SQA criticised for dumbing down Higher Maths exam

Experienced examiner and teachers warn this year’s paper was too easy

THIS summer’s Higher mathematics paper has been dumbed down, according to one of Scotland’s most experienced exam setters.

Clive Chamber, a former principal examiner of maths for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), said the 2013 paper was easier than any previous paper he had seen.

The criticism has been backed up by a number of teachers, including the head of maths at a leading Glasgow private school.

The attack comes after the entire setting team for this year’s maths Higher walked out after an internal dispute.

At the time, those who left warned the SQA would struggle to produce a quality paper because of the lack of expertise left at the exam body.

Mr Chamber, who oversaw the Higher between 1992 and 2009, said a typical exam should have 35% of questions deemed suitable for “A/B” candidates in order to separate the best-performing pupils from the rest, but he believes only 15% of questions in the paper reached the benchmark.

He added that candidates had been asked about the same area of the syllabus more than once, while one question was deemed more suitable for the lower level Standard Grade exam.

Mr Chamber said: “I thought it was a poor-quality paper and it was clear it had been dumbed down compared to previous years. This standard of paper just would not have been acceptable in previous years and there were not enough testing questions f or the best candidates.”

Mr Chamber also said it was “uneven”, with the harder questions that were included scattered throughout rather than being placed at the end.

He said: “There should be a natural flow where candidates can work through the paper without panicking.

“It may be the case that, although the paper was easier than it should have been, some candidates will have strug- gled to finish because they got stuck on a question and were not able to pick up marks in subsequent questions because of a lack of time.”

The view was backed by a number of teachers. The head of maths at a leading Glasgow private school, who asked not to be identified, said: “We were very disappointed with the paper. Rather than being a test of mathematical ability or skill it was a test of simple procedures.”

Angus Mackay, principal teacher of maths at the Nicolson Institute, Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis, said: “The paper was not as challenging as it should have been and we need to get back to the quality of papers we have had in recent years.”

Marcus Barry, principal teacher of maths at Port Glasgow High School, Inverclyde, added: “It could not have been any easier.”

The SQA said feedback from other teachers indicated the paper was fair.

Dr Gill Stewart, the body’s director of qualifications development, said: “The exam paper is subject to a range of quality assurance checks prior to being signed off, including vetting and scrutiny by maths practitioners independent of those who set the paper.

“The fair and balanced nature of this year’s Higher Maths paper has been backed up by the feedback SQA has received from teachers and schools.”

The SQA said markers would complete a report to identify if there were any problematic questions – either too easy or too hard. This would be reflected in where the pass mark was set.

Ms Stewart added: “SQA uses all of this data to inform where it sets the grade boundaries. If the exam has been harder than planned, grade boundaries are adjusted down. If it was easier than previous years, grade boundaries are adjusted up.”

The origins of the dispute can be traced back to last year’s exam when there was tension between the setting team and SQA officials. The principal assessor had his contract terminated and the rest of the setting team walked out over the way he had been treated.

ACCUSATIONS that this summer’s mathematics Higher has been “dumbed down” by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) are alarming. The allegation is made by Clive Chamber, former principal examiner of maths for the SQA between 1992 and 2009, who told The Herald the 2013 paper was easier than any previous exam he had seen.

Having reviewed the paper, as he does every year out of a continuing professional interest in the qualification, the nowretired Mr Chamber said a typical exam should have 35% of questions deemed suitable for “A/ B” candidates in order to separate the best-performing pupils from the rest, but he believes only 15% of questions reached the benchmark in 2013.

Mr Chamber also said the paper was “uneven”, with harder questions scattered throughout rather than being placed at the end, which he believes makes it more difficult for weaker candidates to finish the paper because they get “stuck”.

His views, which were supported by a number of principal teachers, are worrying because maths is the one of the key subjects upon which Scotland’s economic future relies and the Higher exam should represent the gold standard within the qualifications system.

One immediate concern is that this was a deliberate move by the SQA to make the examination easier as part of a pursuit of ever-improving standards – which some observers believe has afflicted the exam system in recent years, although nowhere near the same extent as in England. However, although the pass marks for a variety of SQA exams have been creeping upwards in recent years, there is no evidence this was the driving force. Dr Gill Stewart, the SQA’s director of qualifications development, has defended the integrity of the exam, insisting it offers an appropriate degree of challenge for candidates at A, B and C level. In her comments to The Herald, she also highlights a range of quality assurance checks which the paper is subjected to prior to being signed off, including vetting and scrutiny by maths practitioners independent of those who set the paper.

Instead, the answer appears to lie in the highly unusual set of circumstances which surrounded this year’s exam. Last year, the setting team for the 2012 Higher had a disagreement with SQA officials over the difficulty of the paper and where the pass mark should be set. The principal assessor James Reid subsequently refused to attend a meeting to discuss the disagreement unless a colleague was present and he had his contract terminated. His departure was followed by five other senior examiners, who left in protest at the manner in which he had been treated. After losing his job, Mr Reid warned that the lack of expertise for the 2013 Higher risked damaging the exam. Higher maths is far too important a qualification for there to be any suspicion over its integrity and the SQA must move quickly to ensure there is no repeat of the concerns expressed this year from experts who have taken great pride in the maintenance of standards for nearly two decades.