Standard Grades are Scotland's educational qualifications for students aged around 14-16 years. Standard Grade courses are taken over the 3rd and 4th years of a student's secondary schooling. Exams are taken at the end of the 4th Year (around May), with preliminary examinations taken several months earlier (from as early as October to around March in S4). (However, certain subjects may be "fast tracked" at some schools where the course is started in at the beginning of 2nd year and finished at the end of 3rd year.)^{[citation needed]} The exams are provided by the Scottish Qualifications Authority, which also offers the more recent National Qualifications on the Scottish Qualifications Certificate. Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic)1 Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II... Secondary school is a term used to describe an institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling, known as secondary education, takes place. ... In Scottish Schools Preliminary Examinations (more commonly known as Prelims) are exams set in Scottish high schools after about two thirds of subjects course being completed, often around December for S4 pupils, and February for S5/ S6 pupils. ... 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 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. ...

Students will typically study 7 to 9 subjects at Standard Grade. Generally speaking, different subjects can be taken independently of each other. The two main restrictions on this choice are timetable arrangements, and the fact that many less popular subjects are not offered by all schools.

The Standard Grade is broadly equivalent to the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) qualification taken in other parts of the UK. This does not cite any references or sources. ...

Levels of award

There are three sub-levels (or "tiered" papers) at which Standard Grade exams can be taken, namely "Foundation Level", "General Level" and "Credit Level". At one sitting, students generally sit either the Foundation and General level papers together, or the General and Credit level papers together.

Students are awarded a numerical grade for each examination (which may consist of several papers) ranging from 1 (best) to 7. The table below lists the grades, the exam level and equivalence to the new National Qualification exams and 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. ...

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). ... 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. ... Intermediate 1 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 Access 3. ...

History and future

The Standard Grade replaced the old O-Grade qualification, and was phased in from the late-1980s until the early-1990s. 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 . ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ...

The Standard Grade system is now being slowly phased out in favour of the Scottish Qualifications Authority's Higher Still system, as many, students and teachers alike, feel that the jump from Standard Grade to Higher is too difficult, particularly in subjects such as English. Although they are not exactly the same, the Foundation Level is similar to Higher Still's Access 3 level, whilst General is similar to Intermediate 1 and Credit is similar to Intermediate 2.^{[citation needed]} 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. ... 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). ...

In some schools which use Higher Still qualifications as replacements for Standard Grades, students are now required to take an exam at the end of 3rd year (either Access 3 or Intermediate 1), and then take the Intermediate 1 or 2 exam (depending on which exam they took in 3rd year) at the end of their 4th year. This allows them to then go onto Intermediate 2 or Higher level in 5th year, as students already do each year.

Standard grade subjects

Compulsory subjects

The Scottish Executive states that all pupils must take the subjects below. However, there are exceptions. The Executives logo, shown with English and Scottish Gaelic caption The term Scottish Executive is used in two different, but closely-related senses: to denote the executive arm of Scotlands national legislature (i. ...

• English (or Gaelic in all Gaelic schools where English is not compulsory.)
• Mathematics
• Science- at least one science must be taken. (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, General Science or Technological studies)
• One Social study (History, Geography, Modern Studies)
• Physical Education - core
• RMPS (Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies) - core
• Personal and Social Education

Most schools also encourage the taking of a language, most commonly French or German, to standard grade. This used to be a compulsory course but other options such as the 'Life Skills' course 'Social and Vocational studies' are now being offered. These new options are mainly taken by students whose grades make them an unsuitable candidate for Standard Grade languages.

The course choice process begins after the Christmas and New Year of S2, with the completed forms being handed in around the end of February.

All subjects

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. ... (, historically spelled Ordu), is an Middle Eastern-Aryan language. ... Face-to-face trading interactions on the New York Stock Exchange trading floor. ... History studies the past in human terms. ... Modern Studies is a subject taught in Secondary Schools in Scotland. ... Social and Vocational Skills, or SVS as it is commonly known, is a subject which can be taken in high schools as a Standard Grade in Scotland. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... Physical instruction at the U.S. Naval Training Station, Newport, Rhode Island, 1917 Physical education (PE) is the interdisciplinary study of all areas of science relating to the transmission of physical knowledge and skills to an individual or a group, the application of these skills, and their results. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Chemistry - the study of atoms, made of nuclei (conglomeration of center particles) and electrons (outer particles), and the structures they form. ... Family and consumer sciences, or home economics, is an academic discipline concerning consumer science, nutrition, cooking, parenting, interior decoration, textiles, gardening, and other subjects related to home management. ... Physics (Greek: (phúsis), nature and (phusiké), knowledge of nature) is the science concerned with the discovery and characterization of universal laws which govern matter, energy, space, and time. ... Euclid, Greek mathematician, 3rd century BC, as imagined by by Raphael in this detail from The School of Athens. ... Look up Administration (business) in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 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). ... Euclid, Greek mathematician, 3rd century BC, as imagined by by Raphael in this detail from The School of Athens. ... Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA)is: the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. ... Classics, particularly within the Western University tradition, when used as a singular noun, means the study of the language, literature, history, art, and other aspects of Greek and Roman culture during the time frame known as classical antiquity. ... The History of Greece extends back to the arrival of the Greeks in Europe some time before 1500 BC, even though there has only been an independent state called Greece since Turkey, Italy and Libya. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ...

See also

• Education in Scotland
• Higher Grade
• Advanced Higher Grade

{{Infobox Education| country name = Scotland | agency image = | agency = Scottish Executive | leader titles = Minister for Education and Young People Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning| leader names = Peter Peacock   Nicol Stephen | budget = £4. ... Higher Grade is the level of examination normally taken by students in Scotland at age about 16-17 years. ... Advanced Higher Grade, roughly equivalent to Englands A-Levels, is the non-compulsory Scottish examination for students aged about 17-18. ...

External links

• http://www.sqa.org.uk - Scottish Qualifications Authority
• http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/NQExamTimetable2007_291106.pdf - 2007 Exam Timetable