Pass rates for Scottish pupils have fallen significantly after schools returned to using exams to grade performance for the first time since 2019.
This year’s results showed the overall pass rate for Highers, heavily used for students aiming for university, fell from 89.3% in 2020 to 78.9%. The pass rate for National 5s, awarded largely to 16-year-olds, fell from a peak of 89% in 2020 to 80.8%.
The Scottish Qualifications Authority said the fall marked the end of teacher-led grading of performance after exams were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 during the Covid crisis, with a return this year to pre-pandemic exams and external marking.
