Standard Grade English - An Introduction

Standard Grade is due to be replaced in the next couple of years, but this page gives a basic overview of how it is at present.

Standard Grade English is an exam sat by the great majority of Scottish school pupils in S4, when they are around 15 years old. Most pupils study Standard Grade courses over two years.

Some schools offer Intermediate exams instead - this is a level between Standard Grade and the more demanding Higher level. Some schools also run the Standard Grade exams in S3, when pupils are around 14 years old.

The final grade

The pupil is awarded a final grade of between 1 to 7, with 1 being the highest. They levels are divided into Credit (1 and 2), General (3 and 4) and Foundation (5 and 6), with Credit being the most difficult. Grade 7 is for pupils who fail to make the Foundation level.

The Standard Grade Folio

Pupils complete a folio of work which is given a grade by their teacher. It is completed over two years and contains essays and creative writing. This is sent in to the Scottish Qualifications Authority around March, before they sit their exam. The folio counts for one third of their final grade.

The Standard Grade exam

All pupils sit the same writing paper. They are given a choice of essays to write over a time limit. These can be short stories, personal or opinion essays. These are graded from 1 to 7, with 1 being the highest.

Pupils sit different reading papers, depending on their abilities. More able pupils sit the Credit and the General paper. Less able pupils sit the General and the Foundation paper.