The SQA was created in 1997 after a merger of the Scottish Exam Board with Scotvec, the body which awarded vocational qualifications.

Since then, there has been a series of marking and assessment controversies with the exam body being accused of a lack of transparency and poor communication.

To name just one, in 2024 the SQA blamed a slump in grades on the Higher History exam on poor responses from students, while teachers accused the exam body of "moving the goalposts" and said there had been stricter marking and greater detail required.

This year's exam results are the first under Scotland's new exams body - Qualifications Scotland.

The organisation replaces the Scottish Qualifications Authority which was scrapped after a series of controversies, including the downgrading of some students during the Covid pandemic.

The announcement that the SQA would be scrapped came in June 2021 but it has taken more than four years for the new body to be put in its place.

Qualifications Scotland became a legal entity in December after MSPs passed legislation in June, with government ministers arguing they will improve the system.

Scotland's new exams body plans to shake up the qualifications system and ensure exams are "absolutely fit for purpose" but it has previously been reported these changes will not implemented until 2031.

It's 08:00, so learners who signed up to get their results by email or text should start receiving them now.

We'll be keeping an eye out to see how this year's exam results compare to last year.

The National 5 qualifications figure rose from 77.2% in 2024 to 78.4% in 2025.

The rate for Higher increased from 74.9% to 75.9%, and the rate for Advanced Higher rose from 75.3% to 76.7%.

Figures released earlier this year showed that the attainment gap between Scotland's richest and poorest school pupils remains wider than it was before the pandemic.

Robbie Boyle
BBC Scotland

More than 600 students in the north east of Scotland will not get results today as expected, due to a technical problem.

North East Scotland College says 664 students on Skills For Work courses are now expected to get results next week due to an issue with data shared on a Qualifications Scotland system in mid-July.

Work has been ongoing since last week to resolve the issue.

Those who completed HNC and HND courses, as well as foundation apprenticeships and national certificates, are also facing a delay in getting their certificates but it is understood these students will already know their results.

Students who sat National 5 and Higher exams will receive their results as planned this morning.

The college says support is available for students.

Katy McCloskey
Senior producer, Scotland education

All in, 148,000 learners will receive results in the post today.

This number accounts for everyone: those sitting exams as well as vocational courses such as progression awards, national certificates, and Skills for Work.

Over 131,000 people sat exams in over 460 schools, colleges and training centres.

Marking all of that is a mammoth task. More than 7,000 markers marked over 1.5 million assessments and the exams were supervised by over 9,000 invigilators.

And there were 146 meetings to set the grade boundaries.

Over half of learners - almost 67,000 - have also signed up to receive a text and/or email.

But everyone still gets an envelope delivered by the Royal Mail.

The results are sent out by first-class post but many students have opted to receive their grades digitally.

Text messages and emails are due to be sent to the 67,000 candidates who have an activated My Qualifications Scotland, external account from 08:00 onwards.

Every learner will also receive their results by post, but it will depend on when your mail normally arrives.

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage as more than 148,000 people in Scotland prepare to receive their results.

The results for Nationals, Highers, Advanced Highers and Skills for Work Awards will be issued from 08:00.

We'll bring you full updates on how school pupils and other learners have fared, as well as analysis and advice on what students could do next.