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Encyclopedia > Higher (Scottish)

In Scotland the Higher is one of the national school-leaving certificate exams and university entrance qualifications of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate (SQC) offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority which superseded the old Higher Grade on the Scottish Certificate of Education (SCE). Most people refer to both simply as "Highers". (For information on the lower SCE grade see Standard Grade.) Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1. ... The Scottish Qualifications Certificate (SQC) is the successor to the Scottish Certificate of Education in Scotland, and is the main educational qualification awarded to students in secondary and further education. ... The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Executive responsible for the development, accreditation, assessment and certification of qualifications other than degrees in Scotland. ... The Scottish Certificate of Education (or SCE) was a Scottish secondary education certificate, used in schools from 1951 until the late 1990s. ... Standard Grades are Scotlands educational qualifications for students aged around 15-16 years. ...


The Higher is Level 6 on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework. SCQF Logo The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) is the national credit transfer system for all levels of qualifications in Scotland. ...

Contents

History

Higher Grade

SCE Higher Grade was the historical terminal exam for the majority of Scottish secondary school students, especially those seeking work in skilled industries or progress onto higher education. They are usually taken in the 5th Year of secondary school (often referred to as S5, and entered at age 15 or 16). It was introduced in 1970(?) and progressed on from the SCE Ordinary Grade. Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1. ... High school - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The University of Cambridge is an institute of higher learning. ... High school - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... The Scottish Certificate of Education or SCE was introduced in Scotland in 1951, replacing the older School Certificate (SC) and Higher School Certificate (HSC), and was the Scottish equivalent of the General Certificate of Education or GCE, used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland . ...


Students studied for one academic year (in practice two terms - Winter and Spring), sitting exams in the May of S5. The majority of courses were examined by written papers with practical work present in subjects such as Art and Design.


There existed a further extension qualification, the Certificate of Sixth Year Studies, which was awarded on a separate certificate. CSYS - Certificate for Sixth Year studies. ...


Revision

In 1992 a new series of Revised Higher Grade courses was put in place. When listed on the SCE the subject name would be followed by (Revised). 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... The Scottish Certificate of Education (or SCE) was a Scottish secondary education certificate, used in schools from 1951 until the late 1990s. ...


The revision process changed the curriculum content and the method of examination with the majority of Higher Grade courses changing to two terminal papers with a coursework element. Paper A was a short answer question paper and Paper B required longer, more in-depth answers. Coursework could account for anything from 20% (English) to 60% (Computing Studies) of the final mark. English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, India, South Africa, and the Middle East, among other areas), English linguistics (including English phonetics, phonology, syntax, morphology, semantics...


By 1996 Scottish Higher Education Institutions were generally only accepting Revised Higher Grade for entry, except where a student was classed as a Mature Student (aged over 25).


Higher Still

Main Articles see Scottish Qualifications Authority and Higher Still

In 1999, a new style of Higher examination system was introduced in Scotland. "Higher Still" was designed to link the most basic examination offered by the SQA (Access 3) with the most difficult one (Advanced Higher) on a continuous "ladder of achievement". At the end of each unit (each about 40 hours long) students sit a very basic competency test, an Internal Assessment. All three must be passed (with two or less attempts) or the student will not be awarded that Higher, even if they Ace the final exam. A common misconception is that failing an Internal Assessment prevents you from taking the final examination. The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Executive responsible for the development, accreditation, assessment and certification of qualifications other than degrees in Scotland. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1. ... The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is the authority which issues examination papers and awards examination results to students in Scotland. ... The Advanced Higher is a non-compulsory qualification which forms part of the Scottish secondary education system. ...


The system was criticised at the time as objections were placed with regards to the modularisation of subjects such as English and Art which require an accumulation of critical and productive skills over a full year rather than the passing of discrete modules, which was seen as a system much better suited to scientific subjects. The educational system seems to have adapted.


Higher became Level 6 on the SCQF and is now a National Course, and a component of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate. The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) is the national credit transfer system for all levels of qualifications in Scotland. ... The Scottish Qualifications Certificate (SQC) is the successor to the Scottish Certificate of Education in Scotland, and is the main educational qualification awarded to students in secondary and further education. ...


Marking fiasco

Main Article see SQA exams fiasco

The new system was not entirely successful, however, and 2000 saw a marking fiasco that cost the head of the authority his job and severely damaged the career of the Education Minister, Sam Galbraith. Thousands of students received incorrect or late results, leading to difficulties both for the students, UCAS (the University and Colleges Admissions Service), and Higher Education Institutions, as many students did not receive accurate exam results until after the universities' academic year had started. In 2000, the new Higher Grade examination system in Scotland, through a mixture of incompetence and genuine bad luck, ground to a complete halt resulting in administrative chaos and misery for thousands of students. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... In 2000, the new Higher Grade examination system in Scotland, through a mixture of incompetence and genuine bad luck, ground to a complete halt resulting in administrative chaos and misery for thousands of students. ... Sam Galbraith is a Scottish Labour politician and former member of Parliament. ... New UCAS logo, as of 2006 UCAS (Universities & Colleges Admissions Service, pronounced YOU-kass, IPA: ) is a clearing house for applications for virtually all undergraduate degree programmes at British universities or colleges. ... Educational oversight Minister for Education and Young People Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Scottish Executive Peter Peacock   Nicol Stephen National education budget £4. ...


As a result, for a while Revised Highers qualifications were considered superior to the new National Qualifications. With many schools refusing to implement Higher Still when it was introduced (particularly in subjects such as English, which was frequently taken as a Revised Higher as late as 2001, due to both the administrative problems and the modularisation objection). Recently, this situation has settled down and both styles of Higher are now considered equivalent).


