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SQA Advanced Higher English: complete guide to the question papers, the dissertation and the portfolio

A complete guide to SQA Advanced Higher English, an SCQF level 7 qualification. Covers the two question papers (Literary Study and Textual Analysis), the literary dissertation, the writing portfolio, the literary and critical concepts examiners reward, and how to study each component for an A.

Browse guides β†’Syllabus dot points (22)

SQA Advanced Higher English is a one-year course at SCQF level 7, building on Higher English and approaching university-level literary study. It is graded A to D from two question papers and two pieces of coursework. This page is the index: below is a map of the components, how the marks split, and how to study each one.

The components of SQA Advanced Higher English

The course brings together advanced reading, comparative criticism, independent research and the production of complex writing. There is no set text list at Advanced Higher: centres choose the texts you study, and you are expected to read widely. The modules on this site group the skills the SQA assesses.

Literary Study
Question Paper 1 asks for one comparative critical essay on literature you have studied, chosen from prose fiction, prose non-fiction, poetry or drama. It rewards a sustained comparative argument across whole texts, close analysis of technique, and awareness of genre and context.
Textual Analysis
Question Paper 2 prints one previously unseen literary text from one of the four genres and asks for a critical analysis of it. It tests independent close reading: how a text creates meaning through language, structure, form and tone, and a supported judgement of its effect.
The dissertation
An independent critical study of literature of 2,500 to 3,500 words, worth 30 marks. You choose a topic, frame a thesis, study related texts in depth, engage with secondary criticism, and sustain an argument to a conclusion, with proper referencing and a bibliography.
The writing portfolio
A piece of your own writing in any genre, worth 30 marks, developed through drafting and redrafting and showing skilled control of genre conventions, purpose and audience.

Course assessment

The Advanced Higher English award is graded A to D from a total of 100 marks.

  • Question Paper 1: Literary Study - 20 marks, a 90 minute paper, one comparative critical essay.
  • Question Paper 2: Textual Analysis - 20 marks, a 90 minute paper, a critical analysis of one unseen text.
  • Dissertation - 30 marks, an independent literary study of 2,500 to 3,500 words.
  • Portfolio: writing - 30 marks, one piece of writing in any genre.

The two question papers carry 40 marks and the coursework carries 60 marks, so the coursework is the larger share of the grade and rewards early, sustained work.

The literary and critical concepts examiners reward

Advanced Higher English assumes a conceptual framework that runs through every component:

  1. Genre conventions. Understanding how prose fiction, prose non-fiction, poetry and drama each work, and analysing how writers use their conventions to create meaning.
  2. Comparative and independent argument. Building a sustained line of thought that compares texts or analyses an unseen passage, supported by close textual evidence.
  3. Critical approaches. An awareness that texts can be read through different critical perspectives, used as tools to illuminate the text rather than labels to apply.
  4. Contexts. Reading texts in their literary, social, historical and cultural contexts where this deepens interpretation.
  5. Controlled production. Creating complex, sophisticated writing of your own, shaped for purpose and audience and polished through redrafting.

How to study SQA Advanced Higher English

Advanced Higher English rewards wide reading and practised independent judgement far more than last-minute cramming.

  1. Work component by component. Each module on this site targets one part of the course; revise the skills that part assesses.
  2. Read widely and comparatively. Build the connections across texts that the Literary Study essay and the dissertation depend on.
  3. Drill unseen analysis. Practise Textual Analysis on prose fiction, prose non-fiction, poetry and drama so any genre feels familiar.
  4. Start the dissertation early. Choose a topic, frame a thesis, read criticism, and draft and redraft well before the deadline.
  5. Redraft your portfolio. Draft one piece early, mark it against the criteria, and improve it deliberately rather than writing once.

The components, skill by skill

Each module has answer pages with worked questions and cross-links. Browse the full set from this hub.

For the official course specification

The SQA publishes the full Advanced Higher English course specification, coursework instructions, specimen and past papers, and marking instructions at sqa.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification and SQA past papers, because the assessment arrangements are board-specific and have changed in recent sessions.

