SQA Higher Maths exam 2015: Crocodile and zebra question ‘proved to be challenging’

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A maths exam that was deemed ‘too difficult’ to pass had to have its pass rate lowered because of two culprits, it has been revealed. open image in gallery Another one of the 'challenging' questions Despite this, the report adds how one particular puzzling question about a crocodile stalking a zebra upstream was one of the reasons the mark had to be considerably lowered, adding it had ‘proved to be challenging for most candidates’. Speaking with BBC Scotland, the former principal assessor who was responsible for setting the maths exam until 2012, Jim Reid, said that, for a paper of its nature, alarm bells should have been ringing ‘far, far in advance’ over what the exam board was looking for. Remembering the pass marks for the exam going back to the 1960s, Mr Reid said he had never expected one as low as this years, and said: “To reduce it to that level really says the paper was unfit for purpose.” This year’s Higher Maths situation involved two papers, the first of which had replaced a multiple choice paper.