Higher French
Higher French is scaled to 120 marks across reading, directed writing, listening, assignment-writing and talking. The two exam papers are on Tuesday 18 May 2027.
- Reading and Directed Writing09:00 to 11:00
- Listening11:30 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 | 120 | 82 | 70 | 58 | 46 |
| 2025 | 120 | 85 | 72 | 60 | 47 |
| 2024 | 120 | 82 | 70 | 58 | 46 |
| 2023 | 120 | 74 | 62 | 50 | 38 |
| 2022 | 120 | 72 | 60 | 48 | 36 |
How Higher French is marked
The course is scaled to 120 marks, split five ways. Reading is worth 30, listening 30 and talking 30. Directed writing and assignment-writing are worth 15 each.
Paper 1 lasts 2 hours and contains the reading and directed writing. You may use a bilingual dictionary. Paper 2 is listening, lasts about 30 minutes, and does not allow a dictionary.
The assignment-writing is done in class. It is 200 to 250 words and you can use a dictionary and your notes. Talking lasts about 10 minutes, is assessed in school, and covers at least two contexts.
On Tuesday 18 May 2027, Reading and Directed Writing runs from 9am to 11am. Listening starts at 11:30am.
The four contexts
Every part of the course draws on society, learning, employability and culture. Build vocabulary for all four, since the reading and listening can come from any of them.
What the 2025 course report found
Reading was answered confidently, but translation tripped many people up. One sense unit, du fait qu'on sera debout toute la journée, was often mistranslated. Tenses were also missed.
In directed writing, the best answers covered every bullet point and added relevant detail. They used linking phrases such as pour commencer and en général. Weaker answers had errors in spelling, gender, plurals, accents and adjective agreement. Many also could not sustain the past tense.
Listening improved on 2024. Marks were still lost on detail. Some wrote 1km when the speaker said un kilomètre et demi. Others did not know bénévolat, meaning volunteering.
In the assignment-writing, many reached the top marks of 16 or 20. Weaker pieces gave only personal opinions and did not discuss more than one view.
In 2025 an A needed 85 out of 120, a B 72 and a C 60.
Using past papers
For reading, practise the translation question on every past paper. Compare your version with the marking instructions sense unit by sense unit. They show exactly which tense or detail was needed.
For listening, play the audio with the transcript afterwards. Note every word you missed and add it to your vocabulary list.
For directed writing, write to past scenarios and check that every bullet point is covered in the right tense. Then proofread for gender, agreement and accents.
Revision checklist
Tick topics as you revise. Ticks are saved on this device only.
- Translate the sense units from five past reading papers and check each against the marking instructions
- Learn the perfect and imperfect tenses well enough to sustain a past tense piece
- Proofread every piece for gender, plurals, accents and adjective agreement
- Build vocabulary lists for society, learning, employability and culture
- Learn volunteering and work vocabulary, such as bénévolat and stage
- Practise numbers, fractions and distances for listening, like un kilomètre et demi
- Write discursive assignment pieces that weigh up more than one viewpoint
- Prepare linking phrases for openings, contrasts and conclusions
- Record yourself rehearsing the talking and practise answering follow-up questions
- Sit past listening papers without a dictionary
Quick answers
- Can you use a dictionary in Higher French?
Yes for Paper 1, Reading and Directed Writing, and for the assignment-writing. No dictionary is allowed in the listening paper.
- How long is the Higher French talking?
About 10 minutes. It covers at least two of the four contexts and is worth 30 marks.
- How many words is the Higher French assignment-writing?
200 to 250 words. It is marked out of 20 and scaled to 15.
- When is the Higher French exam in 2027?
Tuesday 18 May 2027. Reading and Directed Writing runs from 9am to 11am, and Listening starts at 11:30am.