Scottish National Standardised Assessments

Over the coming weeks all pupils in S3 will be taking part in Scottish National Standardised Assessment. Below is some information on the assessments and how they are used.

What are the Scottish National Standardised Assessments?

All Scottish school children in P1, P4, P7 and S3 will complete online standardised assessments in literacy and numeracy. The assessments help to identify children’s progress, providing diagnostic information to support teachers’ professional judgement.

Children and young people do not have to revise or prepare for these assessments. The assessments are as inclusive as possible to accommodate the needs of children and young people who require additional support. There is no pass or fail

Why have these assessments been introduced?

Assessment is a central part of everyday learning and teaching for every child and young person. The Scottish National Standardised Assessments have been introduced as part of the National Improvement Framework for Scottish Education to provide teachers with objective, comparable information about progress, which will help improve outcomes for all children and young people.

These assessments have been specifically designed to reflect the way we deliver education in Scotland and are aligned with Curriculum for Excellence. Ongoing and periodic assessments are, and will continue to be, the main basis of teachers’ professional judgement. Teachers continue to draw on all of the assessment information available to them when considering children’s progress and planning next steps in learning.

An overview of assessments

The web-based Scottish National Standardised Assessments tool enables teachers to administer online literacy and numeracy assessments to learners in P1, P4, P7 and S3. The assessments are marked and scored automatically giving teachers immediate feedback to help children progress.

Once assessments have been completed, a diagnostic report will be available for individuals and groups of learners. The information provided by the assessments is used by teachers when making professional judgements about children’s progress. The reports focus on establishing where learners are in their progress in literacy and numeracy, identifying strengths as well as areas that require further support.

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