Scottish Highers, GCSE's

[alijangra]

Does anybody happen to know how long these qualifications are valid for university entry ie would someone have to use them within 5 years or do they remain valid indefinitely?

[Gef]

Once you've got them you've got them. They don't have a use by date.

PS They don't do GCSEs in Scotland.

[alijangra]

Yes I know they dont do GCSEs in Scotland! They are the English equivalent, that is why I put them in the question so I could get answers from north and south of the border in the assumption that the same rules apply. Thank you for your answer.

[Suzyboo]

What is the Scottish equivalent to A levels?

[Mumof2]

this should explain what you need to know

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Higher

[macpark]

May I beg to differ?

In Scotland you did "O" Grades (now called Standard Grades) and these were the equivlent of GCSE's or the old "O" levels. Then you did Highers and if you stayed to do a 6th Year then you did SYS's which were called Sixthe Year Studies.
The difference is that everything was done a year earlier:
O Grades in 4th Year, Highers in 5th and SYS in 6th. There was no Upper 6th. I left school at 16 yrs 5 mths with 10 O grades and 5 Highers having "Completed " my senior school education!!
You then could go to University at 17. When I left school in 1976 it was commonly assumed that the first year of a degree course at a scottish university was comparable to an Upper 6th Year in England in subject content. I realise that this may well no longer be the case as this was 30 years ago!!

[alijangra]

Ok, well the point of my question is 'How long are they valid for?', A levels, GCSEs whatever the higher level one is!! Gef has already answered this, I welcome anyone else's answer to the question I actually posed in the first place. Suzyboo it appears Mumof2 has answered your query and indeed pointed out I was mixed up between A levels and GCSEs. What I really want to know is how long are your school qualifications (whatever they may be!) valid for university entry? A friend of mine is considering university however it is 12 years since she left school, and I wanted to know if the universities will accept her qualifications as readily as they would accept a school leaver. Thank you for all your answers.