when is an exam not an exam? answer: when the scottish qualifications authority (sqa) calls it an “assessment instrument”.  more than a month ago, scottish education secretary john swinney announced that he was cancelling next year’s exams in national 5 courses. these are the main exams taken by pupils in fourth year of secondary school. he said that the coronavirus restrictions made exams too difficult to organise. so teachers would have to estimate pupils’ likely attainment using their own judgment. the sqa, which runs the exams, would announce an “alternative approach” to help with this.  sponsored  the sqa has taken its time. for most subjects, however, it revealed its thinking this week. to replace the exams that mr swinney cancelled, the sqa has produced, incredibly, exams.
lindsay paterson: however you fathom it, the sqa is failing on national 5