2025 SQA Exams

[Issy422]

With SQA exams starting tomorrow, is it time for a general exam thread?

It's just DD for me, doing Nat 5s. My first 'anxious parent for formal exams' experience. Starts with Music on Monday and ends with Art & Design on 26th, so we've exams throughout. Study leave not started here so first exam is on first day of study leave. She's over revision already so going to be a long 5 weeks.

yes good luck to everyone sitting modern studies tomorrow - also includes DC. Last exam for us. May the exam gods be kind

We are down to just one DC with an exam still to do (biology).

DS thought Nat5 Business management yesterday went ok. Modern studies today and that's him all done.

Good luck to everyone today and next week.

Higher modern studies here today and apparently it went very well and was a good paper. That’s us done for another year! Good luck to everyone with DC who aren’t quite finished yet - this exam diet seems to have gone on forever!!!

Done here too, after a positive modern studies exam. Can’t believe it’s all over, what a relief. Sending big good luck vibes to those still going.

Good to hear H Modern was a good paper. DD texted Nat 5 was 😬. When I asked her to explain I got ooo. She was heading for an A, but thinks she'll scrape a C. She ran out of time. As you've seen from Maths, she does tend to be pessimistic though, so here's hoping it went better than she thinks.

Still Art on Monday to go.

Ah same here @Issy422 DS though modern was harder than the prelim which he got an A in. he hopes he's passed and got a C. anything else a bonus.

on a side note Im in the west D & G too. I saw your post on another post-is it ok to say that? I'm new to this site. Apologies if not. DS at Str.Ac

If they both think the same, then hopefully grade boundaries will change. I noticed some familiar names on the other thread too. DD is not at same school as your DS, she's at the other one.

Thanks Issy. hope I didn't say too much. My boss lives in NS. As you say, hopefully the grade boundaries will be reflected in the paper. I think my DS fell into the trap of 'oh modern is so easy!' which everyone seems to say. I'm sure it really isn't

For my ds nat5 modern hasn’t been an easy subject at all. He considers it one of the most difficult. The way the questions can be completely random and the marking system seems really confusing. Not sure if it just isn’t taught well at his school. Have no idea really how he will have done in the exam today

We had both Higher and Nat 5 Mods today, seems to have gone ok but DD2 (doing Nat 5) has said that for them all so who knows…..
That’s DD1 done, Nat 5 Biology next week for DD2 and that’s us done!

So who's still got DC doing exams next week?

Monday - Art, Health & Food Tech
Tuesday - Biology, Human Biology
Wednesday - Mandarin, Cantonese, Environmental Science, Statistics, Classical Studies
Thursday - Italian, Latin, ESOL, Fashion & Textile Tech
Friday - RMPS

Just Nat 5 Art for DD.

Higher Modern Studies was apparently a dream paper. Everything DC wanted came up. So we are now very relieved and happy that the exams are over.

sprung a small post exam surprise with the news that we are off on a short trip to Rome tomorrow. Left it as a surprise to keep the focus on the exams!

AH biology for DS last one here.

Took DD out for the day today (after a lie in, so out for the afternoon might be more accurate). So lovely just relaxing.

Dd had higher Art on Monday. Her last exam and that’s her finished 6th Year.
For us it also means no more children at school, so no more arriving late texts or school uniform.

Our DC have had very similar exam timetables! Nat5 art on Monday then we are done! not much studying done if you ask me but I’m assured the teacher has given them the right resources and prelim mark was high… I’m nervous!

Just an agonising wait till August!

DD thought modern studies was hard today, she got an A at prelim not expecting that for today's paper. A few of her friends didn't finish the paper as they ran out of time, this was a first as they've always finished with plenty of time in the rest.
DD still has biology and RMPS to go exam fatigue is truly setting in, I thought having her exams spread out was a good thing but she has definitely lost the enthusiasm to study she had at the start - roll on next Saturday!

DD said Nat 5 Modern had oddly worded questions and all the topics that you don't expect to come up did, though thankfully she had revised them. She just got to the end of the paper, but didn't have time to go back to a question she hadn't answered (because she didn't understand it).

The exam fatigue is very real. DD had so many tests and prelims, plus the assessments that counted for the Nat5 during the year, she was fed up of them before the real exams even started.

The assessments are a real issue. They seem to take up so much time often producing several drafts, and all as prescribed as the exam answers are.

I don't know if it's a Scottish thing, a change over the years or just DD's school, but the difference between S1/S2 and S3/S4 in terms of pressure was huge for DD. It was standard when I was at secondary school in the 80s (and when I taught in England in the 90s) to have weekly homework in every subject and a week of exams, just in class, at the end of every term (or might have been half term). DD had hardly any homework (though when they did get it, it often had to be done overnight) and they didn't have anywhere near as many tests in S1/S2. Then suddenly, they hit S3 and there's constant testing, but staggered, not all together, so the pressure never drops and they don't learn how to revise for multiple subjects at the same time. DD's first experience of that was the S4 prelims that were done in exam conditions over two weeks.

I wonder whether end of term testing from S1 is better prep for Nat 5s? And there might not be such a need for the constant testing in S3, which seemed mainly aimed at deciding whether they did Nat4 or Nat5 in S4 (at least in DD's head).

Still, the English system is now horrific pressure from primary school onwards, so I'm glad we got out of that and moved here for P4 onwards.

I had exams, in the hall, every year in secondary (also England) but not at the end of every term. We did get regular tests though. My nieces in England now don’t get annual exams, though my friend’s DC at private school in Scotland do. I do think it is good to have experience of how exams work before prelims.

There doesn’t seem to have been much homework here. I remember having to do it nearly every night. DD has had a maths tutor who set her an hour or two every week but I don’t think her school maths teacher has set any in the last two years!

Im sorry to hear that mods has been tricky. DD didn’t do it but lots of her friends have said the same. Totally agree about the gaps @Willowback Biology is last here on Tuesday and it will have been 13 days since the one before. Thought it would be good but it’s had a huge impact on morale and motivation. I feel sorry for those with RMPS on Friday who will have a weekend before starting S5/6. That’s tough as others have had lots of time off. I know last year S5 at DD’s school hit the ground running with essays and tests for highers before the summer break!

Not even the weekend here @Locallassie, they have S5/6 induction on Friday, so they'll be straight out the exam and in to that. Do feel sorry for them.

That’s absolutely rotten. Why on earth would school think that was a good idea?

Art on Monday is our last one here. Can’t wait. Like a few others it been a long haul since the previous exam so motivation is waning. She’s looking forward to a few relaxing days off before S6.
the end is in sight everyone!