Update on transition from SQA to Qualifications Scotland - October 2025
On Thursday 2 October the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth, confirmed that Qualifications Scotland will start work on 1 December 2025. Due to legislative process, this will be followed by a phased period of transition and the new awarding body will become fully operational on 1 February 2026.
What this means
Qualifications Scotland becomes a legal entity on 1 December 2025, which means the new organisation’s Board can be appointed and new governance arrangements set out in the Education (Scotland) Act 2025 can be created. This includes setting up the:
- Strategic Advisory Council
- Learner and Practitioner Interest Committees
- Accreditation Committee
In addition, work will begin on developing the learner and practitioner charters.
On 1 February 2026, Qualifications Scotland will become fully operational and start exercising its statutory awarding and accreditation functions. At this point, the new brand will be launched. While SWQR invoices, letters and backing sheets will reference Qualifications Scotland, they will retain the SWQR logo.
Staff at SQA are working hard to ensure Qualifications Scotland is ready to deliver a positive experience for all our learners, customers and stakeholders.
We will continue to keep you updated on key developments relating to the transition of SQA to Qualifications Scotland.