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P1 to P7

Primary school assessment in Scotland

Scotland has no national exams in primary school. Teachers judge your child's progress through Curriculum for Excellence levels. In P1, P4 and P7, children also take short online assessments called the SNSA, which help teachers but have no pass or fail.

Tests by school yearWhat are CfE levels?
Updated on Sources

Which assessment in which school year?

From P1 to P7. Pick a row for the full guide.

P1age 4–6
P26–7
P37–8
P48–9
P59–10
P610–11
P711–12
  1. SNSA

    Short online assessments in literacy and numeracy, at a time the school chooses.

    P 1 age 4–6; P 4 8–9; P 7 11–12
  2. Early level

    The Curriculum for Excellence level most children complete by the end of P1.

    P 1 age 4–6
  3. First level

    Most children complete it by the end of P4.

    P 2 6–7; P 3 7–8; P 4 8–9
  4. Second level

    Most children complete it by the end of P7.

    P 5 9–10; P 6 10–11; P 7 11–12
  5. Reports and parents' evenings

    Teachers share progress and next steps through the year.

    P 1 age 4–6; P 2 6–7; P 3 7–8; P 4 8–9; P 5 9–10; P 6 10–11; P 7 11–12

The test guide

What the SNSA cover, how they work and how progress is reported.

The 2026–2027 school year

Schools and councils set most dates. These are the usual periods. Exact dates are shown only where checked against the official timetable; other periods are indicative. Confirm local arrangements with your school.

  1. Any time in the school year
    SNSA

    P1, P4 and P7 · the school picks the moment

  2. Autumn 2026 (indicative; check locally)
    Parents' evenings

    All years · dates set by the school

  3. January 2027 (indicative; check locally)
    P1 registration

    For children starting school in August 2027

  4. By March 2027 (indicative; check locally)
    Placing requests for S1

    P7 · for a school other than your catchment school

  5. By April 2027 (indicative; check locally)
    Placing request decisions

    P7 · for requests made by March

  6. June 2027 (indicative; check locally)
    Transition visits and end-of-year report

    P7 visits the new secondary school

  7. Mid-August 2027 (indicative; check locally)
    New school year

    P7 pupils start S1

After P7: starting secondary school

Children start S1 in August after P7, at around age 12. No test decides which state secondary school your child goes to.

  • Catchment school

    1. P7
    2. S1

    Then: National Qualifications from S4

    Most children go to the secondary school for their home address.

  • Placing request

    1. Request by 15 March
    2. S1

    Then: Decision by April

    You can ask for a place at another state school. The council decides, mainly on space.

More in the guide:

SNSA and CfE levels

Sources

Updated on 12 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.