Prelims 2025-2026

Prelims 2025-2026

Prelims 2025-2026

Dates

Due to the adverse weather Study leave for the prelim diet now runs from Thursday 15 January 2026 through to Wednesday 28 January 2026 inclusive. With the final exams taking place on Thursday 29 January.

Please find the amended timetable below with the dates and standard times for each exam.  Pupils will not receive updated individual timetables but all roomings and timings for each of the exams remain the same but on the new dates.

Prelim Timetable 2026 updated

Purpose

The primary purpose of prelims is to let pupils experience what a formal exam setting is like and to sit assessments that are as close as possible to the length and challenge of the final assessments.

Prelims also allow teachers to give pupils feedback, let them know how they are doing and generate evidence that could be used if your child is ill or absent on the day of their exam.

Assessment evidence from class-based and prelim assessments also helps teachers submit estimates to SQA.  Estimates are used by the SQA as part of the exceptional circumstance arrangements and for their own internal quality checks.

Study Leave

This year we are offering study leave to pupils in S4, S5 and S6.  Study leave is offered on the understanding that parents/carers ensure pupils use the time well to work at home and prepare for examinations to get the best possible grades.

Pupils who are undertaking 2 exams or less may have additional support times arranged for them to undertake unit assessments.

Study Leave is from Thursday 15 January 2026 to Wednesday 28 2026 January inclusive.  All pupils must return to school on Thursday 29 January 2026.  Please note that a small number of exams will be held on Thursday 29 January and this will show on their timetable.  Pupils undertaking these exams should attend their lessons after they have had a short break.

It is permissible for pupils to stay at home before an examination or arrive at school as normal in the morning.  If a pupil has an exam first thing they will be registered at their exam.  If pupils have a later or exam or are studying they must sign in at reception then go to the library or other study areas as directed.  At the end of an examination, pupils must either go home or go to the library or other study areas as directed.  If a pupil has signed in, they must also sign back out.

Pupils are expected to be in school uniform when in school and in the library.

Personal Timetable

Pupils will be provided with personal timetables at the start of December. Each pupil should check their own timetable ensuring:

  • all the subjects and assessments you expect are included
  • you are not being asked to sit two assessments at the same time
  • that if you have two different subjects on the same day that you have enough time between them to eat your lunch and get a rest break.

A small number of pupils may have 2 exams on the same day but at different times.  Unfortunately due to the short time period we have the Prelims this is unavoidable and this may happen in the final SQA exams.  If a pupil has any concerns about their timetable, they should speak to Dr Skellern as soon as possible.

Come prepared.

Pupils should ensure they bring blue/black pens, a ruler, pencil, eraser and when necessary, a calculator.  Please do not delay or disrupt the start of an assessment and inconvenience others by arriving without the necessary equipment.

Prohibited items.

There are some things pupils are not allowed to bring into a formal assessment.  These prohibited items include:

  • Mobile phones
  • Electronic devices which can store information or connect you to others (smart watches, tablets, ear pods etc)
  • Extra information – books, notes, sketches, or anything written on paper, your clothes or your body.
  • Pencil cases or calculator cases
  • Calculators (except where they are specifically allowed)
  • Dictionaries (except where they are specifically allowed)

The reason these things are prohibited is that they could give someone an unfair advantage.

Lateness and Absence 

If, for any reason, a pupil is late for an assessment, pupils must report to the main Campus Reception without delay.  It may still be possible to sit their assessment.  If your child is ill and unable to sit an assessment please inform the school by telephone before the start of the examination.

In the event that we experience disrupted school due to adverse weather we will reschedule assessments wherever possible.  If school transport is not running, pupils should make their way to school only if it is safe to do so and if they are also able to make their own arrangements for returning home after the assessments.

Arriving for the assessment

Pupils should arrive at the assessment venue (wherever possible) at least 10 minutes before the stated start time.  Pupils will be let into the venue before the start time so that you can check you are in the right place, get settled and have any notices or instructions provided to you so that you can start at or as close to the official start time as possible.  If the assessment starts a little early or later the end time will be adjusted.