Current courses

All NQ Higher subjects follow the same modular structure and grading system. It is a common mistake to confuse vocational Higher National Courses (HNC) with NQ Higher courses.


The following is a list of courses currently available at Higher level:

It has been suggested that Accounting scholarship be merged into this article or section. ... Look up Administration in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... ... Biology (from Greek βίος λόγος, see below) is the branch of science dealing with the study of life. ... The structure of insulin Biotechnology is a technology based on biology, especially when used in agriculture, food science, and medicine. ... Management (from Old French ménagement the art of conducting, directing, from Latin manu agere to lead by the hand) characterises the process of leading and directing all or part of an organization, often a business, through the deployment and manipulation of resources (human, financial, material, intellectual or intangible). ... The Falkirk Wheel in Scotland. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... Originally, the word computing was synonymous with counting and calculating, and a science and technology that deals with the original sense of computing mathematical calculations. ... Cranes are essential in large construction projects, such as this skyscraper In project architecture and civil engineering, construction is the building or assembly of any infrastructure on a site. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Face-to-face trading interactions among on the New York Stock Exchange trading floor Economics, as a social science, studies human choice behavior and how it effects the production, distribution, and consumption of scarce resources. ... Electrical Engineers design power systems… … and complex electronic circuits. ... The field of electronics comprises the study and use of systems that operate by controlling the flow of electrons (or other charge carriers) in devices such as thermionic valves and semiconductors. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ... Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... For other senses of this word, see history (disambiguation). ... Information Systems is the discipline concerned with the development, use, application and influence of information systems. ... Land use is the pattern of construction and activity land is used for. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Euclid, Greek mathematician, 3rd century BC, known today as the father of geometry; shown here in a detail of The School of Athens by Raphael. ... The W16 engine from a Bugatti Veyron Mechanical engineering is a very broad field of engineering that involves the application of physical principles for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. ... Mechatronics is the synergistic combination of mechanical engineering (mecha for mechanisms), electronic engineering (tronics for electronics), and software engineering. ... Media studies is an area of scholarly inquiry approached from both humanities and social science perspectives that considers the nature and effects of mass media upon individuals and society, as well as analysing actual media content and representations. ... Modern Studies is a subject taught in Secondary Schools in Scotland. ... Music is a form of art and entertainment or other human activity that involves organized and audible sounds and silence. ... Personal and Social Education (PSE) is a component of the state school curriculum in Wales. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Physical instruction at the U.S. Naval Training Station, Newport, RI, 1917 In most educational systems, physical education (PE), also called physical training (PT) or gym in less progressive settings, is a course in the curriculum which utilizes learning in the cognitive, affective and psycho motor domains in a play... The first few hydrogen atom electron orbitals shown as cross-sections with color-coded probability density. ... Politics is a process by which decisions are made within groups. ... Industrial Design is an applied art whereby the aesthetics and usability of products may be improved. ... Psychology is an academic and applied field involving the study of the human mind, brain, and behavior. ... Religious Education is the term given to the aspect of education concerned with religion. ... Social interactions and their consequences are the subject of sociology. ...

Structure

As a result of the Higher Still reforms, every Higher course now consists of:

  • A compulsory core which all candidates must complete
  • Optional elements which a candidate and/or centre choose to study
  • Three progress exams, commonly referred to as a NAB (for National Assessment Bank, from which these exams are selected by teachers). These are assessed by a centre and moderated by the SQA
  • Coursework which candidates complete in parallel to other studies
  • A terminal exam which candidates sit once they have achieved sufficiently well in the progress exams - it is the final examination which determines the grade and level of pass.

// Definition of assessment Assessment is the process of documenting, usually in measurable terms, knowledge,skills, attitudes and beliefs. ... Moderation is the process of eliminating or lessening extremes. ... The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is the authority which issues examination papers and awards examination results to students in Scotland. ...

Grades

Higher examinations, in common with all National Qualification levels, have 5 grades: A, B, C, D and No Award. A, B and C all indicate that the candidate has achieved the Higher, with D representing a "first fail" where a candidate just failed to achieve sufficiently to move from Intermediate 2, the next level down, and No Award represently no attainment (0 to 44% on a Standardised Scale). On standardised mark scales, a D-grade represents scores of 45-49%. Furethermore, each is given tarrif points towards the UCAS system. Intermediate 2 is an educational qualification in Scotland on the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) Scottish Qualifications Certificate (SQC) achievement ladder similar to General Level at Standard Grades; it is the next step after Intermediate 1. ...


External links

  • Scottish Qualifications Authority official website
  • Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework official website
  • Higher Still Notes website

See also


  Results from FactBites:
 
BBC NEWS | Education | UK Systems | Higher education (1186 words)
Higher education is that above Advanced Higher grade and its equivalents and is provided in universities and colleges of higher education and in some further education colleges.
Scottish higher education institutions are self-governing organisations with sole responsibility for running their own affairs.
From the figures from 1997, of the 276,503 pupils admitted into higher education, 178,170 were accepted on the basis of their A-levels, 16,000 from the Scottish Higher and the remainder from vocational courses.
EducationGuardian.co.uk | higher news | Scottish universities target 'fees refugees' (813 words)
Scottish universities, faced with a falling population at home, are to target students in England in the hope of picking up "fees refugees" when top-up fees are introduced south of the border next year.
And although politicians in the Scottish Parliament have been quick to raise the spectre of universities being swamped by English students seeking to avoid top-up fees of up to £3,000 a year, some universities are seeing this as good way to preserve numbers and standards.
Students from England going to Scottish universities now pay £1,200 a year upfront; this is due to rise to £1,700, and more in the case of medicine.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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