kids in low performing schools that will struggle to step up to full content again.

Looks like the English folio is staying at one piece.

aw crap, I remember how hard H Maths was and that was a long time ago. I suppose it does make sense to lower the grade boundaries but whether they will actually do that remains to be seen.

Sorry, to clarify I didnt mean they would lower the grade boundaries because of the reintroductions. The grade boundaries are calculated every year based on how the cohort performs.

We are staying put. If they don’t study that will be on them. I don’t want them to be in a position where because we went away they couldn’t study and missed the grades they needed. My parents took us away on holiday just before my exams. I took books with me but if I could manage an hour a day I was lucky as my parents were never content to relax at the hotel. I didn’t do very well in my exams, who knows if I could have done better with another eight days of revision?

I will wake them up in the mornings and place low demands on them. And hope they are not watching films in their bedrooms.

My son is in s5, got 7 As at Nat 5 including band 1 in 4 of the 5 subjects he’s taking to Higher. Target grades are AAAAB with the B for chemistry after his prelim wasn’t great but we’ve got him a tutor for that and he got an A in the 2nd prelim type thing they had last week.

Ive heard about the proposal to move back to pre pandemic arrangements next year and am not that happy about it as I also have one in s3, so taking exams next year. Their secondary education has been impacted by Covid since before they even started high school.

I’ll be glad when the exams are over. My son had arranged to go away with a friend for a couple of days and then school announced Easter school. So he’ll be back to go to a couple and then there are more study sessions during the study leave anyway.

good luck all

DD is going to do one or two of the Easter revision days and the other days she will work with her tutors. She also has one for Chemistry after doing badly in the N5 prelim and also got an A in the second prelim thing. So here's hoping for the finals.

You have tutors every day??

I don't even know where to find tutors.

We've had a maths tutor, found him through a recommendation on local Facebook group. An hour a week. Ds has now pushed higher maths back a year but hey ho. He wouldn't have got this far without a tutor and hopefully it will make next year a bit easier.

And he's also doing a few sessions with a history tutor just on how to shape his essays a bit better and make sure he's getting maximum points. His essay skills are letting him down. Again a Facebook recommendation for a recently retired teacher who's doing a bit of tutoring.

Thank you, that is helpful

No, what I meant is that the school have finally decided to do some easter revision classes so she's going to some of them. She also has tutors for three subjects and has them once a week. I found them on the first tutors website.
I made sure to compare their rates but also made sure to book tutors who are actual teachers (not students) and currently practising in schools, and specifically Scottish schools!
I might keep the English tutor on for next year as she needs her English. We'll see how she does in the other Higher prelims before getting any other teachers.

I’m panicking more than DS I think.

Last year we worked out a revision method that worked really well. He picked up from Bs and Cs as predicted grades, to get straight As at N5 results.

The problem is, neither of us can now remember how he did it - how long he studied. what the schedule was, or what he did when he studied. We feel like we’ve lost the winning formula.

To be fair, at the start last year we didn’t even understand the format of the papers, so had a long way to go, whereas this year it is much clearer.

He’s worked steadily since autumn, so should do fine, but predicted are AABBB which he would like to turn into at least AAAAB.

Thinking 3 hours per day, as 3*1 hour slots for different subjects, with the biggest focus on the areas needing most improvement. We’ve got pretty detained feedback from teachers.

(just realised I sound like a helicopter parent, but he actively asks for the help and involvement)

I really struggle with the morals of current teaching staff working as tutors . It is greed nothing more unless they are offering individual time to students whose parents cannot afford their fees. I’d love to see one with the morals to provide free tutoring in local communities.
I ended a friendship due to this as they constantly saying how exhausted they were with work but were tutoring for three hours after school and three hours on a sat every week. When I asked about the ones who couldn’t afford I got a shrug.
Just my opinion

Teachers have always had the option to tutor - my DF was one 40/50 years ago! He charged £20ph which is only a little lower than current rates. Back then they didn't have school easter revision classes (free), bitesize (free), youtube (free) or community groups doing tutoring again for free, in the deprived areas of my LA.

Some parents pay for tutors.
Some parents buy study books.
Some parents utilize free resources like bitesize or youtube.
Some parents do a mixture of all the above.
Some parents believe study support is solely the school's responsibility.
Some parents leave their kids to figure it out themselves.
Some parents don't give a shit.

You parent however you want and I will do the same.
Whatever support your child(ren) have, I hope they do well.

I agree @giggly it is shit for kids whose parents can't afford tutors or can't be bothered to help.

But I don't know what the answer is. Selfish as it may be I'll keep doing everything I can for my kids.

Would you say it was greed if they supplemented their income working in a bar at nights?

Though I would get fed up with a friend on a reasonable income from their primary job complaining how tired they were all the time due to their evening job. And if I were their employer, or had a child in their class, I would be annoyed if this carried over into their principle job.

I think the proportion of teachers tutoring is very very small. My DC was offered help from all her teachers at lunch time/after school all of last term.

My child absolutely cracked maths because of the extra tuition he got from a maths teacher that gave up her lunchtimes. He went during his Nat 5 year (before Lockdown hit) and went from a disastrous 28% in a pre-prelim test to eventually getting an A at Advanced Higher. We couldn’t afford a tutor so that wasn’t an option and I’m not sure the pressure of having us pay would have sat well on his shoulders. That teacher was amazing and I’m forever grateful to her.

She also tutored my friends’ daughter who went to a more highly regarded ‘high achieving’ school (both State) and obviously got paid for her time. I don’t begrudge her at all for getting a bit of extra money from someone who could afford to pay because I know she was not sacrificing anything and the kids in her day job were getting the benefit of her excellent teaching too.

Ive got a DD going through Nat 5s now. 1st day of Easter Hols and she’s in school for 4 hours of supported study. I’m grateful to the dedicated teachers doing this. I’m assuming they’re getting paid? I certainly hope they are!

"You should aim to deliver the skills and knowledge associated with the assignment to ensure that candidates are prepared for future progression, however, you are free to decide on timing given that these skills will not be assessed as part of the 2022–23 course assessment."

"However, centres should continue to teach composing skills. It is important that candidates have opportunities to develop and demonstrate the required skills, knowledge and understanding from across the whole course, as outlined in the course specification. This will support them as they progress to the next stage in their learning."

"The assignment is removed. The development of practical skills in physics is a fundamental part of the course. The question paper contains a number of questions related to practical work and the skills associated with practical work. It is therefore important that teachers and lecturers continue to develop candidates’ practical skills, which are a feature of the National 5 course."

Quite a few of the modifications this year had these or similar comments, so hopefully even though the modifications were was not being assessed they were still being taught in some form. I can remember after ds completed his Higher maths exam 2 years ago they covered the topics that had not been assessed/taught before they switched to S6 content.

Only around 3 weeks til DDs first exam. Still a battle to get her to study and do past papers although did get her to do a maths past paper this morning which she found easy (maths is one of her strongest subjects). I need her to focus a bit more on the weakest ones though. She's falling into that tendency of focusing on the easiest ones for less hassle.