The SQA publish detailed information for all of their courses, including guidance on Course Specifications, the requirements of course components (eg the Main Diet Exam and any folios, investigations or dissertations) and the length of the Main Diet Exam papers. For National 5, Higher & Advanced Higher, they also publish five years worth of Past Papers with full Marking Instructions.

The following table gives a breakdown of every AH/H/N5 Course with their components and the maximum mark for each component.

Level Name	Course Name	Component Number	Component Name	Max Mark (or where applicable max mark after scaling)
Advanced Higher	Art and Design (Design)	1	Portfolio	100
Advanced Higher	Art and Design (Expressive)	1	Portfolio	100
Advanced Higher	Biology	1	Section 2	96
Advanced Higher	Biology	2	Section 1 – Objective Test	24
Advanced Higher	Biology	3	Project	40
Advanced Higher	Business Management	1	Question Paper	80
Advanced Higher	Business Management	2	Project	40
Advanced Higher	Chemistry	1	Section 2	93
Advanced Higher	Chemistry	2	Section 1 – Objective Test	27
Advanced Higher	Chemistry	3	Project	40
Advanced Higher	Design and Manufacture	1	Question Paper	80
Advanced Higher	Design and Manufacture	2	Assignment	120
Advanced Higher	Engineering Science	1	Question Paper	75
Advanced Higher	Engineering Science	2	Project	75
Advanced Higher	English	1	Literary Study	20
Advanced Higher	English	2	Textual Analysis	20
Advanced Higher	English	3	Portfolio: Writing	30
Advanced Higher	English	4	Project: Dissertation	30
Advanced Higher	Geography	1	Question Paper	50
Advanced Higher	Geography	2	Project Folio: Section A	60
Advanced Higher	Geography	3	Project Folio: Section B	40
Advanced Higher	Graphic Communication	1	Question Paper	90
Advanced Higher	Graphic Communication	2	Project	90
Advanced Higher	History	1	Question Paper	90
Advanced Higher	History	2	Project – Dissertation	50
Advanced Higher	Mathematics	1	Paper 1 (Non Calculator)	35
Advanced Higher	Mathematics	2	Paper 2 (Calculator)	80
Advanced Higher	Modern Studies	1	Question Paper	90
Advanced Higher	Modern Studies	2	Project: Dissertation	50
Advanced Higher	Music	1	Question Paper	35
Advanced Higher	Music	2	Performance – Instrument 1	25
Advanced Higher	Music	3	Performance – Instrument 2	25
Advanced Higher	Music	4	Assignment	15
Advanced Higher	Music Technology	1	Project – Research	40
Advanced Higher	Music Technology	2	Project – Production	95
Advanced Higher	Physical Education	1	Project	70
Advanced Higher	Physical Education	2	Performance	30
Advanced Higher	Physics	1	Question Paper	120
Advanced Higher	Physics	2	Project	40
Advanced Higher	Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies	1	Question Paper	90
Advanced Higher	Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies	2	Dissertation	50
Higher	Art and Design	1	Question Paper	60
Higher	Art and Design	2	Portfolio: Expressive	100
Higher	Art and Design	3	Portfolio: Design	100
Higher	Business Management	1	Question Paper	90
Higher	Business Management	2	Assignment	30
Higher	Chemistry	1	Paper 2	95
Higher	Chemistry	2	Paper 1 (Multiple choice)	25
Higher	Chemistry	3	Assignment	30
Higher	Design and Manufacture	1	Question Paper	80
Higher	Design and Manufacture	2	Assignment	90
Higher	Drama	1	Question Paper	40
Higher	Drama	2	Performance	60
Higher	Engineering Science	1	Question Paper	110
Higher	Engineering Science	2	Assignment	50
Higher	English	1	Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation	30
Higher	English	2	Critical Reading	40
Higher	English	3	Portfolio: Writing	30
Higher	English for Speakers of Other Languages	1	Listening	20
Higher	English for Speakers of Other Languages	2	Reading	25
Higher	English for Speakers of Other Languages	3	Writing	25
Higher	English for Speakers of Other Languages	4	Performance	30
Higher	French	1	Reading	30
Higher	French	2	Directed Writing	15
Higher	French	3	Listening	30
Higher	French	4	Performance: Talking	30
Higher	French	5	Assignment – Writing	15
Higher	Geography	1	Physical and Human Environments	50
Higher	Geography	2	Global Issues and Geographical Skills	30
Higher	Geography	3	Assignment	30
Higher	Graphic Communication	1	Question Paper	90
Higher	Graphic Communication	2	Assignment	50
Higher	History	1	British, European and World History	44
Higher	History	2	Scottish History	36
Higher	History	3	Assignment	30
Higher	Human Biology	1	Paper 2	95
Higher	Human Biology	2	Paper 1 (Multiple choice)	25
Higher	Human Biology	3	Assignment	30
Higher	Mathematics	1	Paper 1 (Non Calculator)	55
Higher	Mathematics	2	Paper 2 (Calculator)	65
Higher	Modern Studies	1	Paper 1	52
Higher	Modern Studies	2	Paper 2	28
Higher	Modern Studies	3	Assignment	30
Higher	Music	1	Question Paper	35
Higher	Music	2	Performance – Instrument 1	25
Higher	Music	3	Performance – Instrument 2	25
