“I’ve only caught three exam cheats in 25 years”

When the final exam in the 2024 Scottish exam scheme – Gaelic Nat 5 listening – later concludes, candidates, teachers and parents across the country will breathe a sigh of relief.

So will the army of people who must ensure that logistics run smoothly and that no one cheats.

These are the invigilators who, for six weeks each spring, manage all aspects of Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) assessments in more than 500 schools and colleges.

Dr. Alex Laird is one of them.

The end of this year’s exams means the end of a quarter of a century of supporting students as they take their Highers and National 5s.

Dr Laird is Head Supervisor at Portobello High School in Edinburgh, where her main focus for 25 years has been ensuring everything is in place for candidates to do their best.

“You need to have good organizational skills, attention to detail and it helps a lot if you have a really good memory,” she said.

“Candidates should just be able to come and take the exam without any excitement or fuss for them.”

She says many people assume the job involves walking up and down to make sure people aren’t cheating. But it also involves complex logistics.

And Dr Laird revealed that from her experience working with thousands of applicants, she can count on one hand the number of people she has caught cheating.

She told BBC Scotland News: “There have only been three indisputable incidents of intentional breaking of the rules.

“One of them was taking a modern languages ​​exam and I was struck by the fact that one candidate seemed to be looking up an awful lot of words (in a dictionary) starting with A or B. But it turned out that they had hidden notes in there.

“The most recent one was a cell phone in someone’s pocket, which is clearly completely against the rules. Not only was it in their pocket, it was on.”

She added that these incidents were very rare and that the overwhelming majority of candidates were polite, grateful and followed the rules.

Another major change and additional challenge is the increase in the number of candidates who need special conditions to take their exams, such as the use of IT, obtaining extra time or having a room separated.

Dr Laird said: “It’s no longer the idea that everyone walks into the school hall.

“This year we had 22 rooms available for Nat Five English.

“Many students also need their exam paper to be slightly different from the standard version – such as a particular font, enlarged print or colored paper.

“Some schools may need them to be in Braille, so you need to know exactly where that applicant is going to be because you need to provide them with the correct paper.”

Dr. Laird also trains other supervisors and advises them on their responsibilities, right down to their shoes.

She said: “Squeaky shoes would have driven me absolutely crazy when I was a candidate.

“Similarly, jingling coins or keys in their pockets is a no-no.

“The role of a supervisor is to be there to try to prevent any problems and not to be the cause of them.”