Prelims in Scotland 2027
There is no national SQA prelim timetable for 2027. Each school sets its own prelim dates, writes its own papers and marks them itself.
Prelims are set by each school. The real exams start on Monday 26 April 2027.
What prelims are
Prelims are practice exams for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses. They follow the style of the real exams. You can test your timing, revision and exam technique.
Your school creates the question papers and your teachers mark them. Qualifications Scotland does not set, mark or check prelims. Schools also decide whether to hold prelims at all.
Why there is no national prelim timetable
Qualifications Scotland only publishes the timetable for the final exams. In 2027 those run from Monday 26 April to Wednesday 2 June.
Your prelim dates come from your school. Check the school website or ask your guidance teacher if you have not been given them.
When prelims usually happen
Dates vary from school to school. For example, Auchmuty High School in Fife holds its prelims each year in November to December. Lenzie Academy in East Dunbartonshire runs January assessments.
Whatever the date, prelims fall months before the April exam start. That leaves time to work on weak topics.
How prelims are used
Estimates
Your school sends an estimated grade for each course to Qualifications Scotland before the exams start. Teachers base estimates on evidence from across the year. That can include prelims, class tests and class work.
Exceptional circumstances
Illness, bereavement or another serious event can stop you sitting an exam, or badly affect it. In that case your school can apply to the Examination Exceptional Circumstances Consideration Service.
Your grade is then decided using alternative evidence produced before the exam. Accepted evidence includes prelims, mock exams, end of topic tests, performance recordings and class work. This is the main reason a strong prelim matters, even though it does not count directly.
Only the school or college can make the request. It must be made within 10 working days of the exam.
Appeals
Appeals work differently. The appeals service checks how your actual exam and coursework were marked. A senior marker reviews your marked work, so prelim results are not part of an appeal.
Getting the most from your prelims
- Ask for your prelim timetable early and plan revision around it.
- Sit each prelim under real exam conditions, with the same timings.
- Go through your marked paper with your teacher and note the marks you lost.
- Build your revision plan for the spring around those gaps.
- Use past papers to practise the questions that caught you out.
Treat a prelim as a real exam. It is often your best chance to build up evidence before the final exams.
If you miss a prelim
Tell your school as soon as possible. Each school has its own policy on missed prelims and catch-up papers.
If you are ill for a long spell, keep your school updated. Other class assessments can also count as evidence for estimates.
Quick answers
- Does Qualifications Scotland set prelim exams?
No. Your school writes the prelim papers and your teachers mark them. Qualifications Scotland is not involved.
- When are prelims in 2027?
Each school sets its own dates. Some hold prelims in November and December, others in January. Ask your school for its timetable.
- Do prelim results count towards my final grade?
Not directly. Your final grade comes from the exam and any coursework. Prelims feed into your estimated grade and can be used as evidence if your school applies for exceptional circumstances.
- Can I use my prelim result in an appeal?
No. The appeals service reviews how your exam and coursework were marked. It does not use prelim results.
- Do all schools hold prelims?
No. Schools decide whether to run prelims and what form they take.