Advanced Higher History
Advanced Higher History is a 3-hour, 90-mark exam plus a 4,000-word dissertation worth 50 marks. The 2027 exam is on Wednesday 19 May, 9:00 to 12:00.
- Question paper09:00 to 12:00
What grade is my mark?
Type a total mark to see the grade it would have got.
How the A and C boundaries have moved
Boundaries as a share of the total marks. A lower line means the papers were judged harder that year. Qualifications Scotland publishes boundaries from 2022 in this format.
| Year | Out of | A | B | C | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 140 | 98 | 84 | 70 | 56 |
| 2025 | 140 | 98 | 84 | 70 | 56 |
| 2024 | 140 | 97 | 83 | 69 | 55 |
| 2023 | 140 | 96 | 81 | 66 | 51 |
| 2022 | 140 | 94 | 79 | 64 | 49 |
The exam
The question paper lasts 3 hours and carries 90 marks, all on the one field of study you took. Part A asks for two 25-mark essays from a choice of five. Part B has three source questions:
| Question | Marks |
|---|---|
| Evaluate the usefulness of a source | 12 |
| How fully does a source explain an issue | 12 |
| Two-source interpretations | 16 |
At 3 hours for 90 marks, you have about 2 minutes a mark. That suggests about 50 minutes per essay and 80 minutes for the sources.
The dissertation
The dissertation is an independent study of a complex historical issue. The course specification sets a 4,000-word count, excluding references, bibliography and appendices. There is a penalty for going more than 10% over. It carries 50 of the 140 marks, so it is worth more than a third of the grade.
Strong dissertations use primary evidence and engage with what historians have argued.
Feedback in the 2025 course report
Most candidates wrote two considered essays that identified the key issues. Strong essays backed arguments with detailed evidence and handled cause and impact well. Questions about the nature of something were harder, though improving. Some candidates wrote about the topic generally rather than the question set, and historiography was thin in places.
In Part B, how fully questions were answered best. Many handled the two-source question well. Evaluate the usefulness was the most challenging, with generic comments on source type rather than purpose. Some listed omissions without linking them to the question.
Most dissertations had suitable titles and showed wide research. Abstract introductions improved. Weaknesses were inconsistent footnoting, missing source origins and limited critical engagement with primary evidence.
The report asked teachers to stress careful reading of question wording. It recommended teaching the difference between type and purpose of a source. It also wanted historians' views woven through the argument rather than listed.
Using past papers
Use past questions from your field to practise planning essays in 10 minutes. Then write some in full against the clock. For sources, practise turning every point into a judgement about the question asked.
Qualifications Scotland notes that older papers and marking instructions may use terminology that differs from the current specification. Check wording against the current course specification.
Revision checklist
Tick topics as you revise. Ticks are saved on this device only.
- Plan answers to every past essay question for your field in 10 minutes each.
- Write two full timed essays a fortnight, each in about 50 minutes.
- Build a list of historians and their views for each of your issues.
- Weave historians' views into your argument instead of listing them.
- Practise usefulness answers that discuss authorship, purpose, timing and content.
- Link every omission in a how fully answer back to the question.
- Practise two-source questions by setting the two interpretations against each other.
- Footnote every dissertation source as you write, not at the end.
- Include primary evidence in each dissertation chapter and question its reliability.
- Keep the dissertation within 4,000 words, excluding references and appendices.
Quick answers
- How long is the Advanced Higher History dissertation?
4,000 words, excluding references, bibliography and appendices. Going more than 10% over brings a penalty.
- How many essays are in the Advanced Higher History exam?
Two 25-mark essays from a choice of five, plus three source questions worth 40 marks.
- When is the Advanced Higher History exam in 2027?
Wednesday 19 May 2027, 9:00 to 12:00.