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100+ Free Advanced Higher History Practice Questions

Pass your Scottish Advanced Higher History exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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A peer-reviewed journal article is generally considered a more reliable secondary source than a popular blog post because it:

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B
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to track
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Key Facts: Advanced Higher History Exam

90 marks

Question paper (3 hours)

Qualifications Scotland course specification

50 marks

Dissertation up to 4,000 words

Qualifications Scotland course specification

11 options

Specialist field studies available

Qualifications Scotland course specification

100

Free practice questions here

OpenExamPrep

Qualifications Scotland Advanced Higher History is assessed through a 90-mark question paper (essays + source-handling) and a 50-mark dissertation of up to 4,000 words. Eleven specialist field options are available; teaching concentrates on Britain 1851-1951, Germany 1815-1939 and USA Civil War or Civil Rights for 2026.

Sample Advanced Higher History Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Advanced Higher History exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which phrase best captures Britain's mid-Victorian economic position in the 1850s and 1860s?
A.Workshop of the World
B.Sick Man of Europe
C.The Hungry Forties
D.The Two Nations
Explanation: By the 1851 Great Exhibition Britain produced roughly half the world's iron and a third of its manufactured goods, and contemporaries described it as the 'Workshop of the World'.
2The 1867 Second Reform Act, which enfranchised most male urban householders, was steered through the Commons by which Chancellor?
A.Benjamin Disraeli
B.William Gladstone
C.Robert Lowe
D.Lord John Russell
Explanation: Disraeli, as Conservative Chancellor under Derby, 'dished the Whigs' by passing the 1867 Reform Act, which enfranchised most male urban householders and almost doubled the electorate.
3What was the central change introduced by the 1872 Ballot Act?
A.Secret ballot in parliamentary elections
B.Universal male suffrage
C.Payment of MPs
D.Annual parliaments
Explanation: The 1872 Ballot Act introduced the secret ballot, ending open hustings voting and reducing intimidation and bribery by landlords and employers.
4The 1884 Representation of the People Act is best summarised as having:
A.Extended the household franchise to county constituencies
B.Granted votes to women over 30
C.Abolished plural voting
D.Created single-member constituencies
Explanation: Gladstone's 1884 Act extended the 1867 urban household qualification to rural counties, roughly equalising the rural and urban franchise and increasing the electorate to about 5.7 million.
5What was the principal constitutional change made by the 1911 Parliament Act?
A.The Lords lost the power to veto money bills and could only delay other bills for two years
B.The monarch's veto over legislation was abolished
C.MPs began to be paid
D.Women over 30 received the parliamentary vote
Explanation: After the Lords' rejection of the 1909 'People's Budget', the 1911 Parliament Act stripped the Lords of any veto over money bills and reduced their delaying power on other bills to two years.
6Under the 1918 Representation of the People Act, women gained the vote on which terms?
A.Women over 30 who met a property qualification
B.All women over 21 on equal terms with men
C.All women over 25
D.Only women whose husbands were on the electoral roll
Explanation: The 1918 Act enfranchised women over 30 who were householders, married to householders, occupiers of property worth £5, or university graduates — a compromise rather than full equality.
7Equal franchise — women voting at 21 on the same terms as men — was finally achieved in:
A.1928
B.1918
C.1948
D.1969
Explanation: The 1928 Equal Franchise Act lowered the female voting age to 21, completing the equalisation of the franchise that the 1918 Act had only partially achieved.
8The Liberal welfare reform that introduced a non-contributory pension of five shillings a week for those over 70 was the:
A.Old Age Pensions Act 1908
B.National Insurance Act 1911
C.Children's Charter 1908
D.Trade Boards Act 1909
Explanation: Asquith and Lloyd George's 1908 Old Age Pensions Act gave a non-contributory pension of up to 5s a week to those aged 70+ with low income, payable through the Post Office.
9Part I of the 1911 National Insurance Act covered:
A.Compulsory health insurance for workers earning under £160
B.Unemployment insurance only
C.Pensions for widows and orphans
D.Free school meals
Explanation: Part I of the 1911 Act introduced contributory health insurance for manual workers earning under £160, funded jointly by worker, employer and state — the 'ninepence for fourpence' scheme.
10The 1909 Trade Boards Act is significant because it:
A.Established statutory minimum wages in 'sweated' trades
B.Created the Labour Exchange system
C.Granted trade unions immunity from civil damages
D.Recognised the right to strike
Explanation: Churchill's Trade Boards Act 1909 set statutory minimum wages in four notoriously sweated trades (tailoring, lace-making, chain-making, box-making), marking the first state intervention in private wages.

