SCQF Level 7 · Qualifications Scotland
Advanced Higher Art and Design
Advanced Higher Art and Design is pitched at SCQF Level 7 — the same level as first-year university study. Typically taken in S6, it is the qualification most commonly specified by Scottish universities for competitive degree entry. Here is how the course works, what it assesses, and crucially, who actually needs it.
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No exam
Exam duration
100%
Coursework
56 pts
UCAS points (A)
S6
Typical year
Who Needs Advanced Higher Art and Design?
Not every S6 pupil needs to take AH Art and Design. Here is an honest breakdown.
Typically needed for
- Art school applicants — the portfolio IS the application, and the Advanced Higher year is where it gets built
- Architecture, where a practical Advanced Higher alongside Maths and Physics shows the drawing ability every school interviews for
- Design degrees (graphic, product, fashion, textiles), where the Design course maps directly onto the portfolio a course asks to see
- Photography, Animation and Games Art courses
Not required for
No degree outside art, design and architecture specifies it. Art schools in Scotland select on the portfolio and interview, so a strong Higher plus a self-built portfolio can get in without the Advanced Higher — but few pupils build a portfolio of that standard without the timetabled year.
How hard is the jump from Higher?
Higher Art and Design has a question paper and a set portfolio brief. Advanced Higher drops the exam entirely and asks for a self-directed body of work from a theme or brief you choose, with a written contextual analysis that has to read like an art-school essay. The freedom is the difficulty: nobody sets the task.
How Assessment Works
Advanced Higher Art and Design is assessed across 3 components. Total: 100 marks.
Portfolio — section 1: practical work
CourseworkThe expressive artwork or design work itself, marked for process (investigation and development) and skills (technical accomplishment). 64 of the 100 marks.
Portfolio — section 2: contextual analysis
CourseworkWritten and visual analysis of the artists or designers who inform the practical work. 30 of the 100 marks.
Portfolio — section 3: evaluation
CourseworkA short evaluation of the creative process and outcome. 6 of the 100 marks.
Coursework note
There is no question paper at all: the whole course is a portfolio submitted for external marking. Expressive and Design are separate courses with separate certificates — a pupil can take one or, unusually, both — and each is marked on the same 64/30/6 split.
Grades and UCAS points
| Grade | UCAS points | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| A | 56 | Excellent |
| B | 48 | Very good |
| C (Pass) | 40 | Pass |
| D | 32 | Award — still earns UCAS points |
| No Award | 0 | Not awarded |
The notional design points are 70% for an A, 60% B, 50% C and 40% D; the marks actually needed each year are published after awarding and are in the grade-boundaries table below.
What You Study
Advanced Higher Art and Design covers 3 course areas at SCQF Level 7.
Practical work — Expressive or Design
- Expressive: developing a personal theme through drawing, painting, collage, printmaking or photography
- Design: developing a design brief in your chosen area — the specification's own examples include graphic and fashion design
- Process — investigation, experimentation and refinement recorded across the portfolio
- Skills — the technical quality of the finished pieces
Contextual analysis
- Critical analysis of the work of artists or designers relevant to your own practice
- Placing your own work in a contemporary and historical context
Evaluation
- Evaluating your own creative process and the finished work against your intentions
After Advanced Higher Art and Design
Advanced Higher Art and Design is the highest secondary school qualification in this subject in Scotland. A grade C or above contributes 40 or more UCAS tariff points toward university entry and appears on your UCAS application. Universities consider it alongside your Highers when making conditional and unconditional offers.
The qualification below this
Higher Art and Design guide →
Course structure, assessment, and grade boundaries for Higher Art and Design.
How candidates did in 2025
Read off the 2025 course report. The minimum mark is out of 100.
Art and Design (Expressive) · C805 77
1,330 entries (1,313 in 2024). 98.9% were graded A–D and 92.5% achieved a C or better.
| Grade | Min. mark | Candidates | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 70 | 479 | 36% |
| B | 60 | 419 | 31.5% |
| C | 50 | 333 | 25% |
| D | 40 | 84 | 6.3% |
| No award | — | 15 | 1.1% |
Source: SQA — Advanced Higher Art and Design course report 2025 (Expressive), read 2026-09-14.
