Scotland has seen an overall rise in exam pass rates, with vocational and technical qualifications achieving a record high this year. Over 148,000 learners across the country received their results, which were published this week.
A total of 120,485 vocational and technical qualifications at levels 1-6 were achieved, marking a 9.1% increase compared to 2025. More than 131,000 individuals took exams in over 460 educational institutions, including schools, colleges, and training centers.
Despite the overall positive trend, a notable attainment gap persists between students from the least deprived and most deprived areas of Scotland. While this gap has slightly narrowed in the latest figures, it remains a significant concern.
At the National 5 level, the attainment gap stands at 15.6 percentage points, down from 16.4% in the previous year. This gap represents the difference between the 86.6% of students from more affluent backgrounds who achieved A to C grades and the 71% of students from the most deprived areas who attained the same grades.
Similar trends were observed at higher education levels. The attainment gap for Higher qualifications decreased from 16.8% to 15.9 percentage points. For Advanced Higher qualifications, the gap reduced from 13.3% to 12.1 percentage points.