Assessment

The latest news and analysis on exams in the UK, including key dates, timetables, results and statistics for Sats, GCSEs and A levels

Thursday

24th Apr 2025

5 ways to develop revision skills in primary
It’s never too early to start developing independent learning, and simple strategies can help primary pupils to feel more confident about assessments, says this deputy head
How to teach revision skills in primary schools

Wednesday

23rd Apr 2025

SQA awarding and accreditation functions ‘must be split’
In response to pressure from opposition MSPs, the education secretary says there is ‘no simple solution’ and looking for alternatives would ‘delay education reform’
Jenny Gilruth's warning

Friday

18th Apr 2025

S6 is a hard sell for Scottish schools - so what can they do?
Even if students have already achieved the grades they need for university, the final year of secondary school in Scotland can still be hugely rewarding, explains Alan Gillespie
Carrot on string

Thursday

17th Apr 2025

Scottish education reforms hit by ‘challenges’
The costs of reforming the SQA and Education Scotland are set to exceed funding, reveal the minutes of the group overseeing the changes
Scottish money tied to ground

Wednesday

9th Apr 2025

History: how the future is shaping student engagement
Technology is making its presence felt in various ways, writes director of humanities Suzie Whiting, so teaching and assessment need to keep up
History: how the future is shaping student engagement

Tuesday

8th Apr 2025

The damaging myth that GCSE-age students are ‘AI cheaters’
Most GCSE and A-level students turn to artificial intelligence as they would a textbook, not to cheat, but a narrative suggesting the opposite is destroying motivation, argues Harriet Joslin
SQA exploring use of AI to analyse exam marker feedback

Monday

7th Apr 2025

GCSE and A-level grading: 6 things teachers need to know
Ofqual releases a guide to grading for teachers and heads ahead of exam season to help them answer questions from students and parents
A pair of glasses on top of three piles of books

Friday

4th Apr 2025

Sats: Scrutiny over transcripts fuels rise in alleged cheating
Increase in cases of alleged maladministration has been fuelled by concerns over transcripts for pupils with illegible handwriting and test administrators ‘over-aiding’
Sats ‘maladministration’ up by 58% over two years
Exclusive

Thursday

3rd Apr 2025

SQA publishes first data on students cheating with AI
The number of students breaking SQA assessment rules increased in 2024, with plagiarism being the most common type of candidate malpractice
Student looking at mobile phone under desk

Wednesday

2nd Apr 2025

How to avoid the testing traps and make assessment better
Both national and classroom assessments can become meaningless with the wrong approaches or context, argues leading expert Therese Hopfenbeck
How to avoid the testing traps and make assessment better

Tuesday

1st Apr 2025

Why independent schools should call time on entrance exams
The chairman of GEMS Education says removing academic selection can help the independent sector to become more dynamic and inclusive
Why independent schools should call time on entrance exams

Monday

31st Mar 2025

SQA ‘pauses’ access to marked exam papers
Concerns raised by teachers about workload were a key factor in the decision, says the Scottish Qualifications Authority
Pause button in sand