Rising pass rates and a narrowing gap: Scotland’s 2025 exam results

After a stormy start to the exam results period in Scotland, with Royal Mail warning deliveries of certificates to the Outer Hebrides, Arran and Shetland were facing delays due to weather disruption, there was cause for optimism in the rising pass rates of Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) learners.

Headlines were mostly positive, with SQA reporting a reduction in the attainment gap between candidates from the most and least deprived areas of the country. UCAS has also said a record number of Scots had been offered university or college places.

According to SQA, attainment rose across the board compared to 2024. For National 5 exams, 78.4% of candidates achieved A to C grades (up 1.1 percentages points). Higher level A to C passes increased from 74.9% to 75.9% with A grades specifically increasing. In Advanced Higher, A to C pass rate and A grades also both increased.

The Attainment Gap – the difference in educational performance between pupils from the most affluent backgrounds and those from the most deprived – narrowed across all qualification levels. In Scotland, the SQA measures the gap by comparing the proportion of pupils who achieve passes (A-C) in exams in the most deprived 20% of areas to the proportion of the least deprived 20% using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation:

At National 5 level, the gap closed from 17.2 percentage points in 2024 to 16.5 percentage points in 2025.

At Higher level, the gap narrowed slightly from 17.2 percentage points to 17.1 percentage points.

At Advanced Higher level, the gap saw a more noticeable reduction from 15.5 percentage points to 12.8 percentage points.

Scotland’s 2025 exam results will bring real cause for celebration and optimism. More learners achieving higher grades and a narrowed attainment gap is undoubtedly positive. The Scottish Government will, however, remain cautious and admit there is still plenty of work to be done in order to improve these results in future. Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said it was a “very positive day” for the “pandemic generation” but insists the Government wants to “go further” in cutting the attainment gap. She added:

“It was a very positive day for Scottish education and for our children and young people.

“These young people lived through lockdown and I do think that has impacted on the way in which they interact with school.

“That progression, that kind of return to normal, has really been evident in this year’s very strong set of exam results.”