About the Advanced Higher History Exam

Scottish Advanced Higher History (course code C837 77) is offered by Qualifications Scotland (formerly SQA) at SCQF Level 7. Candidates study one specialist field (eleven options including Britain 1851-1951, Germany 1815-1939, USA Civil War or Civil Rights) and produce a research-led dissertation of up to 4,000 words alongside a 3-hour question paper.

Questions

100 scored questions

Time Limit

3 hours for the question paper, plus the externally marked dissertation

Passing Score

Grade A is the highest pass; A-D count as a pass at SCQF Level 7

Exam Fee

Entry fees set by school/centre; SQA per-subject entry charge applies (Qualifications Scotland (formerly SQA))

Advanced Higher History Exam Content Outline

Field option

Britain 1851-1951

Mid-Victorian Britain, 1867/1884 Reform Acts, 1911 Parliament Act, women's suffrage, Liberal welfare reforms and the 1945-1951 Labour government

Field option

Germany 1815-1939

Vienna settlement and 1848 revolutions, Bismarck and unification, Wilhelmine Germany, Weimar Republic and the Nazi state

Field option

USA Civil War and Reconstruction or Civil Rights

USA 1850-1880 sectional crisis, Civil War and Reconstruction; or 1918-1968 Civil Rights movement

Skills

Historiography and source evaluation

Interpreting changing historians' views, evaluating provenance and content of primary sources, integrating evidence into balanced essays

Dissertation

Dissertation (50 marks)

Independent research-led essay of up to 4,000 words with footnoting and bibliography, externally marked by Qualifications Scotland

How to Pass the Advanced Higher History Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Grade A is the highest pass; A-D count as a pass at SCQF Level 7
  • Exam length: 100 questions
  • Time limit: 3 hours for the question paper, plus the externally marked dissertation
  • Exam fee: Entry fees set by school/centre; SQA per-subject entry charge applies

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Advanced Higher History Study Tips from Top Performers

1Read at least two contrasting historians on every issue — Advanced Higher rewards engagement with historiography, not just narrative
2Practise timed essay plans with a clear line of argument and perceptive conclusion; the question paper is essay-heavy
3Treat the dissertation as a research project: footnote everything, balance primary and secondary sources, and keep a working bibliography from day one
4Use SQA Course Reports each summer to see which interpretations and factors examiners credit at A-grade level

Frequently Asked Questions

Who awards Scottish Advanced Higher History?

Advanced Higher History is awarded by Qualifications Scotland (formerly SQA). The course code is C837 77 and it sits at SCQF Level 7, above Higher and broadly equivalent to first-year university.

How is Advanced Higher History assessed?

Assessment is by a 3-hour question paper worth 90 marks (extended essays plus source-handling on one specialist field) and a 4,000-word dissertation worth 50 marks, externally marked by Qualifications Scotland, for 140 marks total.

Which fields of study can I choose?

There are eleven specialist field options including Britain 1851-1951, Germany 1815-1939, USA Civil War and Reconstruction 1850-1880, USA Civil Rights 1918-1968, Russia 1881-1921, Spain 1923-1945, Northern Ireland 1965-2000, Soviet Union 1917-1953, France 1815-1898, Italy 1815-1939, Iran 1919-1979 and Japan 1840-1920. Teaching concentrates on the British, German and American options.

When is the Advanced Higher History exam sat?

The question paper is sat in the May SQA diet at the end of the one-year course, with results released in early August. The dissertation is researched and written earlier in the year and submitted to Qualifications Scotland for external marking.