The Ordinary Grade (commonly known as the "O-Grade") of the

Scottish Certificate of Education The Scottish Certificate of Education (or SCE) was a Scottish secondary education certificate, used in schools and sixth form institutions, from 1962 until 1999. It replaced the older Junior Secondary Certificate (JSC) and the Scottish Leaving Ce ...

is a now-discontinued qualification which was studied for as part of the Scottish secondary education system. It could be considered broadly equivalent to the old

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

O-Level The O-Level (Ordinary Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education. It was introduced in place of the School Certificate in 1951 as part of an educational reform alongside the more in-dept ...

qualification and is the predecessor to the Standard Grade. Along with its more advanced sibling, the ' Higher Grade', the O-Grade was the bedrock of the Scottish educational system for many years. Its name refers to one of the two levels at which the Scottish Certificate of Education was awarded, the Higher Grade being the other. The term "O-Grade" can also be used to refer to a pass in a subject at that level, e.g. "He has seven O-Grades". Courses were studied over two years, taking place during the third and fourth years (age 13-16) of a pupil's time at

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

. They were available in a wide range of subjects. A good pass at O-Grade would normally enable a pupil to take the same subject at Higher Grade in his or her fifth (or possibly sixth) year, if so desired. This did not always follow however, particularly as many more pupils left school at the end of their fourth year than is the case nowadays. Over time, the O-Grade was gradually phased out and replaced by other educational assessments. Its replacement, the Standard Grade, focused more closely on

coursework Coursework (also course work, especially British English) is work performed by students or trainees for the purpose of learning. Coursework may be specified and assigned by teachers, or by learning guides in self-taught courses. Coursework can e ...

and the application of knowledge. The

Standard Grade Standard Grades were Scotland's educational qualifications for students aged around 14 to 16 years. Introduced in 1986, the Grades were replaced in 2013 with the Scottish Qualifications Authority's National exams in a major shake-up of Scotland's e ...

has eventually been replaced by the National 4/5 qualifications, as part of the introduction of the Curriculum for Excellence. According to the BBC, Learning Minister Dr.

Alasdair Allan Alasdair James Allan (born 6 May 1971) is a Scottish politician serving as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency since 2007. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), he served as a Scottish ...

and teachers in general claim that the change from the O-Grade system to the latter systems (Standard Grade & National 4/5 qualifications) was a major shake-up in the Scottish education system and involved excessive bureaucracy.

References

Educational qualifications in Scotland Secondary school qualifications School examinations Secondary education in Scotland {{Scotland-education-stub

See also

References