Higher	Music	4	Assignment	15
Higher	Music Technology	1	Question Paper	30
Higher	Music Technology	2	Assignment	70
Higher	Physical Education	1	Question Paper	50
Higher	Physical Education	2	Performance	50
Higher	Physics	1	Paper 2	95
Higher	Physics	2	Paper 1 (Multiple choice)	25
Higher	Physics	3	Assignment	30
Higher	Psychology	1	Question Paper	80
Higher	Psychology	2	Assignment	40
Higher	Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies	1	World Religion, Morality and Belief	60
Higher	Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies	2	Religious and Philosophical Questions	20
Higher	Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies	3	Assignment	30
Higher	Sociology	1	Question Paper	80
Higher	Sociology	2	Assignment	30
Higher	Spanish	1	Reading	30
Higher	Spanish	2	Directed Writing	15
Higher	Spanish	3	Listening	30
Higher	Spanish	4	Performance: Talking	30
Higher	Spanish	5	Assignment – Writing	15
National 5	Applications of Mathematics	1	Paper 1 (Non Calculator)	35
National 5	Applications of Mathematics	2	Paper 2 (Calculator)	55
National 5	Art and Design	1	Question Paper	50
National 5	Art and Design	2	Portfolio: Expressive	100
National 5	Art and Design	3	Portfolio: Design	100
National 5	Biology	1	Section 2	75
National 5	Biology	2	Section 1 – Objective Test	25
National 5	Biology	3	Assignment	25
National 5	Business Management	1	Question Paper	90
National 5	Business Management	2	Assignment	30
National 5	Chemistry	1	Section 2	75
National 5	Chemistry	2	Section 1 – Objective Test	25
National 5	Chemistry	3	Assignment	25
National 5	Design and Manufacture	1	Question Paper	80
National 5	Design and Manufacture	2	Assignment: Design	55
National 5	Design and Manufacture	3	Assignment: Practical	45
National 5	Drama	1	Question Paper	40
National 5	Drama	2	Performance	60
National 5	Engineering Science	1	Question Paper	110
National 5	Engineering Science	2	Assignment	50
National 5	English	1	Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation	30
National 5	English	2	Critical Reading	40
National 5	English	3	Portfolio: Writing	30
National 5	English for Speakers of Other Languages	1	Listening	20
National 5	English for Speakers of Other Languages	2	Reading	25
National 5	English for Speakers of Other Languages	3	Writing	25
National 5	English for Speakers of Other Languages	4	Performance	30
National 5	French	1	Reading	30
National 5	French	2	Writing	15
National 5	French	3	Listening	30
National 5	French	4	Performance: Talking	30
National 5	French	5	Assignment – Writing	15
National 5	Geography	1	Question Paper	80
National 5	Geography	2	Assignment	20
National 5	Graphic Communication	1	Question Paper	80
National 5	Graphic Communication	2	Assignment	40
National 5	History	1	Question Paper	80
National 5	History	2	Assignment	20
National 5	Mathematics	1	Paper 1 (Non Calculator)	40
National 5	Mathematics	2	Paper 2 (Calculator)	50
National 5	Modern Studies	1	Question Paper	80
National 5	Modern Studies	2	Assignment	20
National 5	Music	1	Question Paper	35
National 5	Music	2	Performance – Instrument 1	25
National 5	Music	3	Performance – Instrument 2	25
National 5	Music	4	Assignment	15
National 5	Music Technology	1	Question Paper	30
National 5	Music Technology	2	Assignment	70
National 5	Physical Education	1	Portfolio	60
National 5	Physical Education	2	Performance	60
National 5	Physics	1	Section 2	75
National 5	Physics	2	Section 1 – Objective Test	25
National 5	Physics	3	Assignment	25
National 5	Practical Metalworking	1	Practical Activity	70
National 5	Practical Metalworking	2	Question Paper	30
National 5	Practical Woodworking	1	Practical Activity	70
National 5	Practical Woodworking	2	Question Paper	30
National 5	Psychology	1	Question Paper	70
National 5	Psychology	2	Assignment	30
National 5	Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies	1	Question Paper	80
National 5	Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies	2	Assignment	20
National 5	Sociology	1	Question Paper	70
National 5	Sociology	2	Assignment	30
National 5	Spanish	1	Reading	30
National 5	Spanish	2	Writing	15
National 5	Spanish	3	Listening	30
National 5	Spanish	4	Performance: Talking	30
National 5	Spanish	5	Assignment – Writing	15

To find out more detail on any Course Specification, try searching for any course from this page link: https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/45625.html

Once you have selected a Subject, choose the Level and then select “Course Specification”. The Course Specification document contains a detailed overview of all aspects of that course. Even greater detail can be found in the “Coursework” section.

Unfortunately it is not possible (or a good idea!) for us to publish specific course guidance here, as the SQA have been regularly updating it over the last five years.