The next generation of National Qualifications
The next generation of National Qualifications have a key role to play in helping to deliver the values, purposes and principles of Curriculum for Excellence. They will help towards the aim of raising standards of achievement and improving learning experiences. Young people and adult learners will benefit from qualifications that support the curriculum rather than lead it and will experience a better planned, better connected and more progressive educational experience. Assessment approaches will promote breadth and depth of understanding, motivate and challenge learners and ensure that their transition into qualifications is smooth. The new qualifications will equip Scotland's young people and adult learners with the skills for learning, life and work as well as the knowledge and understanding they need for the challenges of 21st Century society.
National Qualifications at SCQF levels 4 and 5
The new qualifications at SCQF levels 4 and 5, National 4 and National 5, will replace Standard Grade General and Credit and Intermediate 1 and 2 qualifications. The new qualifications are designed to reflect the values, purposes and principles of Curriculum for Excellence and to develop skills for learning, life and work. The qualifications will offer increased flexibility, provide more time for learning, more focus on skills and applying learning, and more scope for personalisation.
The qualifications are designed to meet the needs of all learners in progressing from their prior levels of achievement in their broad general education, through the qualifications framework to other learning and employment. Approaches to assessment will be more closely linked to learning. Good practice which reduces the time spent on assessment for certification will be encouraged.
Courses will comprise a number of contributing units and coursework. There will be a new type of unit with an increased emphasis on skills development. There will be flexibility in the number of units in courses across curriculum areas. Decisions about the number of units in each course will take account of the overall assessment load. Units will be assessed by teachers using SQA assessments and quality assurance processes. Schools and colleges will be able to devise their own assessments if they wish. Success in the contributing units will be mandatory in order to achieve the course award. As far as possible, assessments will be designed to provide evidence of achievement of units and coursework. It will also be possible to assess units individually for those learners not taking courses.
National 4 courses will be assessed by teachers through coursework assessment. This will draw upon skills and knowledge developed across the course to provide challenging and motivating tasks for young people and adult learners. There will be no external assessment or grading at this level, but coursework will be assessed by teaching staff using SQA assessments and quality assurance processes to ensure maintenance of national standards.
National 5 courses will be assessed by a combination of coursework assessed by teaching staff and by an external SQA assessment (an examination, where appropriate). The external SQA assessment will require the learner to apply and/or integrate skills, knowledge and understanding. The external assessment will be graded.
National Qualifications at Access, Higher and Advanced Higher
National Qualifications at Access, Higher and Advanced Higher levels will be revised to ensure that they reflect the values, purposes and principles of Curriculum for Excellence. SQA will carry out further work to review National Qualifications at other levels to ensure that they provide good progression to and from National 4 and National 5.
The new and revised qualifications will be introduced from school year 2013/14 onwards.