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Pick a topic to practise it. Paper 1 = British + European & World essays. Paper 2 = Scottish source questions. Your accuracy on each topic is shown below.
Short quizzes on one topic. Answer them all, then check — your scores count towards your topic progress.
1 / 1
Timed knowledge tests drawn from the question bank — a fresh set every attempt. Easy questions are worth 1 mark, medium 2, hard 3. The grade is a guide to how well you know the content; the real exam also tests essay and source skills (see Exam skills and the Essay planner).
Before you start
- Read every option. Several may sound right — pick the one that fits the dates and the key issue.
- Watch the clock. About a minute per question. Leave blanks and keep moving.
- Use your mistakes. Review your answers at the end — each explanation is a knowledge point you can use in an essay.
- Then write. Pick an essay from the Essay planner and write a plan in 5 minutes.
Paper 1
30:00
Marks: 0 / 0
A
Grade A
Grade bands are a rough guide only: A 70%, B 60%, C 50%, D 40%. SQA sets real grade boundaries each year.
Answer review
How many can you get right?
Quick-fire questions against the clock. Great for drilling dates, names and key facts.
60
Score 0
Time's up
How Higher History is assessed and how to earn the marks. Based on the SQA course specification (May 2024) and recent SQA marking instructions.
The course at a glance
Paper 1 · 44 marks · 1 hr 30
British + European & World history. Two essays, 22 marks each: one from the British section, one from the European & World section. 40% of the course.Paper 2 · 36 marks · 1 hr 30
Scottish history. One option, four questions: Evaluate the usefulness (8), How much do Sources… reveal (10), Explain (8), How fully (10). 33% of the course.Assignment · 30 marks
An essay on a question you choose, written up in 1 hr 30 using a resource sheet (one side of A4, max 250 words). No resource sheet = 6-mark penalty. 27% of the course.Essay question stems Paper 1
"To what extent…""How important…"
"Quote." How valid is this view?
The 22-mark essay (Paper 1)
Historical context · 3
Give at least two points of background, identify the key factors, and connect them to your line of argument.Use of knowledge · 6
1 mark per developed point (extra detail, an example, evidence) that supports a factor and is relevant to the question.Analysis · 6
Show relationships: links between factors, contradictions ("while… however…"), different groups or interpretations.Evaluation · 4
Judge how important each factor was — ideally compared with others — building a line of argument. Use counter-arguments.Conclusion · 3
A relative overall judgement between the factors, explaining why one mattered most. A summary only gets 1.Structure that works
Intro (context + factors + line of argument) → 4–5 factor paragraphs (knowledge, analysis, judgement) → conclusion that ranks factors.Paper 2 question types
Evaluate the usefulness of Source A… · 8
Provenance — author, type, purpose, timing — up to 4.Content — quote/paraphrase and explain — up to 2.
Significant omission (your recall) — up to 3.
How fully does Source B explain… · 10
Start with a judgement ("partly explains…"). Interpreted source points up to 4. Recall (omission) up to 7. No judgement = max 2.How much do Sources C and D reveal… · 10
State each source's overall viewpoint (1 each) and interpret its points (up to 2 each). Recall up to 6.Explain the reasons… · 8
No source. 1 mark per accurate, relevant, explained reason. Give eight or more short, separate points.Phrases that earn marks
Analysis
"This was linked to…" · "However, this was limited because…" · "While this helped the old, it did little for…"Evaluation
"This was more important than X because…" · "This was the key factor, as without it…" · "On the other hand, historians such as… argue…"Provenance
"Useful because it was written by a [who] in [when], at the height of [event], so…" — always link it to the question.How fully judgement
"Source B partly explains the reasons for… It mentions… However, it does not mention…"Exam-style questions with plans. Write your own plan first (5 minutes), then open the plan to compare. The Scottish questions use the Paper 2 formats — practise them with any source from your class notes.
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Topics
Sorted weakest first, so you know where to focus.
Timed challenge best scores
Mock test history
Useful websites
SQA Higher HistoryCourse specification, past papers and marking instructions
BBC Bitesize — Higher HistoryNotes, exam advice and Test Bites
SCHOLAR (Heriot-Watt)Online course material for Scottish qualifications
National Library of ScotlandPrimary sources — useful for the assignment
The National Archives — EducationSource packs on votes for women, welfare and more
Exam tips
- Answer the question asked. Link every paragraph back to the wording of the question.
- Plan for 5 minutes. List 4–5 factors and decide your line of argument before you write.
- Don't run out of time. About 45 minutes per essay. Incomplete papers are one of SQA's most common comments.
- Judge as you go. Evaluation marks come from saying how important each factor was — and why.
- In Paper 2, use recall. Points of significant omission carry most of the marks in 'How fully' answers.
- Never leave a blank. A relevant, developed point can still earn a mark.
Books and kit that help with Higher History. Links go to Amazon — this site may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
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Covers SQA Higher History with 458 multiple-choice questions over three difficulty levels, each with an explanation, plus quizzes, flashcards, mock tests, essay and source-question plans and an exam-skills guide. Topics: Britain 1851–1951 and Migration and Empire 1830–1939 in depth; the other Scottish options (Wars of Independence, Reformation, Treaty of Union, Great War); Germany 1815–1939, USA 1918–1968, Russia 1881–1921 and Appeasement. Exam structure checked against the SQA Higher History course specification (May 2024). Your progress is saved in this browser only — nothing is sent anywhere. Once loaded, the app also works offline. Not affiliated with the SQA.