Private candidate for SQA exam in Scotland?

Question

I am looking to buy revision materials, possibly with tutor support, which can be worked through at your own pace and will prepare you for the SQA Advanced Higher Physics Exam.

I have looked online but all the open learning courses I can find are geared towards the AQA examinations.

If nobody has any suggestions on this, I would also like to know if there is much difference between the A-Level and Advanced Higher material (For somebody who has already passed at SQA Higher.)

Finally, I need to know if it's possible to register for the SQA exam without attending a school or college.

Thanks.

Answer 1

All of the information you need would be best obtaining from Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) themselves.  I have posted the link to their website and this would tell you whether you can do this without registering at School or College.

The question of A-Level and Advanced Higher is that (as you may know) A-Level is the broad UK curriculum.  Scotland is different from the rest of the nation, in this instance, in that our curriculum is geared to Scotland and does not conform to the English, Welsh & NI standard. Advanced Higher is equivalent, if not higher to rest of UK level, for A-Level.

I find that to get into UK university, for Accountancy, they usually require 3 A level passes at 'A' or 5 Scottish Higher passes at 3 'A' & 2 'B'.  Therefore, with Advanced Higher it should be same as A-Level or higher than this, therefore, requiring fewer passes with 'A' grade.

It shows that the Scottish Higher (1 yr course taken 5th & 6th yr of High School) & Standard Grade (2 yr course taken 3rd & 4th yr) curriculum are seen of less importance than that of broad UK A-Levels and GCSE despite the fact that you cannot resit Scottish exams in the same way you are able to resit the GCSE & A-Level.  You need to take the Higher Grade again if you fail at first attempt should you wish to do so, however, it needs to be redone at the last year of school 6th year.

I hope this makes sense.

:-)

GOOD LUCK

EDIT:  It is much harder in Scotland for learning than in England i.e. if you don't get it right first time, you're scr*wed!!!

Answer 2

unfortunatley you must attend a college or school to be entered into an sqa examination, as the schools and examinations centers contact the sqa to tell them who has been submitted for the exam and for appeal purposes.

as for wither advanced higher is the same as a levels, i would say they are not, in Scotland you require highers to enter university courses but you need a levels  to enter the same courses. universities see having an advanced higher as the equivilant of the first year of university.