How Many Highers Should You Take? (And How Many National 5s?)

The standard Scottish path through S4–S6 looks something like this: five or six National 5s in S4, four or five Highers in S5, then Advanced Highers or additional Highers in S6. But "standard" isn't the same as "right for everyone" — and the honest answer on how many subjects to take is more nuanced than the school rumour mill suggests.

How many National 5s in S4?

Most S4 pupils take five or six National 5s. Some schools timetable seven, and a small number of pupils take eight or more. The practical ceiling is whatever your school's timetable allows — typically seven subjects in most Scottish secondaries.

The case for five or six: You can concentrate on doing well in subjects you'll need for your Highers. Lower-stress preparation reduces the risk of burning out in S4 and S5. Universities don't look at how many National 5s you took — they look at your Higher grades.

The case for seven: More options open for Higher choices in S5. Some pupils only discover a subject they love at National 5 level. A seventh National 5 can be a useful safety net if one doesn't go well.

What to avoid: Taking eight or nine National 5s is rarely worthwhile unless a pupil is genuinely coasting through them. The energy cost of an extra subject is better spent getting As rather than Bs in the ones that matter.

How many Highers in S5?

Four or five is the Scottish convention — and for most university courses, it's the right number.

The key question isn't "how many?" — it's "which subjects, and will I do well in them?"

What universities actually want

Scottish universities publish conditional offers in Highers: for example, AABBB at Higher for entry to a law degree, or AAAAB for medicine. The number of Highers required varies:

• Most Scottish degree programmes: four Highers at grades B–A
• Competitive Scottish programmes (medicine, dentistry, vet, law at Edinburgh or Glasgow): five Highers at AAAAB or AAAAA
• English universities: often ask for Advanced Highers on top of Highers for competitive courses

Quality vs quantity: the honest answer

Four strong Highers are worth more than five or six weak ones. Admissions teams for competitive Scottish programmes receive large numbers of applicants with five Highers — the distinguishing factor is grade profile, not subject count.

For less competitive programmes, three solid Highers may be sufficient. For very competitive courses — medicine, dentistry, some engineering programmes — you'll need five Highers and probably at least two Advanced Highers. Check UCAS course entry requirements directly.

What about S6?

S6 gives pupils three options:

1. Advanced Highers — one-year qualifications equivalent in depth to A-Levels. Required or strongly preferred by English universities for competitive courses. Add UCAS points.
2. Additional Highers — a Higher in a new subject, or a resit of a poor S5 Higher result.
3. A mix — most common. Pupils take one or two Advanced Highers plus additional Highers.

If you're applying to Scottish universities only, Advanced Highers are helpful but rarely required. If you're considering English universities, treat Advanced Highers as essential for competitive courses.

Subject-specific guidance

Certain subjects are expected regardless of course, particularly for Scottish universities:

• Higher English is required or strongly preferred by almost every Scottish university degree programme. It is effectively compulsory for the vast majority of pupils.
• Higher Maths is required for engineering, sciences, economics, computing, and many business courses.
• Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) are often prerequisites for medicine, dentistry, nursing and veterinary science — typically two sciences at Higher.

Beyond these, choose subjects you enjoy and will perform well in. A Higher in a subject you find genuinely interesting beats a Higher in a "strategic" subject you dislike and underperform in.

For pupils in S3 choosing S4 subjects

S4 subject choice determines which Highers are available in S5. Key principles:

• Keep English in your National 5 choices — you'll almost certainly need Higher English.
• Don't drop Maths unless you're certain your target courses don't require it.
• Avoid dropping a subject you might need at Higher just because the National 5 teacher is difficult — the Higher teacher may be completely different.
• Your S4 choices don't lock you in forever, but changing subject in S5 (taking a Higher in a subject without the National 5) is harder and depends on your school's timetable.

Highers by career path: a quick reference

How many Highers you need depends heavily on where you're heading. Here's a practical guide:

The table is a guide, not a guarantee. Always check the specific UCAS entry requirements for the courses your child is considering.

What S6 can fix — the underperformance safety net

S5 results aren't the end of the story. S6 gives pupils a second chance in several ways:

• Resitting an S5 Higher — if your child got a C or D in a required subject, they can resit in S6. Many pupils improve by a full grade with a year's extra maturity and revision.
• Taking a new Higher in S6 — if a subject that wasn't available or was dropped in S5 is now needed, many schools offer it in S6. Progress depends on having the relevant National 5.
• Advanced Highers — often accepted as an "upgrade" by universities. An Advanced Higher B in a subject can demonstrate competency even where the Higher grade was disappointing.

Universities are aware of the S6 opportunity and often make conditional offers that require S6 results as well as S5 ones. "AABB at Higher plus B at Advanced Higher" is a typical medicine-adjacent offer structure.

If your child's S5 results aren't what was hoped for, don't close doors in August. Talk to the school in September about what S6 can realistically achieve.

For UCAS points values for Scottish qualifications, see the UCAS points for Scottish Highers guide. For how Advanced Highers compare to A-Levels, see Advanced Highers explained.