IOP responds to 2024 Scottish exam results

The publication of results by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) on 6 August 2024 show the number of Higher Physics candidates rose slightly to 8,065, meaning that it remained the eighth-most popular subject at Higher level, and was even more popular at Advanced Higher level, where it was the fifth-most popular overall.

However, attainment levels at the top grades have fallen back to levels not seen since pre-COVID. Grade As were achieved by only 28.9% of entrants, comparable with 28.7% in 2019. Under different assessment models used in recent years, this rose to 41.5% in 2020, 42.4% in 2021, and 37.0% in 2022. It was still 34.1% last year. 

Similar patterns of lower attainment in a post-COVID environment were also seen at National 5 and Advanced Higher level, with the change in Advanced Higher being the most pronounced. 

There also remains a significant gender disparity. It is the fourth-most popular Higher subject among boys but fifteenth among girls, who made up 27% of Higher physics students.

Alison McLure, Head of the IOP Scotland, said, “Physics is not only an exciting way to understand and change the world, it opens-up huge career opportunities in academia and research, energy and engineering, health, finance, technology, education, manufacturing and industry (including specialist sectors like photonics and space). 

“Physics-based employment is higher in Scotland than any other part of the UK, with one in ten jobs occurring in physics-based businesses. Physicists typically earn salaries of £47,000 in Scotland (PDF, 913KB) (compared with £42,000 across the whole UK).

“But Scotland also needs many more people with physics knowledge and skills to succeed. The National Innovation Strategy confirms that most key growth areas are strongly dependent on physics-based technology. Scotland also has a more ambitious net zero target than the UK. And research conducted by the Institute of Physics has revealed that there are significant skills gaps, which are causing innovating physics-based businesses to delay or abandon plans to invest. 

“Making the physics community more diverse will also make the sector more successful, and because these are well-paid jobs, having more women and girls study and pursue physics will help to close the gender pay gap. 

“We urgently need the Scottish Government’s education reform programme to prioritise making physics learning more engaging and connected to the needs of the modern world, to highlight the huge range of exciting and rewarding careers available to physics learners, and to focus these efforts through a renewed and powerful STEM education and training strategy.”