Jedburgh Grammar School

Understanding the New National

Qualifications
M. Armstrong and P. Macklin

What is changing?
SCQF Level

New national
qualifications

Replaces

Previous national qualifications

1 and 2

Nat 1 and 2

>

Access 1 and 2

Nat 3

>

Access 3 and standard grade

(foundation level)

Nat 4

>

Standard grade (General level)

and Intermediate 1

Nat 5

>

Standard grade(credit level) and

intermediate 2

Higher (new)

>

Higher

Advanced higher (new) >

- next year

Advanced higher

How will they be assessed?

National 4 Courses will be made up of Units,
including an Added Value Unit. In order to
achieve a Course at National 4, learners will
need to pass all Units plus an Added Value
Unit assessment. The National 4 Added Value
Unit assessment will be set and marked by the
school.

 National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher

Courses will also include Units that are
assessed and marked by the school.
In order to achieve a Course at National 5,
Higher or Advanced Higher, learners must pass
all Units plus a Course assessment (Course
assessments will continue to be externally
marked by SQA ) and in some cases a final
exam in May (again marked by the SQA).

How will they be graded?

All Courses will continue to contain Units that is marked
throughout the year by teachers and lecturers as it is at
present. These Units will be assessed as 'pass' or 'fail' as is
the case with current qualifications.
Courses at National 2, National 3 and National 4 will not be
graded, but assessed as 'pass' or 'fail'.
Courses at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher will be
graded A to D, or 'No Award'.
If a learner does not achieve a Course assessment at
National 4, National 5, Higher or Advanced Higher, they will
still receive credit for any Units they have achieved at that
level.

Recognising Positive Achievement

For the scenario of a candidate passing all the
Nat 5 units but failing the end exam (band 8/9
or no award) a Nat 4 award could be obtained
by JGS staff remarking the course assessment
against the Nat 4 Added value unit criteria. If
all the National 4 criteria are achieved
(sometimes with additional input from the
pupil) JGS can inform SQA before early
September and a National 4 award can be
given to the candidate.

SQA assessments at JGS

The Course assessment, Added Value Unit,
Unit assessments plus in some subjects
practical exams are completed under strict
SQA conditions during the school year. A
calendar of these key dates has been sent
home and it is essential that the pupil is
present on these dates to ensure the best
chance of success. Failure in completing all
these assessment will result in pupils not
achieving an overall course award!!!!

Thank you for listening