Art and Design (Design) · C806 77
891 entries (741 in 2024). 99% were graded A–D and 92.6% achieved a C or better.
| Grade | Min. mark | Candidates | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 70 | 269 | 30.2% |
| B | 60 | 254 | 28.5% |
| C | 50 | 302 | 33.9% |
| D | 40 | 57 | 6.4% |
| No award | — | 9 | 1% |
Source: SQA — Advanced Higher Art and Design course report 2025 (Design), read 2026-09-14.
Grade boundaries, 2026 and before
The minimum mark for each grade in every diet Qualifications Scotland still publishes. Compare the “C as % of marks” column, not the raw mark — Advanced Higher courses are graded out of anything from 100 to 250.
| Year | Out of | A | B | C | D | C as % of marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 100 | 70 | 60 | 50 | 40 | 50% |
| 2025 | 100 | 70 | 60 | 50 | 40 | 50% |
| 2024 | 100 | 70 | 60 | 50 | 40 | 50% |
| 2023 | 100 | 70 | 60 | 50 | 40 | 50% |
| 2022 | 100 | 70 | 59 | 48 | 37 | 48% |
| Year | Out of | A | B | C | D | C as % of marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 100 | 70 | 60 | 50 | 40 | 50% |
| 2025 | 100 | 70 | 60 | 50 | 40 | 50% |
| 2024 | 100 | 70 | 60 | 50 | 40 | 50% |
| 2023 | 100 | 70 | 60 | 50 | 40 | 50% |
| 2022 | 100 | 70 | 60 | 50 | 40 | 50% |
Marks, not percentages — the paper is graded out of the “out of” column, which can change when a course is revised. Source: Qualifications Scotland — Grade boundaries 2026 workbook (ref 26GB), read 2026-09-14. Boundaries are set after marking each year and the next set appears on results day.
Editor’s note
Two course codes, one page: Expressive (C805 77) is fine art, Design (C806 77) is applied. The 2025 outcomes below are shown for both, and the no-award rate on each is among the lowest of any Advanced Higher — which reflects a course chosen by pupils who already work this way rather than an easy course. Your school decides which of the two it enters you for; ask before S6 starts.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions about Advanced Higher Art and Design
Does Advanced Higher Art and Design have coursework?
Yes — coursework makes up 100% of the total grade in Advanced Higher Art and Design. There is no question paper at all: the whole course is a portfolio submitted for external marking. Expressive and Design are separate courses with separate certificates — a pupil can take one or, unusually, both — and each is marked on the same 64/30/6 split.
How is Advanced Higher Art and Design assessed?
Advanced Higher Art and Design has 3 assessment components: Portfolio — section 1: practical work (64 marks (32 process + 32 skills), Internally managed, externally marked); Portfolio — section 2: contextual analysis (30 marks, Internally managed, externally marked); Portfolio — section 3: evaluation (6 marks, Internally managed, externally marked). Total marks: 100.
How long is the Advanced Higher Art and Design exam?
The Advanced Higher Art and Design exam is No exam. There is also a coursework component worth 100% of the total grade.
What grade do you need to pass Advanced Higher Art and Design?
Grade C (50–59%) is the minimum pass. Grades are awarded as A (70%+), B (60–69%), C (50–59%), and D (40–49%). For UCAS purposes: A = 56 points, B = 48 points, C = 40 points, D = 32 points. Most university entry requirements that specify Advanced Higher expect a B or above.
What do you study in Advanced Higher Art and Design?
Advanced Higher Art and Design covers 3 course areas: Practical work — Expressive or Design, Contextual analysis, Evaluation. It is pitched at SCQF Level 7 — the same level as the first year of a Scottish university degree — and goes significantly beyond Higher in analytical depth and independent study expectations.
Who needs Advanced Higher Art and Design?
Art school applicants — the portfolio IS the application, and the Advanced Higher year is where it gets built. Architecture, where a practical Advanced Higher alongside Maths and Physics shows the drawing ability every school interviews for No degree outside art, design and architecture specifies it. Art schools in Scotland select on the portfolio and interview, so a strong Higher plus a self-built portfolio can get in without the Advanced Higher — but few pupils build a portfolio of that standard without the timetabled year.
Course data sourced from Qualifications Scotland course specifications. Assessment details correct for the 3.0 (May 2023) specification.
Full course documentation available at qualifications.gov.scot.