Chemistry · Advanced Higher
Advanced Higher Chemistry is university-level theory with laboratory rigour: electronic structure, thermodynamics, kinetics and equilibrium, then systematic organic chemistry and the instrumental methods used to identify molecules.
What it offers you
Chemistry opens the door to medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, chemical engineering and research, and the practical and calculation skills it builds are expected in every laboratory science.
What Advanced Higher actually asks of you
Section 1 — multiple choice
Objective questions spanning inorganic, physical and organic chemistry.
Section 2 — extended answer
Long, multi-step questions: calculations involving thermodynamics and equilibria, predicting organic reactions and mechanisms, and interpreting spectra.
Project — an extended practical investigation planned, carried out and written up as a scientific report.
Exact timings and mark allocations are printed on the front cover of each paper below.
Topics that come up
Papers & marking schemes
2026
3 files2025
3 files2024
3 files2023
3 files2022
3 filesSQA publishes the most recent five years of papers. Older papers and specimen papers live on their site — open Chemistry Advanced Higher on sqa.org.uk.