Qualifications Scotland publishes National Qualifications survey reports

The research findings suggest that:

Confidence in Scotland’s national qualifications remains high with most educators, senior appointees, qualifications development staff and learners who took part in the survey agreeing that National 5s, Highers and Advanced Highers are trusted qualifications.

Since the previous year, perceptions of National 5 have improved, with more learner respondents agreeing that National 5s are good preparation for work and further study, and more educator respondents felt that National 5 standards are maintained year on year.

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is fading, as the proportion of learner respondents who agreed that the pandemic continues to impact on their learning falls to its lowest level since tracking began. However, most educator respondents continued to agree that learners are less resilient than their predecessors were before the pandemic.

Confidence in National 4 remains a concern, with only 20% of educator respondents viewing National 4 as a trusted qualification.

The research gathered 1,379 responses from learners and 751 from educators across Scotland, alongside contributions from Senior Appointees and Qualifications Development (SAQD) colleagues. The survey is part of an ongoing series designed to track how perceptions of Scotland's qualifications change over time and gives everyone delivering or working towards National Qualifications the opportunity to contribute their views to the discussion around the future of qualifications and assessments in Scotland.

Strong confidence in National 5, Higher, and Advanced Higher

The findings paint an encouraging picture for the majority of Scotland's National Qualifications. Confidence in Higher qualifications was particularly strong, with 92% of educator respondents and 100% of SAQD staff respondents agreeing that Highers are trusted qualifications. Learner respondents shared this confidence, with 85% agreeing that Highers are trusted and 80% viewing them as good preparation for further study.

Perceptions of National 5 also showed meaningful improvement since 2024 among survey respondents. The proportion of educators who took part in the survey that agreed that National 5 standards are maintained year on year rose by nine percentage points to 67%, while the proportion of learner respondents who agreed that National 5s are good preparation for work increased by 10 percentage points to 55%. Learners who took part in the survey also reported greater confidence that National 5s develop a broad range of skills, rising from 70% to 78%.

Advanced Higher qualifications received the highest overall levels of satisfaction, with 94% of educator respondents agreeing they are good preparation for further study, and 100% of SAQD colleagues who took part in the research viewing them as trusted qualifications.

Perceptions of National 4

The survey identified some mixed views relating to the perceptions of National 4.

The proportion of educator respondents who agreed that National 4 courses develop a broad range of skills for learners grew by 13 percentage points to 43%, and those agreeing that National 4 is good preparation for further study rose from 43% to 52%.

However, only 20% of educator respondents and 16% of SAQD staff viewed National 4 as a trusted qualification — a figure that represents a decline for the latter group since 2024.

Learner respondents themselves held more positive views of National 4 than educators, with 52% viewing the qualification as trusted and 60% seeing it as good preparation for further study. Nevertheless, the research highlights that work remains to be done to strengthen confidence in this qualification across all stakeholder groups.

Donna Stewart, Scotland's Chief Examining Officer, said: "It’s genuinely encouraging to see confidence growing in our National 5 and Higher qualifications, and the outstanding levels of trust in Advanced Higher are a real testament to the hard work of everyone involved. At the same time, the findings around National 4 are clear, and we take them seriously. We’re collaborating across the organisation and with education partners to understand what needs to change, and to making National 4 a qualification that truly works for every young person it’s designed to serve. We’re also committed to working in partnership with learners and educators to ensure their voices help shape the future of qualifications and assessment."

As a result of similar findings in the 2024 survey related to National 4, Qualifications Scotland has carried out qualitative research with educators and learners to explore perceptions of internal assessment and grading. We aim to publish this research in the coming months and will use the findings to help inform work to review these qualifications as part of the Scottish Government’s programme of curriculum, qualifications and assessment reform.

Ongoing impact of the pandemic

The research also examined the continuing effect on learning of the COVID-19 pandemic. While educator respondents continued to report concerns — with 83% agreeing that many learners have lower levels of focus than their predecessors before the pandemic — there are signs of gradual recovery. The proportion of educator respondents agreeing that learners are not as well prepared to study for NQs as pre-pandemic peers fell by eight percentage points to 68% in 2025, the lowest level recorded since the survey series began.

Among learner respondents, the impact of COVID-19 on learning in 2024-25 was felt to be higher amongst women and girls, those with disabilities or ASN, those with care experience, and those from the LGBTQIA+ community.

Martyn Ware, Director of Policy, Analysis, and Standards at Qualifications Scotland, said: "This research gives us a rich and honest picture of how Scotland's National Qualifications are viewed by the people who matter most — the learners who sit them and the educators who deliver them. We are grateful to all learners and educators who took the time to share their views. We are pleased to see positive trends emerging across several qualifications, but we are equally clear about where improvement is needed. The equity findings in particular remind us that improving qualifications must mean improving them for everyone, not just on average."