Higher Physics: the new single paper for 2027, the assignment and practice

The Higher Physics exam in 2027

That makes 163 marks in all, with the assignment worth about 20%. Until 2026 there were two papers: Paper 1 (25 multiple-choice marks in 45 minutes) and Paper 2 (130 marks in 2 hours 15 minutes). Qualifications Scotland combined and shortened them after a survey of learners and teachers. The new format is in the course specification valid from session 2026 to 2027, and the content is unchanged.

The assignment: you research a topic, carry out an experiment and write a report. It should take no more than 8 hours, with at most 2 hours for writing the report under supervision, and Qualifications Scotland marks it.

What Higher Physics covers

• Our dynamic universe: motion equations and graphs, forces, energy and power, collisions, explosions and impulse, gravitation, special relativity, and the expanding Universe.
• Particles and waves: forces on charged particles, nuclear reactions, wave particle duality, interference, spectra and refraction of light.
• Electricity: measuring AC, current, voltage, power and resistance, internal resistance, capacitors, and semiconductors and p-n junctions.
• Units, prefixes and uncertainties: tested throughout the paper.

Higher Physics grade boundaries

In 2026, on the old two-paper format, out of 150 (the 155 marks over two papers scaled to 120, plus the assignment scaled to 30), an A needed 102, a B 86, a C 71 and a D 55. Of the 8,663 candidates, 28.8% got an A (course report 2026). The 2027 course is out of 163, so those numbers won't carry over. As a guide, the grading system aims for a C at about 50% and an A at about 70%.

Higher Physics practice questions

We wrote these for this guide. Take g as 9.8 N/kg, h as 6.63 × 10⁻³⁴ J s, and show the relationship you use.

1. Projectiles

Question: a ball rolls off a ledge 44.1 m above the ground, moving horizontally at 15 m/s. How far out does it land? Answer: vertically it starts at 0 m/s, so 44.1 = ½ × 9.8 × t², giving t = 3.0 s. Horizontally the speed doesn't change, so it lands 15 × 3.0 = 45 m out. Treat the two directions separately, linked only by time. Check it in the Projectile Motion Calculator.

2. Special relativity

Question: a clock on a spacecraft moving at 0.8c records 6.0 s. How long does that interval last for an observer on Earth? Answer: t′ = t ÷ √(1 − v²/c²) = 6.0 ÷ √(1 − 0.64) = 6.0 ÷ 0.6 = 10 s. The moving clock runs slow, so the Earth observer's time is longer.

3. Internal resistance

Question: a battery has an EMF of 9.0 V and internal resistance 0.50 Ω. It's connected to a 4.0 Ω resistor. Find the current and the terminal potential difference. Answer: I = E ÷ (R + r) = 9.0 ÷ 4.5 = 2.0 A. The lost volts are Ir = 1.0 V, so the terminal potential difference is 9.0 − 1.0 = 8.0 V.

4. The photoelectric effect

Question: light of frequency 7.5 × 10¹⁴ Hz falls on a metal with a work function of 3.2 × 10⁻¹⁹ J. What is the greatest kinetic energy a freed electron can have? Answer: E = hf = 6.63 × 10⁻³⁴ × 7.5 × 10¹⁴ = 4.97 × 10⁻¹⁹ J. Then E_k = hf − hf₀ = 4.97 × 10⁻¹⁹ − 3.2 × 10⁻¹⁹ = 1.77 × 10⁻¹⁹ J. Try a photon energy question from our Light and Energy course and press Mark.

5. Uncertainties

Question: five timings of a trolley are 2.31 s, 2.35 s, 2.28 s, 2.34 s and 2.32 s. Find the mean and its approximate random uncertainty. Answer: the mean is 11.60 ÷ 5 = 2.32 s. The random uncertainty is (largest − smallest) ÷ number of readings = (2.35 − 2.28) ÷ 5 = 0.014 s, so the result is (2.32 ± 0.01) s.

Common Higher Physics mistakes

From the 2026 course report:

• Not knowing the set experiments. Few candidates could describe finding the acceleration of a vehicle down a slope with the apparatus shown, though it's one of the course's mandatory practicals.
• Accuracy and precision mixed up. More repeat readings reduce the random uncertainty, which is about precision.
• Gravity in orbit: a space station in orbit still feels a strong pull from Earth: g there is far from zero.
• Ignoring the diagram: a point charge has a radial field, not a uniform one.

Use a daily paper as a short timed prelim

Today's Higher Physics paper covers kinematics and projectiles, momentum and collisions, work, energy and power, DC circuits and internal resistance, waves, interference and refraction, the photoelectric effect, particles and antiparticles, and uncertainties. It also includes moments and the Young modulus, which aren't in Higher Physics, and it doesn't cover special relativity, the expanding Universe, gravitation, capacitors or semiconductors, and it has no multiple-choice section. Use it alongside the official past papers, remembering that papers before 2027 are longer. For prelim dates, see our prelims guide.

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