Qualifications and Assessment Review: consultation analysis

Gathering evidence on achievements, awards and qualifications

Section 3 of the consultation outlined the variety of learning and assessment experiences involved in Senior Phase qualifications. Topics presented include the balance between internal and external assessment, final or end-of-year exams, and continuous assessment.

Exams and other forms of assessment

Q4: Please share your thoughts on what a 'better balanced' assessment system would look like. As well as considering the balance between external examination and internal assessment you may also wish to comment on the frequency of examinations.

Overview of responses

Many respondents (660) answered Q4 with their views on creating a better balanced assessment system. Responses mainly focussed on two facets of the current assessment system: the emphasis on a final exam and the use of external examination.

While some respondents noted that the terms 'exams' and 'external assessments' are not interchangeable, it is unclear if all respondents used the terminology this way, or to mean the same thing. For consistency, we have treated the two terms separately.

Types of assessment

There was no clear consensus on what a better balanced assessment system would look like. Many respondents favoured a mixture of continuous assessments or smaller, more regular tests and exams. This included mixed views on the weighting between regular assessments and final exams, including the need for different weightings to be used depending on course level, e.g. Higher vs Advanced Higher. There was acknowledgement that some courses currently take continuous assessment into consideration alongside exams, such as Higher and Advanced Higher English, and there was mixed preference without clear consensus as to whether those courses should be kept as is or changed.

Eliminating end-of-year exams entirely was also requested by many, who supported more regular or continuous assessment as an alternative. Others supported more, smaller tests, occurring at regular intervals, such as end of term, end of topic, monthly or weekly. Others advocated for assessments based on alternative formats, as described below.

Several respondents argued that exams are a poor measure of learners' abilities. They pointed out that there was potential to underperform on the day or that learners may be affected by anxiety that hinders their performance. Others also mentioned wellbeing and were concerned that the weight of final exams may cause undue stress on learners. The negative impacts of teaching learners with the sole aim of passing the exam, rather than developing a deep understanding of a subject, were also raised.

"Having that amount of stress and pressure means that it hinders some students and the way they answer the questions." – Learner/teacher/school

Conversely, the current exam structure was supported by some respondents who felt exams are fair, that qualifications are valued, and that final exams allow students to gain a recognised qualification. A few others noted that exams prepare students for university, test memory and provide an experience of stress that reflect real life experiences.

"I think external exams maintain credibility and equity." - Individual

Suggested assessment improvements

Several respondents suggested or recommended using a variety of alternative types of assessment. These included: open book exams, oral exams, practical assessments, group projects, longer-term projects, multiple choice assessments, and support for creating portfolios to assess work produced over extended time periods. Digital or online exams were highlighted as a way to manage workload and ensure consistency in marking.

The idea that assessment type should depend on the course, subject or the learner's educational pathway was suggested by several respondents. This included alternative assessment such as project-based for specific courses including practical subjects like STEM, arts, or home economics, or entirely exam based for others such as maths. A few respondents noted this would aid transition to higher education, as university courses tend to mark based on a few factors, including but not limited to exams. In contrast, a few respondents mentioned wanting all courses to follow the same assessment procedures.

"More ongoing assessment - particularly in practical subjects would ease the pressure of the one-day exam system and perhaps demonstrate abilities and skills in a more relevant way." - Individual

The frequency of exams was mentioned by some respondents. This included a preference for less frequent exams over S4-S6, i.e. two rather than three exams over the three years, as highlighted in Professor Gordon Stobart's 2021 OECD report. A few highlighted the intensity of the exam diet, suggesting there was insufficient time between exams, whether internal or external, to allow students to learn, study or have moments of less stress.

The lack of a Nat4 exam was highlighted by some respondents as especially problematic. They expressed a preference for an exam, suggesting that the lack of an exam has devalued the course in the eyes of employers and left students unprepared for Nat5 if they were to continue. This was mentioned most often in relation to Nat4 Maths.

Internal or external assessments

A combination of internal and external assessments was supported by several respondents. Although there was no clear preference for any one weighting, respondents provided a range of ideal weightings between the two assessment types.

Some respondents supported external assessment in general, and for a variety of different external assessment types, such as exams, projects, and portfolios. This was primarily because external assessments were seen as unbiased and help to uphold national standards.

Several respondents highlighted concerns about the consistency and equity of using internal assessments alone. Some felt it devalued a qualification as it would mean marking lacked national consistency and was open to marking bias.

"Assessment should be a good balance of continuous internal assessment and external assessment." – Windsor Park School and Sensory Service

"Internal assessment can be effective, but as Covid demonstrated can result in significant inconsistencies and is incredibly time consuming." - Individual

A small number of respondents highlighted the impact of internal assessment on particular groups, such as BME learners, due to the possible biases of teachers and racial stereotyping. Comments cited the review of predicted grades in Scotland during the Coronavirus pandemic which showed that BME learners had lower levels of over-estimation than peers from white ethnic groups.

"Teacher involvement in the setting of predicted grades in Scotland during the Coronavirus pandemic provides some insight into this. Learners from every ethnic group, on average, experienced over-estimated grades compared with actual performance within their group in previous years. With the exception of African, Caribbean and Black young people, however, every BME group of learners had lower levels of over-estimation than peers from white ethnic groups. This puts those from white ethnic groups at a relative advantage, as their attainment has been artificially raised to a greater extent." - Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER)

"If Scotland is to move forward with more formative assessment relying on coursework marked by teachers, how will we ensure that racial bias (and other forms of bias) does not affect grades? Estimated grades for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic learners are often lower than actual grades for blind-marked exams." - A working group of anti-racist organisations and education stakeholders: Education Leadership and Professional Learning subgroup of the Scottish Government's Race Equality and Anti-Racism in Education Programme.

Regarding internal assessments, some were concerned about the extra pressure it would put on teachers in terms of time and resources required to mark assessments.

Some respondents highlighted the importance of consistency when using internal assessments and provided best practices and opinions on how to ensure equity in marking. These included external moderation, SQA training for teachers, anonymised assignments, and national/standard resources for all assignments. A few supported internal assessments as they rely on teachers' professional judgements, with others noting that we should trust teachers.

Other themes

Themes mentioned by a few respondents each included:

• General suggestions to improve exams, such as having greater flexibility with resits, allowing students to decide when to sit the exams, and providing more 'exit points' for qualifications to increase inclusivity.
• Disadvantages using a portfolio or coursework for assessment, particularly that it might not be the work of a learner who could have been assisted by technology, parents, or tutors.
• Disadvantages of exams on specific groups, such as neurodiverse students, and that exams may increase the poverty-related and gender-related attainment gaps.
• A recommendation to include non-academic skills and attribute in assessments, such as class participation, social skills, and behaviours.
• A suggestion to bring back the Standard Grade exam structure.