A Parent’s Guide to the Exam Years
S1 to S6 in Scotland explained for parents and carers: courses, exams, results day, appeals and routes after school.
33 pages A4 · phone edition 67 pages
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About this guide
Most parents went through a different exam system, or a different country’s. This free guide explains how Scottish secondary school works today, from the broad general education years to the Senior Phase, in plain English.
More about this guide
It covers who runs the exams now (Qualifications Scotland replaced the SQA in 2026), choosing subjects for S4, how courses, coursework and exams fit together, grades and the certificate, and the exam year month by month.
It also shows how to help without nagging, where to get support for stress and wellbeing, how exam arrangements work, what happens on results day and with appeals, and the routes and money available after school.
Published by Clarity Guides. In a world full of disinformation, get Clarity.
What’s inside
- How Scottish secondary school works
- Who runs the exams now
- The broad general education years
- Choosing subjects for S4
- Courses, coursework and exams
- Grades, bands and the certificate
- The exam year, month by month
- Helping without nagging
- Stress, wellbeing and getting help
- Extra support and exam arrangements
- Results day, appeals and what next
- Routes after school, and money for staying on
- Spotting bad advice in the exam years
General information for parents and carers. Clarity Guides is independent and not linked to Qualifications Scotland, any school or council. Always check dates with your child’s school.
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