Highers vs A-Levels: What's the Difference?

This is the question every family moving to Scotland asks. The short answer: Highers aren’t easier than A-Levels; they’re just shaped differently. Here’s what matters.

The structure difference

Scottish pupils take Highers in a single year (S5, age 16–17) and typically sit 5 of them. English pupils take A-Levels over two years (Year 12 and Year 13) and typically sit 3 of them.

So are Highers “easier”?

The depth of a single Higher is less than a single A-Level. That’s the source of the “easier” claim — and it’s true per subject.

But:

• You’re doing five of them, not three
• You’re doing it all in one year, not two
• You’re taking the exam a year earlier
• Many Scottish pupils also take Advanced Highers in S6, which are generally considered harder than A-Levels

The total academic load over S5 is broadly comparable to A-Level Year 12. A pupil taking 5 Highers to A grade is working hard.

UCAS points — how they compare

UCAS awards tariff points for both sets of qualifications. Here’s the quick reference:

• Higher A = 33 points
• Higher B = 27 points
• Advanced Higher A = 56 points
• Advanced Higher B = 48 points
• A-Level A* = 56 points
• A-Level A = 48 points
• A-Level B = 40 points

So an Advanced Higher A and an A-Level A* are worth the same. A Higher A on its own is worth slightly less than an A-Level B.

The catch: you can’t add Higher and Advanced Higher points in the same subject. The Advanced Higher grade replaces the Higher grade. So Higher Maths A (33) + Advanced Higher Maths B (48) totals 48, not 81.

Going to university a year early

One genuine advantage of the Scottish system: Scottish pupils can apply to university on S5 Highers and go straight there after S5, at age 17. This is unusual in the UK.

More commonly, pupils:

• Stay for S6 to take Advanced Highers (often required for medicine, engineering and other competitive courses)
• Stay for S6 to improve on weaker S5 grades
• Use S6 to take an extra Higher in a subject they dropped at S5

When Highers are better than A-Levels

• You’re keeping options open across multiple subject areas
• You want an earlier path to university
• You want the extra year (S6) to improve, rather than extend, your qualifications
• You want to go to a Scottish university on the strength of 5 Highers

When A-Levels might suit better

• You already know exactly what you want to study
• You want maximum depth in 3 subjects
• You’re targeting an English university that uses specific grade offers

The bottom line

If you’re a parent wondering whether your child is being “short-changed” by doing Highers: they’re not. The Scottish system produces strong graduates, gives children a broader base of subjects through to age 17, and opens the door to tuition-free Scottish universities. The two systems just look different — neither is inherently better.