John Swinney was informed of the substantial scale of a decision to downgrade the exam results of thousands of pupils during the COVID-19 lockdown, but he did not raise any specific concerns, an inquiry has heard.
Fiona Robertson, the former chief executive of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), told the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry on July 30, 2020—five days before results were released—that approximately 26.2% of entries were expected to be adjusted, with 93.1% of those adjustments being downward.
Swinney, who was also the education secretary at the time, received this information in a meeting with Robertson. While he asked questions about the details, Robertson testified that he did not indicate dissatisfaction or raise specific concerns during the discussion. The purpose of the meeting, she stated, was to explain the SQA's approach rather than to seek ministerial approval.
The SQA's moderation process followed the cancellation of exams that year, with teachers' estimated grades being adjusted. The subsequent release of results sparked controversy, with accusations that students from less advantaged backgrounds were disproportionately affected by the downgrades.
This situation led to Swinney facing a vote of no confidence. The inquiry has also heard that Swinney's staff engaged in discussions to mitigate the political fallout.
Following the outcry, Swinney announced a ministerial direction to restore grades to teacher estimates, with exceptions only for cases where the SQA had raised the mark. However, for some students, this change came too late to secure places on specific university courses.
Robertson, who served as SQA chief executive from 2019 to 2025, maintained that an appeals process would have addressed the issues, but that ministers intervened. She added that while the Scottish Government was aware in advance that moderation was occurring, the precise details of the results were shared for the first time in the July 30 meeting.
Robertson stated that any private concerns Swinney may have held would be a question for him to answer, but she recalled the discussion as constructive and positive, feeling that the SQA's approach had been adequately explained. The inquiry is ongoing.