What is the Higher Politics assignment, and how is it researched, structured and marked?
An overview of the Higher Politics assignment: the independent research report on a chosen political question, the research and production stages, the use and evaluation of sources, the structure and the marking, and the source-handling skills assessed across the course.
An SQA Higher Politics overview of the assignment, covering the independent research report on a chosen political question, the research and production stages, how to use and evaluate sources, the structure and marking, and the source-handling skills assessed across the course.
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What this dot point is asking
The SQA wants you to understand the Higher Politics assignment: what it is, how it is researched and produced, how sources are used and evaluated, how it is structured, and how it is marked. The assignment is the coursework component of the course, worth 30 marks, and it assesses the research and source-handling skills developed across the whole course. This is an overview of the component, not a content topic, so the focus is on the process and the skills.
The answer
What the assignment is
Choosing and framing the question
The research and production stages
Using and evaluating sources
Structure and conclusion
The source-handling skills
Examples in context
A candidate researching a question such as whether a particular voting system should be reformed gathers evidence and arguments from supporters and critics, then weighs them. Recording where each source comes from, who wrote it and when allows the candidate to judge its reliability and likely bias during the evaluation. Building a resource sheet during the research stage means the controlled write-up can focus on argument rather than fresh research. A conclusion that takes a clear position and shows it follows from the balanced evidence demonstrates exactly the source-handling and judgement skills the assignment is designed to assess.
Try this
Q1. Describe the two stages of the Higher Politics assignment. [4 marks]
- Cue. A research stage (around eight hours) gathering and evaluating sources and preparing a resource sheet, and a production stage (one and a half hours) writing up under controlled conditions.
Q2. Explain why source evaluation matters in the assignment. [6 marks]
- Cue. It shows you can judge reliability and bias by origin, author and date, support a balanced argument with evidence for and against, and reach a conclusion justified by that evidence.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Assignment guidance20 marksHow should a candidate choose and frame a political question for the Higher Politics assignment?Show worked answer →
The assignment rewards a clear, focused political question that has genuine alternative views, so that the report can weigh evidence and reach a justified conclusion.
A strong choice is specific rather than broad, allows research from a range of sources for and against, and can be argued either way. A question phrased to invite a judgement (for example "to what extent" or "should") works better than a purely descriptive title.
The conclusion must be supported by the evidence gathered and must address the question directly, so the framing should make a clear decision possible.
Assignment guidance20 marksExplain how sources should be used and evaluated in the assignment.Show worked answer →
The assignment assesses the use and evaluation of a range of sources, so candidates must gather evidence from several sources representing different viewpoints, not just one side.
Evaluation means judging each source's reliability by its origin, author, date and likely bias, and explaining why a source is or is not trustworthy, rather than simply quoting it.
Marks reward a balanced report that draws on evidence for and against, references the sources used, and reaches a conclusion justified by that evidence.
Related dot points
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Sources & how we know this
- SQA Higher Politics Course Specification — SQA (2020)
- Coursework Assessment Task for Higher Politics — SQA (2019)