Advanced Higher
The Advanced Higher is an optional qualification which forms part of the Scottish secondary education system brought in to replace the Certificate of Sixth Year Studies (CSYS). The first certification of Advanced Higher was in 2001. It is normally taken by students aged around 16–18 years of age after they have completed Highers, which are the main university entrance qualification in Scotland.
An Advanced Higher is the highest certificate offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority as part of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework. An Advanced Higher qualification is essentially a simulation of the first year of university in that particular subject; this is the reason that Advanced Highers can be used for second-year university entry.
The Advanced Higher is Level 7 on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework.[2]
History
Advanced Highers were introduced to replace the Sixth Year Studies Certificate (often abbreviated to CSYS or just SYS). The final CSYS exams were taken by students at the end of the Sixth Form studies.
UCAS tariff
The UCAS tariff of valuing qualifications for university entry has increased its scores for Advanced Highers at A, B and C in comparison to the past. Advanced Highers now attract more UCAS tariff points than A-Levels at the same grades.[3]
Also, research studies have revealed a major gap of performance on Advanced Highers examinations between different schools sectors (i.e. private schools' students attaining, on average, higher results than state schools' students).[4]
A-levels and Advanced Highers
Some English Universities, such as
Subjects
The following subjects are available at Advanced Higher:[7]
- Accounting
- Art and Design (Design)
- Art and Design (Expressive)
- Biology
- Business Management
- Cantonese
- Chemistry
- Classical Studies
- Computing Science
- Design and Manufacture
- Drama
- Economics
- Engineering Science
- English
- French
- Gaelic (Learners)
- Gàidhlig
- Geography
- German
- Graphic Communication
- Health and Food Technology
- History
- Italian
- Latin
- Mandarin (Simplified)
- Mandarin (Traditional)
- Mathematics
- Mathematics of Mechanics
- Modern Studies
- Music
- Music Technology
- Music: Portfolio
- Physical Education
- Physics
- Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies
- Spanish
- Statistics
See also
- Higher (Scottish)
- Scottish Leaving Certificate
- Scottish Qualifications Authority
- National Qualifications
- GCE Advanced Level (United Kingdom)
References
- ^ "University of Glasgow - International students - Your country - USA". www.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
- ^ The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Archived October 1, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Introducing Advanced Highers
- ^ "Attainment gap between school sectors widens". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
- ^ (Highers pass A-levels as Oxbridge gold standard - Times Online
- ^ "Typical offers – Churchill College". www.chu.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
- ^ "SQA Catalogue of National Qualifications". Retrieved 2020-03-21.