Thousands of Edinburgh pupils will receive the exam results they have been waiting for this morning, and early indications show performance across the City as a whole has surpassed previous years.
Across Scotland, a record number of students have passed Higher exams – the pass rate for Highers increased from 75.2% in 2011 to 76.9% this year, a rise of 7% over the past decade. An increased number of students also passed Advanced Highers and Standard Grades.
Dr Janet Brown, chief executive of the SQA, said: “The increased number of qualifications achieved by candidates not only reflects their hard work and commitment, but also the value they place on qualifications, particularly in this difficult economic climate. I want to congratulate everyone and whether they will be returning to school or college, moving on to higher education or entering the workplace, I wish them continued success.”
Education Secretary Mike Russell also congratulated students on their results.
He said: “This has been another successful year which is testament to the hard work that pupils have put into their courses. Of course, as well as being a time of celebration for many, this is also a time of uncertainty for others. Rest assured, help is available through the exam results helpline on 0808 100 8000 for those who may not have got what they needed.”
He continued: “Behind today’s statistics are thousands of individual young people, each with their own set of results and ambitions for the future. Today is a day to celebrate their achievements.”
In Edinburgh, nine thousand six hundred and fifty-four (9,654) pupils sat 45,775 exams this year, ranging in subject matter from Accounting to Woodwork.
Welcoming today’s results, Education Convener Councillor Paul Godzik said: “We are always looking to improve on performance and the information we have put together so far shows Edinburgh as a whole is up on last year – with a 1 percentage point increase in Highers across the board at S5. It’s great to see improvements in our Standard Grade pass rates too.
“This will have been a red-circle day on many calendars across the city and I want to congratulate all those who sat exams this year. We have been working hard to make sure all school leavers enter a positive destination of employment, training or further education.
“Initiatives such as the Edinburgh Guarantee are going a long way to making this a reality for many of our ex-pupils. This is something we are keen to build on in the coming years and look forward to seeing many more placements and positive results.”
All candidates will receive their results by means of the traditional postal delivery today, and candidates who have activated their MySQA accounts – through which they can choose to receive their exam results by text and/or email in addition to their results certificate – will also receive these by 09:00 this morning.
Got your results but need some help or advice abut what to do next? You could start with a free call to the Skills Development Scotland (SDS) Exam Results Helpline on 0808 100 8000. Open from 8am, it offers advice and support to students and parents about what options are available.
SDS Chief Executive Damien Yeates said: “The Exam Results Helpline will be live from 8am as people begin to receive their SQA qualifications. It’s there to give advice and support to students and their parents whether they are thinking about going to college or university, getting a job or a Modern Apprenticeship.”
This year students will enjoy more support than ever before thanks to the newly launched SDS Facebook page. Offering answers to common problems, handy hints for making the best career move and practical tools and advice from the My World of Work website, it also features useful links to other relevant bodies such as UCAS, SAAS and the SQA.
Mr Yeates added: “As always, our advice is not to panic – making the call is the vital first move in finding out what options are available. Often parents or carers call on behalf of their children and that can enable family discussions on the best way ahead. The helpline is about finding the right path for the individual and we have a wide range of services to help people identify and build successful careers.”
Advisers will be on hand to give unique access to information on UCAS course vacancies at colleges and universities across the UK, Confirmation and Clearing, advice about employment, training opportunities and exam re-sits.
The Exam Results Helpline will run from 8am to 8pm on August 7 and 8, then from 9am to 5pm until August 15.
You can also visit the Scottish Qualifications Authority website sqa.org.uk for further iinformation, and the UCAS website can be found at www.ucas.ac.uk to guide you through the higher education maze.
Good luck!
