Every August the Scottish Qualifications Authority publishes the grades achieved by students in national qualifications - with the 2025 exams already underway and due to run until Monday 2 June.
However, less well known is the fact that the SQA also grades the teachers who mark the exams, reflecting their ability to consistently mark to the correct standard.
Now the grades assigned to markers by the SQA have been obtained by Tes Scotland, using freedom of information (FOI).
Variation in SQA grades for exam markers
The data shows significant variation by subject in the proportion of markers graded A in 10 of the Higher subjects with the biggest numbers of entries: English, maths, PE, history, chemistry, modern studies, physics, geography, human biology and biology.
Higher English markers are, according to the gradings, the most accurate.
For the past five years in which national exams were held - 2018 to 2024, factoring in the two-year Covid hiatus - the vast majority of Higher English markers were graded A, with 97 per cent obtaining an A in 2024.
Markers of English outperformed those in the other high-uptake subjects.
In 2024 Higher physics had the next highest proportion of markers graded A for accuracy, with 78 per cent obtaining the grade, followed by Higher biology with 77 per cent of markers graded A.
The proportion of markers graded A in the 10 high-uptake subjects can be seen below.
Higher modern studies is at the other end of the scale: last year 38 per cent of the 313 markers appointed by the SQA were graded A for their marking.
With the exception of 2019, modern studies has consistently had the lowest proportion of markers graded A when compared with the other popular Highers.
Modern studies teachers approached by Tes Scotland struggled to explain the relatively low proportion of A-graded markers - especially as other subjects in the social subjects family, such as history, show no similar pattern. The data shows 70 per cent of Higher history markers were graded A in 2024, with the lowest proportion receiving the grade in the subject over the past five years being 67 per cent in 2018.
Some modern studies teachers suggested that low pay might be putting more experienced teachers off marking. Others suggested that marking the Higher modern studies assignment - worth 27 per cent of the overall marks - could be “very difficult”.
One teacher, who did not wish to be named, said the approach taken to the modern studies assignment by schools across Scotland is inconsistent: most candidates write the assignment as a report, but many do an essay. They said that dealing with that as well as “the intricacies of awarding marks would be very challenging”.
The teacher also said that their experience of marking for the SQA - which they had done for over a decade, albeit at National 5 level - was that the national standard did change during the process, with feedback often contradicting “the ‘national standard’ that was set out in the initial marker meeting”.
They added: “This then creates confusion among markers as to what the ‘standard’ is, leading to inconsistent marking.”
In 2024, when the Higher history pass rate dropped by 13 percentage points, there were accusations from some teachers and markers that the standard had changed, with some topics being marked “more harshly”. However, an SQA investigation found that a poor standard of responses from students was to blame.
‘National standard remains the same’
The SQA, responding to the FOI data uncovered by Tes Scotland, said there may be changes to the national standard annually as cohorts change but “the national standard remains the same unless there are significant changes to the course specification”.
The SQA - which is due to be replaced this autumn by a new body called Qualifications Scotland - said it recognised that “there are particular challenges in setting and applying standards in disciplines with subjective content”, such as modern studies.
A spokesperson said it had established procedures to help mitigate these challenges, including principal assessors and their teams marking a sample of candidate responses to illustrate the standard before marking begins.
Events are also held, it said, “to help build a shared and strong applied in SQA’s external assessments” and marker feedback is used to improve marking instructions, training and support.
The spokesperson said that in 2024 there was an increase in new markers for modern studies, as well as the return to full course assessment. This “could account for a lower proportion of ‘A markers’”.
They added that “’B markers’ are also considered to be marking within the accepted standards and tolerances, but may be either slightly more harsh or lenient than the agreed mark by senior appointees”.
The SQA said: “Only ‘C markers’ are not marking to standard/within tolerances.”
In 2024 there were 313 markers appointed by the SQA to mark Higher modern studies. In total, 120 were graded A (38 per cent), 179 graded B (57 per cent) and 14 graded C (5 per cent).
According to the SQA, markers “are graded ‘C’ when they have shown significant severity, leniency or inconsistency, such that their allocation of scripts is re-marked or partially re-marked”.
Of the 10 high-uptake Higher subjects that the Tes Scotland FOI focused on, Higher maths had the highest number of markers graded C - 22, or 5 per cent of the total number.
Meanwhile, Higher physics had the highest proportion of markers graded C - 6 per cent (13 markers).
Subjects where all markers received an A
Looking beyond the 10 high-uptake subjects, Tes Scotland asked the SQA to name the Higher subjects with the highest proportion of markers graded A and the highest proportion of makers graded C overall.
In 2024 there were 20 Higher subjects for which all markers were graded A.
Meanwhile, across all Higher subjects, drama had the highest proportion of markers graded C, with 20 per cent receiving the grade.
The SQA appointed 45 markers to mark Higher drama: 26 were graded A (58 per cent); 10 were graded B (22 per cent); and 9 were graded C (20 per cent)
The 20 subjects where all markers were graded A included low-uptake subjects, such as the Gaelic-language geography, history, modern studies and maths Highers. Just three or four markers were appointed for each qualification and all were graded A.
All markers appointed to mark Higher applications of maths were graded A (65 in total) - as were all markers of Highers in environmental science (38), English for speakers of other languages (38), Cantonese (36), Mandarin (simplified and traditional, both with 36 markers), economics (28), care (25), German (24), Italian (20), childcare and development (18), Gaelic (learners and speakers, 16 and 20 markers respectively), Urdu (16), Latin (12) and dance (10).
The SQA spokesperson said: “Grading of markers is a key part of our quality-assurance processes to ensure marking is consistent with the national standard. Variations in marker grading are seen every year and allow us to focus these quality assurance processes.
“It is important to see marker grading in the wider context of how the standard is set, standardised, exemplified and understood, along with these quality-assurance procedures around the marking process to ensure fairness for learners.”
For the latest in Scottish education delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for Tes’ The Week in Scotland newsletter
