THE Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is under pressure to investigate evidence of widespread cheating in Higher and Advanced Higher exams.

Universities have also been urged to launch an inquiry following claims that the practice is rife among undergraduates.

The Manchester-based Essaywriter.co.uk — Britain’s biggest online provider of bespoke essays — has revealed that more than a third of its business comes from Scotland.

It claims to have provided essays to 2,500 students to allow them to cheat in Higher and Advanced Higher exams. It also claims to have sold essays to 8,500 university students.

The company has about 350 specialist writers based in Scotland who compile exam standard essays to order in 70 subjects. Students pay £239 for a 2,500 word Higher, Advanced Higher or undergraduate level assignment. It is one of 12 internet companies offering such a service.

Last week Ruth Kelly, the education secretary, ordered a review of coursework in A-levels and GCSEs after the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority — the exam watchdog for England and Wales — found evidence of widespread cheating.

A two-year review of more than a dozen subjects, including English, history and maths, revealed a cheating “free-for-all”, including plagiarism via the internet and a collusion among pupils, parents and teachers which was boosting the grades of pupils.

The SQA has refused to conduct a similar review north of the border, claiming that Scotland “doesn’t have a major problem”.

However, Essaywriter.co.uk claims that 11,000 of its 30,000 customers are from Scotland and 20% are pre-university level. The most popular Higher and Advanced Higher subjects in which it helps students to cheat are maths, information technology, psychology, business studies and modern languages.

Most of its business comes from Glasgow and Edinburgh and many customers are foreign students struggling to cope with the Scottish system.

Coursework is an integral part of Highers and Advanced Highers, accounting for up to 75% of the marks allocated. At degree level, coursework can account for as much as 40% of the result.

“Plagiarism has always gone on. Our service is to try to offer some assistance to help students gain qualifications but not to write material for them,” said Matthew Wilson, the company’s managing director. “We seem to have a higher number of Scots at Higher level than the rest of the UK.”

Politicians accused the SQA of being complacent and said it should conduct an inquiry.

“The fact that so many students are registered with this company is indicative that there is a problem. An overall tightening up is necessary,” said Bill Aitken, chief whip for the Scottish Conservatives.

Fiona Hyslop, SNP education spokeswoman, said: “The SQA has to be vigilant at all costs to make sure the Highers are protected.”

David Cockburn, a former principal examiner for English Higher, said: “There is nothing to stop a kid buying an essay from the internet and copying it out. Coursework is marked internally and I think there needs to be some sort of moderation in place to make sure the rules are being obeyed.”

Mike Heggarty, head of communications at the SQA, said there were no plans for an investigation. “The assistance gained through this type of thing is only part of the course. To gain a pass candidates have to pass in the exam room without access to this facility.”

Universities Scotland said: “Most of those doing this are caught and will jeopardise their futures. They will be looking at going through life without a degree when in most cases they would have been intelligent enough to pass.”

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