• Text size
  • Send this article to a friend
  • Print this article

Exam system questioned as pass rates hit new high

TENS of thousands of pupils across Scotland will today celebrate record exam results, reigniting the debate over the value of school exams.

marked improvement: Scots school pupils achieved an overall pass rate of 75.2% in their Highers this year. Picture: Colin Mearns
marked improvement: Scots school pupils achieved an overall pass rate of 75.2% in their Highers this year. Picture: Colin Mearns
Custom byline text: 
Andrew Denholm Education Correspondent

As candidates across the country receive their results through the post, Scotland’s exam body announced that Advanced Higher, Higher and Intermediate pass rates had all risen to their highest levels.

Figures from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) show the overall pass rate for Highers reached 75.2% after a 0.5 percentage point rise -- the highest figure since 2000, when the exam system was changed.