The Scottish Government don’t publish accurate exam results figures as it uses a percentage of those who actually sit the exam, rather than all those who took the class.
12:35, 03 Sep 2026Updated 16:25, 03 Sep 2026
Mairi McAllan, Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic(Image: Ken Jack/Getty Images)
Scotland’s REAL exam results have been published, after the SNP used a different measure to “sweep the realities” of how poor schools are performing. And they show that exam rates are still down substantially on pre-Covid (2019) with “concerning” pass rates in English and Maths.
Scottish Government Education Secretary Mairi McAllan boasted last month that “these are incredibly positive results across the board, with academic passes up at every level as well as record numbers of vocational qualifications. This is testament to the breadth and strength of Scotland’s education system, the professionalism of our teachers and school staff and the hard work of our young people.”
But the Nats fiddle the figures by including the percentage of passes who actually sit the exam, rather than the full class, including those who didn’t sit it. These were revealed by the Commission on School Reform, the education arm of think tank Enlighten, which only received them following a freedom of information request.
It shows the “real” pass rates for National 5 exams in Scotland. The data revealed that less than 40% of S4 pupils achieved an A-C grade in National 5 Mathematics, with A-C pass rates in the sciences down in the twenties or teens. Less than two in five kids are passing both English and Maths.
The figures show:
39.7% got A-C in MathsBiology (26%), Chemistry (21%), Physics (18%)78.3% of S4 pupils achieved A-C in English National 538.9% got A-C in both English and Maths
Compared to the official statistics published by the Scottish Government, the figures are all down:
70.6% achieving an A–C pass rate in MathsBiology (67.1%), Chemistry (79.1%), Physics (73.2%)87.2%% of S4 pupils achieved A-C in English National 5
The FOI data analyses the SQA examination data based on the number of pupils in the cohort, rather than how many sat the exam, giving a more accurate interpretation of the performance of school pupils as a whole. For example, if 100 pupils sit National 5 Maths and 90 pass, the Scottish Government would consider this to be a pass rate of 90%. This is not untrue, but it does not paint an accurate picture of overall pupil attainment.
Thousands of students have signed up to receive their results via text.(Image: Andy Buchanan/PA Wire)
For instance, if the total number of pupils was actually 200, and only 100 sit the exam, the overall proportion of the cohort gaining the qualification is only 45%. Figures are all down on 2019, pre-Covid, as the SNP continues to fail pupils across Scotland:
39.7% in mathematics (44.5% in 2019)26.2% in biology (29.4% in 2019)21.3% in chemistry (25.1% in 2019)17.9% in physics (20.1% in 2019)8.8% in computing science (9.3% in 2019)
There were some positives, with the A-C pass rates for English climbing to 78.3% from 74.6% in 2019, but the proportion receiving a pass in both English and Maths was was 38.9%, down from 42.9% in 2019.
Carole Ford, former Headteacher of Kilmarnock Academy, former Principal Teacher of Maths, and member of the Commission on School Reform, said: “These STEM results should be of deep concern to all of us. We are talking here about a generation of children whose outcomes have been suppressed because there is no national push towards academic excellence.
“Most exam data is presented by the Government as a success, but that is based on those who take the exam. This is much more revealing and accurate data, because it measures all pupils, not just those who sit the examination. We must stop sweeping the realities of school performance under the carpet. We have an obligation to ourselves and to future generations to face up to our problems.”
Carole Ford
She also slated the addition of the alternative applications of mathematics examination, which was seen as an easier way to get a maths qualification. She said: “The introduction of the Nat 5 Applications of Mathematics qualification is a way to ensure that some people who are not able to achieve a pass at the maths examination are able to get some sort of numeracy qualification, but it is important to recognise that the Applications course is not even close to the mathematical level of Nat 5 Mathematics, neither in content nor in level of challenge.
“For example, despite ‘mathematics’ remaining in its title, the course contains no algebra, no reference to equations or functions, no trigonometry, no geometry related to angles, straight lines, similarity or vectors.”
Scottish Conservative education spokeswoman, Meghan Gallacher MSP said: “This blows apart the SNP’s belief that Scotland’s education system is performing well. While SNP ministers shamelessly spin carefully selected figures as evidence of success, the reality is that fewer than two-in-five pupils are passing National 5 Maths and STEM results remain below pre-pandemic levels.
“This is a damning indictment of an education system that continues to slide on the SNP’s watch, with the poverty-related attainment gap still stubbornly wide. After 19 years in power, SNP ministers have run out of people to blame and excuses to hide behind. Parents and pupils deserve the truth, not more SNP spin, and ministers must urgently get a grip on standards before another generation is failed.”
The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.