| More than 28,000 pupils — who would either be away from home today or just too anxious to wait for the post to arrive — opted to get their results first by email or text message.
Royal Mail said it delivered 8000 certificates in the DD postcode area, covering Dundee and Angus, and 11,000 in Fife.
Spokeswoman Cathy Way said, “This is a massive day for every pupil in Scotland waiting for results. All of our people, many of whom have children themselves, understand just how important it is for families and they will pull out all the stops to ensure the results are delivered as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
The Scottish Qualifications Authority, which oversees the exam system, said there had been a big increase this year in the number of pupils sitting the intermediate 1 and 2 exams, along with a strong uptake in the skills for work courses, which emphasise vocational rather than academic achievement.
Dr Janet Brown, SQA chief executive, said, “The results which we publish today underline significant achievement in a stable examination system.”
She congratulated the “vast majority” of pupils who had done well, but added that those who were disappointed with their results should not panic, but seek help. The SQA candidate helpline is on 0845 278 8080 and the Skills Development Scotland helpline is on 0808 100 8000.
The overall number of exams sat fell by 1.1% compared to last year, with Standard Grades down by 7.3%. However, the number of Highers sat was the biggest for five years and there was also an increase in the number of Advanced Highers.
The pass rate for Standard Grades rose slightly this year from 98% to 98.5%. The pass rate for English was unchanged on 98.7%, with maths up from 98.7% to 99.3%. The Higher pass rate went up from 73.4% to 74.2%, with English up from 68.3% to 68.9%.
School leavers hoping for a university place could have difficulty this year. The lack of jobs has prompted a 6% increase in the number of people applying for a place on a degree course.
UCAS, the body responsible for managing applications to universities, has detailed information about clearing on its website at www.ucas.com. Dundee University is running a helpline for anyone interested in its course vacancies on 01382 386386 and Abertay University’s helpline is on 01382 308080. |
