It’s one of the most important days in education for thousands of students across Scotland as they await to receive their exam results.

If they haven't already, students sitting National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams will be receiving their results this morning through the post, text or by email.

But after a long wait, sometimes the results aren’t always what pupils had hoped for, meaning there are different avenues they can explore if this is the case.

For those who wish to appeal their grades, there has been a change in the appeals process which all students should be aware of.

What changes has SQA made to the exam appeals process?

This is due to the exam board SQA announcing a change to the process back in February this year.

Students who took the exams will now have access to a “free and direct appeals service,” reports The Scottish Sun.

It’s also important to note that no coursework or prelims will be sent to the SQA board as substitute evidence, so what happens instead?

This year, those in education who are concerned their final grade is not correct will have the choice to request a marking review of their specific exam paper.

This means senior exam markers will carry out a “marking review” of the SQA exams but once reviewed, the final grade could go up or down and even stay the same as before.

An SQA spokesperson told The Scottish Sun: "Appeals 2023 is a free service and is available from 09:00 tomorrow (August 8).

"The service was developed following an extensive evaluation of the exams and appeals services that were in place last year, when more than 3,500 learners, teachers, lecturers, parents, carers and principal assessors fed back their views and experiences.

"The Appeals 2023 is a step on the path back to normal awarding following the pandemic, with no requirement for alternative assessment evidence.”

They added: "Instead, learners who believe their final grade is incorrect will be able to request a marking review of their SQA-marked exams and coursework.

"In making decisions about the appeals services, and the support available to learners in 2023, SQA and the wider education community have considered the principles of fairness to all learners and maintaining the integrity and credibility of learners’ qualifications."

If you are a student who is thinking of appealing, it’s advised you should discuss it with a teacher or another member of school/college staff.

The SQA appeals service became active from 9am this morning (August 8).