We've got all the answers to your frequently asked questions about Scottish Highers...
Updated: 15 Apr 2025There are multiple pathways into higher education, and these can differ depending on where you live in the UK. For those in England, A-levels or BTECs are the most popular options. But, for those in Scotland, Scottish Highers are the go-to option for most.
But what exactly are Scottish Highers and if you want to go to university, how many do you need to study? Here's the answers you need...
Simply put, Scottish Highers are the Scottish equivalent to A-levels. They are courses that students aged 16-18 in Scotland sit that can lead to university, further study, training or work. You normally take on four to five Highers and start them in the fifth year of secondary school. Highers can also be sat in sixth form too alongside advanced Highers, explained further below.
Scottish Highers involve a mix of work set and marked by teachers and an external examination.
Scottish Highers and A-levels are very similar but are not identical – the location of students taking them being the most obvious difference. Another difference is that Scottish Highers are one-year courses, unlike A-levels which take two. Scottish students can use a second year of study to complete Advanced Highers, which are an additional qualification.
Despite Scottish Highers only taking one year to complete, they offer plenty of UCAS points:
A = 33 points B = 27 points C = 21 points D = 15 points
Advanced Highers offer:
A = 56 points B = 48 points C = 40 points D = 32 point
This is in comparison to A-levels, which offer:
A* = 56 points A = 48 points B =40 points C = 32 points D = 24 points
Students in Scotland also get a much smaller range of subjects to study – around 70 courses are on offer, whereas English counterparts get over 100 A-level choices in total.
In general, students need to get around four Highers to be accepted into university. This depends on the course you are applying for, but overall four Highers is required.
For the more competitive degrees, the grade requirements will be tougher – ideally five Highers will be achieved, then any additional qualifications from the second year of studying (the second year provides students with the chance to catch up on any lost grades in their first year, or study some Advanced Highers).
If you get the Highers and grades needed for uni in one year of study, you may get some unconditional offers.
If pupils pass higher courses in their first year of study, they can then go on to study for advanced Highers in an additional year. The average amount of advanced Highers students sit are two or three. Advanced Highers aren’t needed to get into universities in Scotland, but they look good and help students get an unconditional offer.
If you’re struggling to pick your Highers, there’s a couple of things to bear in mind.
Firstly, if you think about what you already enjoy in school, you might want to carry that on. If you have an ability in a certain subject and do well, it’s worth considering.
You may have a future career in mind too, which will require certain grades from you. This’ll mean you have less options to choose from in order to meet the requirements for that career, making the decision a slightly easier one.
For those who have felt restricted in their studies so far, Highers offer plenty of choice, so you will always find something right for you.
NEXT: Use our Career Matcher to find your ideal career.
Scottish Highers are a good pathway into university. But they are great for employment too - Highers are valued by employers, because they show a good level of education.
You can go also use them to go on to study an HNC/HND at an FE college, or vocational or work-based qualifications, such as an apprenticeship, a higher apprenticeship, or a degree apprenticeship.
NEXT: