Higher Physics
From session 2026/27, Higher Physics has one 130-mark paper lasting 2 hours 30 minutes. The assignment is scaled to 33 marks. The 2027 exam is on Tuesday 4 May, 9am to 11:30am.
- 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 | 150 | 102 | 86 | 71 | 55 |
| 2025 | 150 | 100 | 84 | 69 | 53 |
| 2024 | 150 | 105 | 89 | 73 | 57 |
| 2023 | 120 | 81 | 66 | 52 | 37 |
| 2022 | 120 | 80 | 65 | 50 | 35 |
The new single paper
Until 2026, Higher Physics had a multiple-choice paper and a separate written paper. From session 2026/27 these become one paper of 130 marks, lasting 2 hours 30 minutes.
Section 1 has 20 multiple-choice marks, answered on a grid. Section 2 has 110 marks of structured and open-ended questions. A data sheet and a relationships sheet come with the paper.
The assignment is still marked out of 20. Its scaled mark rises from 30 to 33. The course total is 163, with the exam worth 80%.
In 2027 the exam is on Tuesday 4 May, from 9am to 11:30am.
Course content
There are three main areas plus a skills strand. Our dynamic Universe covers motion, forces, collisions, gravitation, special relativity and the expanding Universe. Particles and waves covers the Standard Model, nuclear reactions, wave-particle duality, interference, spectra and refraction. Electricity covers a.c., internal resistance, capacitors and semiconductors.
Units, prefixes and uncertainties apply across every topic. They also feed directly into the assignment.
The assignment
You plan and carry out an experiment, research the physics, then write a report. The whole task should take no more than 8 hours. The report is written under supervision in up to 2 hours.
The 2025 course report said most candidates recorded enough raw data. Few gave more than one evaluation point with a proper justification.
Advice from the 2025 course report
Examiners noted these common problems:
- not explaining why the photoelectric effect supports the particle model of light
- misreading a graph of light absorption and transmission
- not converting lines per millimetre to lines per metre for a grating
- struggling with questions based on practical work
The report gave direct advice to candidates:
- learn the definitions the course requires
- read the question and answer what it asks
- do not copy long calculator answers with too many significant figures
- follow sign conventions to the end of a calculation
- draw best fit lines with a ruler and do not force them through the origin
- write clearly
Practising with past papers
Older papers split the multiple choice from the written questions. Sit them together in one 2 hour 30 minute block to build stamina.
Open-ended questions reward a clear physics idea, explained well. Use the marking instructions to see the range of answers that gain credit.
Revision checklist
Tick topics as you revise. Ticks are saved on this device only.
- Sit the August 2026 specimen paper in a single 2 hour 30 minute session
- Learn every definition listed in the course specification word for word
- Practise photoelectric effect explanations using photon energy and work function
- Convert grating values from lines per millimetre to lines per metre before calculating
- Calculate absolute and percentage uncertainties for repeated readings
- Round final answers to a sensible number of significant figures
- Draw best fit lines with a ruler and do not force them through the origin
- Answer at least one open-ended question each week and compare with the marking instructions
- Repeat the core practical experiments so practical-based questions feel familiar
- In the assignment, give two or more justified evaluation points
Quick answers
- Is Higher Physics one paper or two from 2027?
One. From session 2026/27 a single 130-mark paper lasting 2 hours 30 minutes replaces the two old papers. It has a multiple-choice section worth 20 marks and a written section worth 110.
- How is the Higher Physics assignment scaled?
It is marked out of 20 and scaled to 33 marks, up from 30. That is about 20% of the 163-mark total.
- Do you get a formula sheet in Higher Physics?
Yes. A data sheet and a relationships sheet are provided with the question paper.
- When is the Higher Physics exam in 2027?
Tuesday 4 May 2027, from 9am to 11:30am.