Higher Grade
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Higher Grade is the level of examination normally taken by students in Scotland at age about 16-17 years.
History
In 1999, a new style of Higher Grade examination system was introduced in Scotland. "Higher Still" was designed to link the most basic examination offered by the SQA (Access) with the most difficult one (Advanced Higher Grade) on a continuous "ladder of achievement". Since the recently-formed Scottish Qualifications Authority quango was mainly made up of staff from the old SCOTVEC, the new system made "traditional" courses like English and Maths structured in a similar way to the vocational courses previously run by SCOTVEC; a Higher Still course (at any level) is made up of three units. At the end of each unit (each about 40 hours long) students sit a very basic competency test. All three must be passed (with two or less attempts) or the student is not allowed to sit the final course assessment.
The new system was not entirely successful, however, and 2000 saw a marking fiasco that cost the head of the agency his job and severely damaged the career of the Minister in charge, Sam Galbraith. Thousands of students received incorrect or late results, leading to a nightmare both for the students themselves and UCAS, the quango responsible for university applications, as many students did not receive accurate exam results until after the universities' academic year had started.