Higher Computing Science grade boundaries 2026: A, B, C, D

Higher Computing Science grade boundaries 2026

The table is the Computing Science row of the Higher sheet in Grade boundaries 2026 (release 26GB, 4 August 2026); the counts are from the 2026 course report.

The upper A of 102 is 85% of 120. Every line is on its starting point, 85, 70, 60, 50 and 40 per cent. See the Higher Computing Science guide.

What the 120 marks are made of

The paper is 80 marks, 2 hours, and the assignment 40 marks, per the course specification. In 2026 the database option was again the more popular one: 66% of candidates did the database sections and 34% the web sections, in both the paper and the assignment.

How many candidates got each grade in 2026

The A rate rose from 42.1% to 45.2%, 1,805 candidates, and No Award fell from 14.2% to 10.6%, 421 candidates. B was 17.7%, C 15.2% and D 11.2%. Entries were 3,989, a little up on the 3,962 of 2025.

Turning a mark into a grade

With 50 out of 80 on the paper and 25 out of 40 on the assignment, a candidate has 75. That is above B at 72 and 9 short of A at 84, so it is a B. The A boundary is 70% of 120 exactly, so a round 70% is an A, and 69% is just under.

For the lines, the gap between A and C is 24, so B = 60 + ⌊49 ÷ 4⌋ = 60 + 12 = 72 and D = 60 − ⌈47 ÷ 4⌉ = 60 − 12 = 48. These are the notional 60% and 40%.

2026 against earlier years

The lines went from A 82, B 71, C 60, D 49 in 2025 to 84, 72, 60, 48 in 2026: up 2, up 1, no change, down 1. The 2026 lines are identical to the 2024 ones. A has gone 84, 82, 84 over three series, C has stayed at 60 each year, and the upper A went from 100 to 102.

What Qualifications Scotland said about the 2026 papers

The report says marker feedback suggested that the question paper and assignment were fair and accessible, and that statistical data showed both performed as intended. It says that as a result no adjustments were made to the grade boundaries. That fits boundaries that sit on the notional marks.

Where marks were lost: few candidates described how to reallocate bits between mantissa and exponent to improve precision in a floating-point number, and in question 6(b) candidates did not clearly name the domain or that the owner's name is in a digital certificate. Many answered with parallel arrays instead of an array of records, or passed unnecessary parameters (10(b)). Only a few answered 8(c)(ii) in terms of efficiency, as responses discussed modularity or maintainability. In the database analysis many candidates did not structure their answers, and many did not mention an HTML form or JavaScript in the web analysis (16(a)). In the assignment, most did not describe how to fully test the select form element they had implemented.

What the 2026 numbers mean for you

A boundary exactly on 70% is clean to aim at. Be specific in the written answers: name the domain, name the structure (array of records), and answer the criterion asked (efficiency, not maintainability). In the assignment, test the form element you built. Try the Logic Gate Simulator for the hardware questions.

The previous series is Higher Computing Science grade boundaries 2025, and every course is in SQA grade boundaries 2026.

Check yourself with today's paper

Use today's Higher Computing Science paper, a short timed mock of 8 questions and 25 to 35 marks, written by us, with no assignment. Divide your mark: 21 out of 30 is 70%, equal to the A share of 70.0%, and 12 out of 30 is 40%, equal to the D share.

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Scotland · HigherHigher Computing Science grade boundaries 2025: A, B, C, DHigher Computing Science grade boundaries 2025 from the SQA: A needed 82 of 120, B 71, C 60 and D 49, with 42.1% getting an A, and 2024 compared.