English guides

In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.

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English practice quizzes

Multiple-choice drills with worked answer explanations. Your scores stay on this device.

The SQA-ADVANCED-HIGHER system, explained

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Common questions about English

How is SQA Advanced Higher English structured?
Advanced Higher English is an SCQF level 7 course assessed by two externally marked question papers and two pieces of externally marked coursework. Question Paper 1 is Literary Study, a comparative critical essay on texts you have studied. Question Paper 2 is Textual Analysis, a close analysis of one previously unseen text. The coursework is a literary dissertation of 2,500 to 3,500 words and a writing portfolio. There is no set text list: centres choose the texts you study.
How is SQA Advanced Higher English assessed?
The award is graded A to D from a total of 100 marks. Question Paper 1 (Literary Study) is worth 20 marks and Question Paper 2 (Textual Analysis) is worth 20 marks, each in a 90 minute paper. The dissertation is worth 30 marks. The writing portfolio is worth 30 marks. The two question papers carry 40 marks and the coursework carries 60 marks, so the coursework is the larger share of the grade.
What is the Advanced Higher English dissertation?
The dissertation is an independent critical study of literature of between 2,500 and 3,500 words, worth 30 marks and marked externally. You choose a topic, frame a line of argument, study two or more related literary texts in detail, draw on relevant secondary criticism, and present a sustained argument with a bibliography. The dissertation must be on literature and may not use the texts you write about in the Literary Study paper.
What is the Advanced Higher English writing portfolio?
The writing portfolio is a piece of your own writing in any genre, submitted for external marking and worth 30 marks. SQA reduced the portfolio to one piece of any genre, with the 30 mark weighting kept by doubling the mark for that piece. There is no fixed word count: the length should suit the purpose and genre, and poetry may be much shorter. The portfolio rewards control of genre conventions, a strong sense of purpose and audience, sophisticated style, and careful redrafting.
How should I revise for SQA Advanced Higher English?
Work component by component. For Literary Study, build a comparative argument across your studied texts and practise timed essays. For Textual Analysis, drill close reading of unseen prose fiction, prose non-fiction, poetry and drama so you can analyse any genre at speed. For the dissertation, read widely, frame a clear thesis early, and draft and redraft against the marking criteria. For the portfolio, write and redraft one polished piece. Learn the literary concepts, critical approaches and contexts that underpin every component.
How does Advanced Higher English differ from Higher English?
Advanced Higher English is an SCQF level 7 course that follows Higher (SCQF level 6) and approaches university study. It drops the unseen non-fiction Reading paper and the Scottish set text list. Instead it demands independent comparative criticism (Literary Study), analysis of any unseen literary genre (Textual Analysis), an independent literary dissertation, and a self-directed writing portfolio. It assumes wider reading, engagement with critical approaches and contexts, and sustained independent argument rather than answering fixed question stems.
How is the HSC/VCE/QCE English exam structured?
English exams are split across multiple modules β€” each state weights them differently. HSC has Modules A, B, C and a Common Module. VCE Units 3-4 splits across two exams. QCE has internal and external assessments. The key skill across all three is structured analytical writing.
How do I structure an essay for Module B / equivalent?
Open with a clear thesis that directly answers the question. Body paragraphs each take one concept-and-evidence pair (PEEL or TEEL). Close by extending β€” what does the text's craft show about its world or ours?
What's the difference between Module A and Module B?
Module A (NSW) compares two texts β€” focus on the conversation between them. Module B is a deep critical study of one text β€” focus on textual integrity and your considered personal response.
How long should my paragraphs be?
Aim for ~150-200 words per body paragraph. Long enough for a complete TEEL move; short enough that you can write 3-4 of them in exam time.
What's a thesis statement and how do I write one?
A thesis is a single sentence at the end of your introduction that takes a position the rest of your essay defends. It should be specific, arguable, and link directly to the question's verb (e.g. "to what extent" β†’ "X to a significant extent because Y").