Scotland’s exam passes rise as two records fall

beehiveweb.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-04 14:02 3 min read

A student cycles through a historic university courtyard in Edinburgh, Scotland.

A record 269,115 National 5 passes were achieved on Scotland’s 2026 Results Day, while pass rates increased for National 5, Highers and Advanced Highers for the second consecutive year.

The figures, published by Qualifications Scotland for the first time and reported by the Scottish Government, also show a record total of more than 120,000 vocational and technical qualification awards. Outcomes improved across the most and least deprived areas, narrowing the poverty-related attainment gap.

National 5 reaches a record as every pass rate rises

National 5 had a 79.2% pass rate, an increase of 0.8 percentage points from the previous year. The Higher pass rate rose by the same margin to 76.7%, while Advanced Highers increased by 0.9 points to 77.6%.

Qualification	2026 result and change
National 5	79.2% pass rate, up 0.8 points
Highers	76.7% pass rate, up 0.8 points
Advanced Highers	77.6% pass rate, up 0.9 points

Compared with the pre-pandemic results of 2019, the National 5 pass rate was one percentage point higher and the Higher rate was 1.9 points higher. No equivalent 2019 comparison was supplied for Advanced Highers.

The record National 5 total and the higher pass rate are related but distinct measures. The rate describes the share of graded results that passed, while the total number of passes can also be affected by how many assessments were taken. The published summary does not provide entry totals, so it cannot show how much each factor contributed to the record.

Qualifications Scotland also reported an increase in the proportion of National 5 results awarded Grade A. The source did not provide the exact percentage.

Poverty-related attainment gap narrows again

The gap in A–C passes between Scotland’s most and least deprived areas became smaller across the graded national qualifications. Attainment increased for learners in both groups, rather than the change resulting from weaker outcomes in the least deprived areas.

Scotland’s exam passes rise as two records fall

The available summary does not give the separate pass rates or the precise size of the gap. It therefore shows the direction of travel but does not establish that the divide has closed or explain what caused the improvement.

Learners with additional support needs also recorded higher pass rates and a greater percentage of A grades at National 5 and Higher level compared with both the previous year and 2024.

Education Secretary Màiri McAllan welcomed the narrowing gap but said further work was required. She pointed to £1.75 billion invested in the Scottish Attainment Challenge over the past decade, with up to £200 million being invested this year.

Vocational and technical awards reach a new high

More than 120,000 vocational and technical qualifications were awarded, a record total representing a 9.1% increase from the previous year. The number was also 121% higher than before the pandemic.

These awards cover routes beyond the three graded national qualifications, including subjects connected with engineering, childcare, sport, journalism and the creative industries. Their growth means the overall results picture cannot be judged solely through National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher pass rates.

Results support remains available to students

McAllan congratulated learners while acknowledging that some would be disappointed. Teachers can help students consider their next steps, while the Skills Development Scotland Results Helpline is taking calls from anyone uncertain about work, training or further study. Qualifications Scotland’s Learner Support Hub also provides results resources.

Source: Scottish Government News

Context & actions About this article

Source check How this report was checked

The pass rates, record totals and attainment-gap claims were checked against the Scottish Government’s account of Qualifications Scotland data.

Checks

Compared the stated pass rates and annual percentage-point changes for all three graded qu...
Kept record pass totals separate from pass-rate comparisons.
Distinguished supplied 2019 comparisons from qualifications without a stated pre-pandemic...
Flagged that the source does not provide the exact size of the poverty-related attainment...

Scottish Government News Check wider reporting