Scottish results day: Record high for A grades as pass rate falls

The percentage of pupils achieving A grades hit a record high this year as the pass rate for Scottish school qualifications dropped slightly.

Formal exams were cancelled for the second year running due to Covid-19, with grades based on teacher judgement.

The percentage of pupils achieving A to C grades in their Highers fell from 89.3% in 2020 to 87.3% in 2021.

But that total is still significantly above the 75% pass rate from 2019, and a record high number of awards overall.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said pupils had delivered "a strong set of results, achieved under extraordinary circumstances".

A total of 90.2% of Advanced Higher candidates achieved a pass, down from 93.1% in 2020, while National 5 scores dropped from 89% to 85.8%.

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However, the percentage of students who got an A grade in Higher and Advanced Higher courses leapt by around 20 percentage points from pre-pandemic levels.

A total of 47.6% of Higher candidates achieved an A grade, compared to 40% in 2020 and 28.3% in 2019, when traditional exams were used.

In Advanced Higher courses, 51% of pupils got an A, up from 46.3% in 2020 and 31.8% in 2019. In National 5s, the figure rose from 42.3% in 2020 to 46.7% this year, up from 35.1% in 2019.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said pupils had delivered "a strong set of results, achieved under extraordinary circumstances". A total of 90.2% of Advanced Higher candidates achieved a pass, down from 93.1% in 2020, while National 5 scores dropped from 89% to 85.8%. What do Scotland's results tell us?