Advanced Higher Physics
Advanced Higher Physics is a 130-mark, 2 hour 30 minute paper plus a 30-mark project scaled to 44. The 2027 exam is on Tuesday 4 May, 9:00 to 11:30, one of the earliest in the diet.
- Question paper09:00 to 11:30
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 | 160 | 107 | 89 | 72 | 54 |
| 2025 | 160 | 110 | 92 | 75 | 57 |
| 2024 | 160 | 110 | 92 | 74 | 56 |
| 2023 | 155 | 102 | 84 | 66 | 48 |
| 2022 | 155 | 103 | 82 | 62 | 41 |
Changes from session 2026/27
The question paper dropped from 155 marks to 130 and from 3 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes. The paper is no longer scaled. The project still has 30 marks, now scaled to 44 instead of 40.
That gives a course total of 174, split roughly 75% exam and 25% project. A data sheet and a relationships sheet are provided in the exam.
Inside the paper
The paper has restricted and extended-response questions across all four areas. There is no separate multiple choice section. Many questions combine calculus with physics, such as deriving a velocity from a displacement equation. Open-ended questions reward clear physics reasoning rather than a single right answer.
How the project is marked
The report should be 2,500 to 4,500 words, excluding tables, graphs, diagrams, calculations and references. The specification expects 10 to 15 hours of experimental work. The 30 marks are split like this:
| Section | Marks |
|---|---|
| Abstract | 1 |
| Underlying physics | 4 |
| Procedures | 7 |
| Results: data and analysis | 5 |
| Uncertainties | 3 |
| Discussion and evaluation | 8 |
| Presentation | 2 |
Uncertainties and the discussion together carry 11 marks. They are worth planning for from the first day of lab work.
Strengths and gaps in 2025
Most candidates handled calculus in kinematics, angular velocity and torque. Many calculated a star's surface temperature from black-body radiation correctly. Simple harmonic motion and wave questions were generally sound.
The weaker answers involved explanation rather than calculation:
- explaining in terms of forces why people slide down a rotating wall
- stating the principle of conservation of angular momentum
- explaining a change in the rate at which time passes, in relativity
- derivations and explanations in quantum and theoretical topics
In projects, abstracts and presentation improved. But some candidates stated relationships without deriving them, omitted raw data, or skipped key procedure details. Few dealt fully with all three elements of uncertainty.
The report advised practical work throughout the course, not just during the project. It asked for full working from a stated relationship, sketches drawn with a ruler, and no rounding mid-calculation. Projects should cite sources with Vancouver or Harvard referencing.
Using past papers
Older papers carried 155 marks. Keep practising the full papers, then aim to complete them faster. Write definitions word for word from your notes and check them against the marking instructions.
Revision checklist
Tick topics as you revise. Ticks are saved on this device only.
- Learn precise definitions of laws and principles, including conservation of angular momentum.
- Explain circular motion problems in terms of the forces acting.
- Derive key relationships from first principles, then use them in your project.
- Practise calculus-based kinematics and rotational dynamics problems.
- Explain relativity ideas, such as changes in the rate time passes, in clear sentences.
- Work out absolute and percentage uncertainties and identify the dominant one.
- Record all raw data in your project, with units and uncertainties.
- Draw large project graphs with minor gridlines and error bars.
- Check the final word count sits within the 2,500 to 4,500 word range.
- Reference every source in Harvard or Vancouver style.
Quick answers
- How long is the Advanced Higher Physics exam in 2027?
2 hours 30 minutes, half an hour shorter than in 2026. The paper now has 130 marks.
- How much is the Advanced Higher Physics project worth?
It is marked out of 30 and scaled to 44, about a quarter of the grade.
- When is the Advanced Higher Physics exam in 2027?
Tuesday 4 May 2027, 9:00 to 11:30.