Qualifications Scotland (SQA) Advanced Higher Modern Studies Past Papers 2026

Research-methods + extended essays

Duration: 3 hours

Independent investigation

Duration: Coursework (independent research)

Analysis vs description — sustained analytical writing rather than narrative accounts

All three course reports identify description in place of analysis as the most persistent mark-limiting error in both the question paper and the dissertation. Markers expect candidates to develop points, link them to the question, and draw evaluative comments — not restate factual content.

Question Paper, Project — Dissertation

Sustaining a line of argument throughout a 30-mark essay

Weaker responses produce a series of isolated factual points rather than a coherent argument. The marking instructions explicitly reward a 'clear line of argument that flowed from an organised and logical sequence of ideas' — candidates who list knowledge without a thesis or through-line cannot reach the top band.

Question Paper

Research-method evaluation tied to the scenario — not generic descriptions

Across all three years, Part B research-method questions differentiated candidates primarily on the degree to which they tied their analysis and evaluation to the specific scenario given. Generic descriptions of observation, longitudinal studies, interviews, or focus groups earned minimal marks regardless of their accuracy.

Question Paper

Applying theoretical frameworks rather than describing political facts

High-quality extended essays 'contained reference to ideas and/or theories or the academic arguments of others'. Weaker responses demonstrated knowledge of political facts (e.g. electoral systems, crime statistics) without integrating any theoretical or academic framework to explain or evaluate them.

Question Paper

Distinguishing primary from secondary research in the dissertation

Many candidates conflated primary and secondary research or failed to document primary research with proper provenance in appendices. High-quality dissertations 'accurately referenced primary sources of information, academically evidenced in the appendices and integrated into the main body'.

Project — Dissertation

Dissertation thesis clarity — aims worded as questions, not descriptive statements

In 2024 and 2025, markers noted that candidates who did not word aims as questions were drawn into descriptive responses. SQA advises using 'To what extent…?', 'To analyse…', or 'To examine the extent to which…' as stems — this forces the evaluative stance required for high marks.

Project — Dissertation

Currency of contemporary case-study evidence in essays and the dissertation

In 2024, markers noted that some responses 'cited historic evidence and examples', which is insufficient for a qualification requiring contemporary analysis. Evidence used in both the essay and the dissertation must be recent and attributed to its source.

Question Paper, Project — Dissertation

Source-evaluation conclusions — quantifying trustworthiness rather than listing factors

Candidates frequently analysed factors affecting source trustworthiness (provenance, methodology, date) but failed to draw a clear conclusion quantifying the overall extent to which the source was reliable. In 2025, markers noted that a few candidates included no conclusion at all, losing up to 3 marks.

Question Paper