If your children are attending a Scottish secondary school there are several different courses they may take leading to examinations. This is a quick guide to the different levels of courses offered and what options are available after receiving examination results.

Standard Grade

Students generally take these qualifications in the third and fourth year at secondary school, often taking seven or eight subjects, with an exam at the end of the fourth year.

There are three levels at standard grade and students generally take exams at either General and Foundation level or Credit and General level depending on their ability.

• Foundation - students can leave school with this qualification
• General - students can go on to study at Intermediate 1 or 2 level
• Credit - students can go on to study at Higher and Advanced Higher level

This ensures that students have the best chance of achieving as high a grade as possible.

Intermediate 1 and 2

These one year long qualifications are for students who may have already completed Standard Grades or as an alternative to them; for some students Intermediate 2 is a stepping stone to taking a Higher over two years, as completing a Higher in just one year can be very demanding.

Many schools now offer Intermediate qualifications instead of Standard Grades.

Higher

This qualification is particularly aimed at students who have passed subjects at Standard Grade Credit or successfully completed a subject at Intermediate 2 level.

Highers course are one year long and are normally needed for entry to university or colleges to study for degrees, Higher National Certificates (HNC) or Higher National Diplomas (HND).

Advanced Higher

This one year long qualification is aimed at students who have passed Highers, and are usually taken in the 6th year at school or at college.

Extending the skills and knowledge gained at Higher, these qualifications are useful for entry into Higher Education or the workplace.