SQA Higher Administration and IT: complete guide to the areas of study, the question paper and the assignment

SQA Higher Administration and IT is a one-year course at SCQF level 6, building on National 5 Administration and IT and preparing learners for further study or administrative and IT-related work. It is graded A to D from two assessment components: a question paper and a practical assignment. This page is the index: below is a map of the areas of study, the assessment structure, and how to study each one.

The areas of study

The course has two areas: a theory area and a practical IT area. The question paper draws on both; the assignment tests the IT skills.

Administrative Theory and Practice. The theory area: the role and tasks of the administrative assistant and the skills and qualities needed; strategies for effective time and task management; the characteristics and benefits of effective teams; workplace legislation (health and safety, data protection, equality, computer misuse) and how to ensure compliance; the features of good customer care; the procedures for organising and supporting meetings and events; the impact of digital technology on organisations and employees; and appropriate methods of communication and research.

IT solutions for administrators. The practical area: using a range of software functions, some of them complex, accurately and efficiently. This site groups it as four modules:

• Spreadsheets - functions and formulae (cell references, IF, COUNTIF, SUMIF, VLOOKUP, statistical functions, conditional formatting), managing and linking workbooks (worksheets, consolidation, dynamic links, import and export), and charts and printing.
• Databases - the relational structure and relationships (tables, fields, records, primary and foreign keys), advanced searching and calculations (queries, AND/OR, operators, wildcards, sorting, calculated fields, summary totals), and forms, reports and exporting.
• Documents - advanced word processing (styles, templates, sections, headers and footers, a table of contents, track changes), mail merge and importing or linking data, and presentations (master slides, transitions, the notes feature, printing).
• Communication - using email and electronic diaries effectively, and emerging technologies for communication and collaboration (video conferencing, cloud collaboration, instant messaging, intranets and social media) with their benefits, drawbacks and security.

Course assessment

The Higher Administration and IT award is graded A to D and is made up of two components, both set and marked by the SQA.

• Question paper - a written exam, sat under exam conditions, that tests knowledge and understanding of both areas of study and the ability to apply it to administrative situations, usually using stimulus material.
• Assignment - a practical IT task, produced under controlled conditions, in which the candidate uses spreadsheet, database, word-processing, presentation and communication software to complete a set of linked tasks that solve an administrative problem, accurately and to a deadline.

The two components combine into the final graded award. Always check the current course specification for the exact marks, weighting and conditions, as the SQA periodically revises these.

The command words

Across the question paper, marks depend on answering the SQA command word:

1. Describe. Give details of a feature, task, method or process.
2. Explain. Give reasons, linking cause to effect.
3. Outline. Give the main points or steps briefly.
4. Discuss. Give points for and against, with a balanced judgement (common for the impact of digital technology).

How to study SQA Higher Administration and IT

Higher Administration and IT rewards precise terminology, application to administrative scenarios in the question paper, and accurate, integrated practical work in the assignment.

1. Work from the course specification. Each topic in both areas is a checklist; question-paper items are written from them.
2. Learn the terms precisely. Notice, agenda, minutes; service standards; data protection; IF, VLOOKUP, mail merge, master slide. Vague terms lose marks.
3. Apply, do not just recall. The paper uses an administrative scenario; answer in its context.
4. Practise the practical IT skills. Build spreadsheets, databases, documents and presentations on the computer, and integrate them (export, link, mail merge) for the assignment.
5. Practise past papers. Use SQA past papers and marking instructions to learn the question style and the wording markers reward.

The areas, topic by topic

Each module has key-topic answer pages with worked questions and cross-links, plus an overview guide and a quiz. Browse the full set from this hub:

• Administrative Theory and Practice - role of the administrative assistant, time and task management, effective teams, workplace legislation, customer care, organising meetings and events, the impact of digital technology, and communication and research methods.
• Spreadsheets - functions and formulae, managing and linking workbooks, charts and printing.
• Databases - relational databases and relationships, searching and calculations, forms, reports and output.
• Documents - word processing features, mail merge and importing, presentations.
• Communication - email and e-diaries, emerging technologies in communication.
• Course assessment - the question paper and the assignment.

For the official course specification

The SQA (now Qualifications Scotland) publishes the full Higher Administration and IT course specification, coursework assessment task, specimen and past papers, and marking instructions at sqa.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification and SQA past papers, because question style, terminology and the exact assessment structure are board-specific and are periodically revised.