Jonathan Lessware BBC Scotland news website

The BBC Scotland news website has been contacted by dozens of anxious pupils and parents desperate to access their exam results online.

The new system was meant to ease the pain of waiting for the postman to deliver the grades through the letterbox.

Anna Kordeczka took three hours to get her results

But instead the Scottish Qualifications Authority's website has led to anger and disappointment for thousands of people who signed up to receive their results online and a day earlier than usual.

Anna Kordeczka, 17, decided to register for the service to ensure she received her results at the same time as her friends.

Her place on a product design and engineering course at the University of Glasgow depended on how she performed in her Advanced Higher chemistry and biology and Higher physics.

But when she went to access the SQA's online results page at 0930 BST she was greeted with an error message.

Anna, a former pupil at Mearns Castle High School, said: "The most annoying thing was that they didn't have anything up to say they were having problems. There was no other information.

"I rang the SQA but all I got was an engaged tone."

Three nervous hours later, and after repeatedly trying to enter the site, Anna finally saw her results - three As.

While the SQA are calling this a success, there are people like me who still have not got their results Tara McDonald

She said: "We were told we could get our results early but in the end we were left hanging in the air.

"I still have friends who don't know what they got. In the end there was a message saying the site had 'coped as expected'."

In some e-mails, concerned students voiced their anger saying they were "furious" with the blunder.

Others reported delays of seven hours getting their results while some said they were still trying to get their results.

Tara McDonald, of Berwickshire High School, said: "This is an incredibly infuriating experience.

"While the SQA are calling this a success, there are people like me who still have not got their results due to the incompetence and unpreparedness of the organization."

Heather Wells, 16, of South Queensferry said she had been locked out of her account since 0645 BST.

'More precautions'

"I have been waiting for nearly a total of seven hours and a half hours," she said.

"Unless more precautions are taken next year I don't they should continue using the online results as it just seems to be causing problems for many people."

Caitlin Leach, 17, a pupil at Broughton High School in Edinburgh, had to wait more than two hours before she was finally able to access her results.

"It was really frustrating," she said. "You spend all that time building up to get your results and then you can't get them."

Calvin McDonald, 15, a pupil at Preston Lodge High School in Prestonpans, East Lothian, received his results in a text message at 0800 BST but when he went online to double check he was unable to do so.

"The SQA knew that over 30,000 young people would be logging on this morning, and failed to take proper precautions," he said.