# Swinney raised no specific objections to Scotland’s 2020 exam downgrades

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/john-swinney-had-no-concerns-over-downgrade-of-exams-results-during-lockdown/
- Published: 2026-10-29T19:53:03+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-29T20:07:40+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16250325/Swinney-no-concern-downgrade-exams-results-covid-lockdown.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Business, Markets, World

## Key points

- Swinney was briefed on widespread grade reductions before results day.
- The SQA expected 93.1 per cent of adjusted grades to fall.
- Grades were later restored in most cases, but some university offers were lost.

## Summary

John Swinney was told that Scotland’s 2020 exam moderation would lower about a quarter of grades, but the inquiry heard he raised no specific concerns at the time. The results caused a political row over whether the system unfairly disadvantaged poorer pupils, and put Swinney, then education secretary and Deputy First Minister, under pressure.

Former Scottish Qualifications Authority chief executive Fiona Robertson said ministers first received the detailed figures at a meeting on 30 July, five days before results were released. The SQA expected 26.2 per cent of entries to be adjusted, with 93.1 per cent of those lowered; Swinney later directed that grades be restored to teacher estimates in most cases, after some pupils had already lost university places.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.