New Scottish Exam Body Promises ‘Fundamental’ Changes

Qualifications Scotland (QS) has now formally replaced SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority) as the new governing body for examinations and qualifications in Scotland.

This week they provided details of plans for key reviews of all qualifications.

Chief Examiner, Donna Stewart told STV the new body was “looking at reform in terms of reviewing all the qualifications we have in our portfolio”.

“We’re looking across that and making sure that the qualifications that sit in our portfolio are absolutely fit for purpose in a modern and flourishing Scotland.”

The SQA was scrapped last year after a 28 year existence. Throughout this, the SQA was subject to numerous controversies, notably during the pandemic.

For instance, in 2020,following the cancellation of all examinations and the announcement that grades would be determined based on estimates and prelims, the SQA downgraded the grades of over 74,000 pupils, which resulted in heavy criticism from politicians, teachers, and pupils across the country.

More recently, in 2024, an estimated 7000 pupils received blank emails with no grades listed on them.

In 2025, the organisation received further criticism for reportedly scheduling multiple exams too close to each other, leading to a revised schedule which many considered to be even worse than the original.

The number of controversies associated with the SQA over the years bolstered the demand for a reform.

As stated on their website, further reforms QS plan to make, beside reviewing all qualifications include;

• A New Governance model centred on learners and teachers

As set out in the Education (Scotland) Act 2025, QS will set up two new committees; the ‘learner interest committee’ and a ‘teacher and practitioner interest committee.’

They intend to work with these comitteees to produce a learner and educator charter, so expectations are made clear.

A ‘school partnership team’ has also been set up to “strenghten how (QS) support schools, learners, and educators.”

• ‘Renewed focus on equality and inclusion.’

This reform will rise out of the learner charter. QS intends to consult young people and parents to help develop the charter, which will include learners wil additional support needs.

Although the organisation was only officially dissolved at the beginning of December, the plans for it’s replacement date back to June 2021, after the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) stated that there was too much of a focus on exams when it came to dictating the capabilities of students.

Chief Examiner Donna Stewart has stated that QS  has been considering no longer offering qualifications for subjects with a “low uptake”, with the exception of Gaelic.

No changes will even be implemented until 2031. The only alteration made to the exams would be reduced lengths.

Stuart had previously stated in March 2025 that:

‘We are working our backsides off to make things different’ In relation to the development of the new organisation.

Multiple staff who previously were employed at the SQA have been transferred over to the new agency, causing many around the country to claim that the change is nominal, questioning the point of the supposedly “new” organisation.

Further updates on QS’s plans for the future of examinations in Scotland are likely soon to come, but whether the organisation will truly follow through with their promised changes remains yet to be seen.

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