Scottish Highers - AAAAB in one sitting?

Thank you for your replies, but I will not be prepared for Maths this year - I got 14% in the Prelim.

I've already decided to do it next year, along with Advanced Highers in English and French; what I'm wondering is whether I have to do it this year, or they'll accept AAAA and give me a conditional for Maths next year ...?

The Careers Adviser told me earlier today to contact the Admissions Department at Oxford, so I may do just that.

Scottish qualifications

In general, we are looking for a level of performance around grade AAAAB or AAAAA in Scottish Highers, usually supplemented by two or more Advanced Highers. Offers made to candidates on the basis of the Advanced Higher subjects are likely to be set at AA for two subjects, and AAB for three subjects. Applicants with Scottish Highers but no Advanced Highers are advised to get in touch with the Tutor for Admissions at their likely college of preference to discuss their application.

Very few Scottish applicants are made offers solely on the basis of Highers: although AAAAB / AAAAA are acceptable qualifications, offers to Scottish applicants will almost always be made on Advanced Highers - AAB if you're taking three, or AA if you're only taking two.

In that sense, Highers are treated a bit like AS-levels. It's true that medicine tutors normally expect applicants to be taking their three A2s in one sitting, but there's no one-sitting requirement for standard Highers because they're not really the same level qualification. Tutors won't particularly care whether your Highers are taken all in one sitting - so long as you're going to get AA+ in Advanced Highers in one sitting in your final school year, you're fine.

English tutors are unlikely to be bothered if you discontinue maths. If you like the subject and are motivated by it, and you think you can turn around your performance, keep it up, but if there are other options available to you there's no point jeopardising your final grades.

My friend says it doesn't matter when they're sat, it's the grade you get for it first time

If you re-take a subject, it'll be the final grade you get which counts, not necessarily what you got in the first sitting. (i.e., the better grade is considered, even if it took you two attempts to get it.)

If you re-take a subject, it'll be the final grade you get which counts, not necessarily what you got in the first sitting. (i.e., the better grade is considered, even if it took you two attempts to get it.)

Really? Thanks! I have heard conflicting opinions on this ...

Cambridge ask you for all your as and A level module results, including resits and dropped subjects, and so are obviously aware of resits. I can't say any further how much weight they'd put on resits as a negative factor, other than that since they've specifically asked for them they'll want to bear them in mind. I don't know how exams for scottish system work, but at a level resitting a module can normally be done pretty discretely ('cept your final summer exams, of course) - you don't declare it on ucas and the higher score (original or resit) is the one that counts.

What are 'module results'? Class tests you do throughout the school year?

Thanks for your reply.

It's referring to A levels, which are modular...but obviously Highers aren't, it's all about the final exam etc. I think you'd probably be fine doing your four Highers this year, and two AHs plus another Higher next year (would you consider doing three AHs instead, by the way?)

At our school, if we do three AHs, we're not allowed to do anything else on top of that. Everyone I've spoken to has advised against it: I think only those with eight 1s at Standard Grade are allowed to do three AHs. :\ I'd be doing AH English, French and Geography, but our school only offers AH English out of those, so I'd have to go to another school for the other two. >_> Our school really only offers science AHs.

Anyway, I think if two AHs are acceptable, then there wouldn't really be any point breaking my neck to do another one in a subject I'm not really fussed about (i.e. Geography).

Hi guys!

I'm new to the whole education system here in Scotland and I was wondering how difficult are Advanced Highers compared to Highers?

I was planning on taking 3 Advanced Highers next year (Chemistry, Physics and Maths) and I want to do an additional 2-3 Highers (Human Biology, Psychology and either Spanish or German) but I'm not quite sure if that's doable since I need to get all A's (preferably all A1's) if I want to go on and do Medicine at Cambridge. I'm expecting on getting AAAAB this year (the B is for Maths) and so I feel like I need to do the extra Highers just to make up for that dreadful B. I also have American High School qualifications (no SATs though) and an IB certificate with 6's and 7's (no diploma though) so I hope that with all of that I might still have a shot at Cambridge but like I asked earlier, is that really doable?

All advice and opinions appreciated! Thank you!