English

Higher English is required or preferred for a wide range of Scottish university courses, including many that are not obviously literary. It is assessed by two exam papers, a coursework portfolio worth 30%, and an internally assessed spoken language component.

Paper 1 is Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation on demanding non-fiction, including a comparison question between two passages that many candidates find the hardest part of the exam. Paper 2 covers a Scottish set text and a critical essay on a separate studied text.

The two portfolio pieces are drafted over months rather than written once, and the marks available there are the most controllable in the whole course — which is why sustained tutor feedback on drafting is so effective at Higher.