Editing Advanced Higher

{{Short description|Optional qualification of the Scottish secondary education system}}
The '''Advanced Higher''' ([[Scottish Gaelic]]: ''Sàr Àrd Ìre'') 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 [[Higher (Scottish)|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.

[[Universities in Scotland]] traditionally tended to take students with only [[Higher (Scottish)|NQ Higher]] or [[Advanced Level (UK)|A-level]] qualifications, but many have since begun to take students with qualifications gained elsewhere in the UK or, as with the [[University of Glasgow]], for example; an [[International Baccalaureate]] and American qualifications such as a [[High School Diploma]] in combination of [[SAT]]/[[ACT (test)|ACT]] scores and SAT Subject Tests or [[Advanced Placement]] exams.<ref>{{cite web |title=University of Glasgow - International students - Your country - USA |url=http://www.gla.ac.uk/international/country/usa/ |website=www.gla.ac.uk |access-date=12 July 2021}}</ref>

The Advanced Higher is Level 7 on the [[Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework]].<ref>[http://www.scqf.org.uk/table.htm The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061001203658/http://www.scqf.org.uk/table.htm |date=October 1, 2006 }}</ref>

== 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.<ref>[http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/NQIntroducingAdvancedHigherLeaflet.pdf Introducing Advanced Highers<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

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).<ref>{{cite web |title=Attainment gap between school sectors widens |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13177362.Attainment_gap_between_school_sectors_widens/ |website=HeraldScotland |access-date=12 July 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

===A-levels and Advanced Highers===
Some English Universities, such as [[Oxford University]] and [[Cambridge University]], have begun to take into account the wider syllabus involved in studying Advanced Highers and have been giving slightly lower conditions for entry into their institutions. Oxford University's admissions forms require schools to comment on the percentage of students achieving the top grades in examinations, presumably to provide contextual background to the achievements of a particular student. The question is framed in terms of the percentage of candidates achieving AAA+ at A-level and AAB+ for Advanced Higher, possibly indicating that greater value is attributed to the Advanced Higher.<ref>([http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article557498.ece Highers pass A-levels as Oxbridge gold standard - Times Online]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> However, [[Churchill College, Cambridge]] was/is the first Oxbridge College to state that their typical offer for Scottish students will be A1, A1, A2 at Advanced Higher.<ref>{{cite web |title=Typical offers – Churchill College |url=http://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduates/typical_offers.php/ |website=www.chu.cam.ac.uk |access-date=12 July 2021}}</ref>

==Subjects==
The following subjects are available at Advanced Higher:<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/files_ccc/NQ_Catalogue.xlsx |title=SQA Catalogue of National Qualifications |access-date=2020-03-21}}</ref>

*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

While all these subjects are possible, some schools choose not to run them as they can be seen as very difficult I.E Advanced Higher Drama is not offered in majority schools across the country and very few pick it if it’s an option.

==See also==
* [[Higher (Scottish)]]
* [[Scottish Leaving Certificate]]
* [[Scottish Qualifications Authority]]
* [[National Qualifications]]
* [[GCE Advanced Level (United Kingdom)]]

==References==

<references />

==External links==
* [http://www.sqa.org.uk/ Scottish Qualifications Authority official website]
* [http://www.scqf.org.uk/ Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework official website]
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article557498.ece Article in The Times: Highers Pass A Levels as Oxbridge Gold Standard]{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

[[Category:Educational qualifications in Scotland]]
[[Category:School examinations]]
[[Category:Secondary school qualifications]]
[[Category:Secondary education in Scotland]]