This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter.

Back in 2024, Scotland’s exam board was embroiled in a huge controversy over the marking of that year’s Higher History exam.

Teachers – including some who had marked the papers – told us that the SQA (now rebranded as Qualifications Scotland) had moved the goalposts by changing marking rules after the exam.

They said this was the reason for a severe drop in pass rates, and a serious decline in scores for one particular paper: Scottish History.

SQA officials rejected this but, facing obvious and mounting pressure, opted to quietly open an investigation; however, this turned out to be an internal review, with SQA staff investigating their colleagues.

The final report found nobody from the SQA had done anything wrong or made any mistakes, and was widely dismissed as a whitewash.

The matter rumbled on and on, sparking contentious sessions of the education committee, and accusations that the exam board had withheld key evidence from parliament – a point that was subsequently confirmed.

Exam board accused of changing marking rules after exams

Who knew what and when about Higher History problems?

What a row over free school bags tells us about the SNP’s ambitions

A tangible, sensible solution to the Mull school saga might finally be within reach

Despite the current Chief Executive of Qualifications Scotland admitting to me that the matter should be revisited, this never........

© Herald Scotland