Education / Shetlanders receive exam results
MORE THAN 600 students across the isles received their Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) results this morning (Tuesday).
Pupils in secondary four to six, and some college students, should know their grades for National, Higher and Advanced Higher courses.
They were sent out by first class post, but there was also the option to receive results at exactly 8am via text and email.
Last year was the first time students completed formal exams since 2019, due to disruption from the pandemic.
The qualifications authority is still taking a “sensitive approach” to marking because of the lingering effects of lockdown.
The National 5 A-C pass rate for Shetland is 82 per cent. In 2022, this was 86.6 percent. The national average this year is 78.8 per cent.
The A-C pass rate for Shetland at Higher is 76.7 per cent. In 2022, this figure was 79.5 per cent. This year, overall average is 77.1 per cent.
The A-C pass rate for Advanced Highers in Shetland is 79.3 per cent. Last year, this was 88.2 per cent. The Scottish average this year is 79.8 per cent.
The pass rate for National 4 is 84.5 per cent and National 3 is 80.8 per cent.
Recently turned 17-year-old Ava Priest finished S5 at the Anderson High School before the summer holidays.
“I was nervous before getting my results because it determines that uni and courses I apply to in the following year,” she explained.
“There were some subjects I was more confident in than others depending on the exam paper.”
She received four As in Higher Chemistry, French, History and Maths and a B for Higher English.
Priest plans to stay at the high school for sixth year and go on to university.
Sophie Tait, 18 and from Sandwick, has completed her final year also at the AHS.
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Tait was awarded an A for Higher Accounts, a B for Advanced Higher Maths and a C in Advanced Higher Spanish.
She told Shetland News: “I was relatively nervous before getting my results because I had to get at least one B at advanced higher and an A at Higher to go to my first choice of uni.
“I had managed to get that in my prelims which gave me a bit more confidence, but I was still quite nervous.”
She had a conditional offer for studying Spanish and Maths at the University of Glasgow – her results mean she meets the conditions and she’ll be heading down south next month.
Catherine Hughson, vice chair of the SIC’s education and families committee said: “I’d like to congratulate all the pupils on their achievements.
“I would like to thank all the teachers, head teachers and support staff who have helped prepare our young people for exams this year and who have provided them with the health and wellbeing support to help them achieve their potential despite the weather and other disruptions during a critical time in their learning”.
If students have any questions or concerns, they can find out how to get support here.
Meanwhile, Shetland’s branch of Developing the Young Workforce have launched their #NoWrongPath campaign to show different routes into careers.
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