The SQA has now published a new timetable for the 2024/25 exam diet after facing backlash due to the number of exams in close proximity to each other and hosting other tests on the same day as Higher English, which would have forced a significant number of students to sit two exams in one day.

The change occurred on Monday, 3rd February, and will see exams start on Friday, 25th April, 3 days earlier than intended and will finish as planned on Monday, 2nd June. As a result, many students' exam dates have been changed, possibly giving them more or even less time between sittings, which many staff and pupils are finding unfair.

Exams such as Accounting, Computing Science, and Modern Studies, at all levels, have all had their dates changed along with several others, and even more remain on the same date but start at a different time. The new changes can be found in the updated timetable on the SQA website.

Sixth years at Duncanrig have been impacted by this change in more ways than one; the S6 prom, which was meant to take place on the 24th of April, has had to be cancelled and rescheduled as many pupils found they would be sitting an exam the next morning. I spoke to Vice Captain Kirsty Wilson, and this is what she had to say:

“It is unusual for the SQA to change the exam dates with only 11 weeks to go, and it has caused disruption with our prom planning as we had already booked the 24th of April with the Grand Central Hotel.".

"However, it would be unfair to host prom the day before an exam as this would put some students at a disadvantage.”.

“This has also impacted the distribution of leavers' hoodies and yearbooks.” Kirsty added, “They were originally planned to be given out at the start of the week of prom, but we are now working on trying to get them ready before the spring break. Luckily the Grand Central Hotel was able to offer us an alternative date on Tuesday, the 22nd of April, so the S6 prom will thankfully be going ahead.”.

The updated SQA 2025 timetable can be viewed here: https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/files_ccc/nq-2025-exam-timetable.pdf.