Desk numbers

Pupils will be allocated a specific desk number for each assessment.  These will be displayed outside the theatre as well as being included in any individual timetables issued.  Please sit quietly at the corresponding desk and wait for further instructions.

Invigilation

During the prelim assessments your will, be supervised (or invigilated) by many of the same team who will invigilate the final assessments.  This is to let pupils and invigilators get to know each other.  During prelims we will also use school-based staff to invigilate.  The job of an invigilator is to make sure your assessments take place according to the rules, that no-one gains an unfair advantage and that no-one is unfairly disadvantaged.

Pupils must listen to and follow any instruction given by an invigilator.

If anything, unexpected happens to you during an exam, such as feeling unwell, you should immediately and quietly raise your hand and tell an invigilator.

Question papers or booklets

In most cases when pupils arrive at your assessment desk the question paper and or answer booklet will already be on their desk.  Pupils should only touch this when directed to by an invigilator.  Pupils should check that the subject and level (i.e. National 5, Higher or Adv Higher) match the subject and level that you were expecting.

When directed pupils must complete the front of the booklet or answer paper including your name (including surname) and their desk number.  If there is space to write your SCN (Scottish candidate number) pupils should do this as well.  If pupils are the only person in a particular room their desk number should be recorded as ‘n/a’ (not applicable).

Pupils should not look at the questions or begin answering until they are directed to by an invigilator.

Writing answers

The invigilators will tell the pupils when they can begin to read the questions and write their answers.  From this point forward pupils must remain silent unless talking to an invigilator.

Pupils must use a pen with black or blue ink. Do not use gel pens as these can fade.

It is important that the markers can read the writing. They will do their best to read your work, but they might not be able to award marks if your writing is difficult to read.

In some subjects, poor spelling and punctuation could also result in marks not being awarded. If pupils have any concerns about this, or about their handwriting, pupils should speak to teacher in advance.

Pupils should remember to cross out any rough work, or any unwanted answers if they make more than one attempt at a question.

The invigilators will tell pupils when to stop writing.  When they do pupils should remain silent, put their pen or pencil down and wait for further instructions.

Leaving the exam room

Candidates must remain in the examination room under the supervision of the invigilator(s) for the complete duration of the examination.  Leaving early is not normally permitted as it can disrupt other candidates.  We would ask that pupils go to the toilet before their assessments to reduce the need for supervised toilet breaks during the assessment.

Before pupils leave, they must give the invigilator all their exam papers, including any answer booklets, extra sheets, question papers and data booklets. Pupils could lose all marks for the paper concerned if they don’t give their exam papers to the invigilator before leaving the exam room.

Additional expectations re conduct in formal assessments

We expect that pupils will model the school’s values of Honesty, Hard work, Ambition, Respect and Kindness before, during and after their assessments.  We expect this between pupils but also in relation to members of the invigilation team and school staff.

Fairness & Malpractice

Everyone should have a fair chance to do their best during exams. Cheating or causing a disturbance during an exam is unfair to other candidates.  Examples of cheating and unfair behaviour (candidate malpractice) include the following:

  • Having prohibited items with you at your seat in the exam room
  • Pretending to be someone else or getting someone else to take an exam for you
  • Disruptive behaviour in the exam room
  • Using rude, abusive, offensive or discriminatory language or images
  • Copying from another person
  • Collusion — communicating with other candidates working with other candidates on an individual task that must be your own work
  • Plagiarism – failing to reference sources properly or presenting someone else’s work as your own

Any cheating or unfair behaviour can have serious consequences for your results. This could include losing marks, receiving a lower grade or having your qualification cancelled.

Venues

At this time, we plan to deliver assessments in the same range of venues used for the final exams.  This includes the schools Theatre and Dance Studios, as well as some of the smaller rooms in the school.

In order to meet specific identified needs, some pupils may be invited to sit assessments in venues other than those shown in the master timetable and this information will be communicated to pupils on an individual basis.

We appreciate that this is a lot of information to take in, but we believe it is important to give our school community as much information as possible.

On behalf of the staff at Alford Academy, I wish each pupil every success and am grateful for the support and assistance provided by parents/carers in helping them prepare for these important assessments.

Yours sincerely

Mrs Angela M Wotherspoon

Head Teacher

 

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