The Advanced Higher History course consists of two units which are outlined below.

Unit I Historical Study

At the moment, the course deals with Topic 5, The House Divided: The USA 1850-65.  This involves a study of the background, cause and consequences of the American Civil War.

This unit will be assessed in the final exam paper and this exam will last for 3 hours.  Part 1 of the final exam consists of 5 essay questions, of which the students must answer 2.  Each question is worth 25marks.  Part 2 of the final exam consists of 4 sources and 3 questions.  Candidates must answer all 3 questions and the total mark allocation is 40.  Therefore the final exam paper is worth a total of 40 marks.

Unit II Historical Research

This involves an in depth study of a particular aspect within the course and the production of a 4000 word dissertation.  The student will choose a question either from an approved list or of their own choosing, although the latter must be approved by the SQA.  The dissertation is worth 50 marks.

Although there is a considerable amount of teacher led activity and discussion, to manage the course effectively, the student must be prepared to work much more independently than was the case at Higher.