Pupils’ fury at Higher maths test stinker
Secondary school kids tell of shock and fears after being left stumped by super-tough new exam
HUNDREDS of pupils have started an online campaign complaining that this year’s Higher maths exams were too difficult.
This year was the first time students had the option of sitting the new Higher, although many schools opted to continue teaching the original syllabus.
But pupils taking both exams were shocked by the levels of difficulty when they saw the papers on Wednesday.
One S5 pupil, who sat the new Higher, said: “During the exam, I could see and hear a number of people crying because of the difficulty.
“We all worked very hard and it is now looking as though it is for nothing as many feel they are not even going to pass after getting As all year.
“A lot of people need these grades for university, including myself, and I feel outraged.”
Another S5 pupil, at the Glasgow Academy, contacted the Record to “raise awareness of the difficulty of this unfair examination”.
She said: “I was sitting the old Higher exam, yet there were many of the same questions appearing in both the new Higher and the old Higher.
“I feel this is unfair as, being an old Higher candidate, I was not used to these styles of questions.
“I was hoping to attain five As this year in order to study medicine at university but I no longer think I will achieve this grade in mathematics.”
Another student said: “Our school chose to sit the old Higher, as we would be familiar with the style of the questions. However, this was not the case, as the style of questions in yesterday’s paper can in no way, shape or form be compared to previous years.
“The questions were so wordy that they often required you to read them a good few times before you could even understand what they were asking you.”
However, one pupil said: “It’s Higher maths, it’s supposed to be hard. The questions were tricky but if you took your time and read them carefully you could work them out.”
A Scottish Qualifications Authority spokesman said both papers had been “quality assured” and added: “As part of our post- examination procedures, the pass mark and the cut-off score for each grade are determined after detailed consideration.
“No learner will be disadvantaged should it be deemed that the current and/ or new Higher maths question papers were more demanding than intended.”
Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the EIS teachers’ union, said: “I have not had any direct feedback from teachers yet but we will have a meeting at the end of next month to discuss issues like this.
“We would encourage the SQA to ensure there is parity between the Highers to ensure no pupil is disadvantaged.”