Advanced Higher Attainment Statistics

How many entries for advanced higher for 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 (school year) have been made and how many students have taken 3, 4, and 5 advanced highers in one academic year for both these academic years?

I would like extra information on what subjects they took, their grades and percentage of attainment compared to the rest of Scotland.

I would like to request information regarding the performance of students taking Advanced Highers. Specifically, I am interested in the following:

1.         The distribution of grades for students who took 3, 4, 5, or more Advanced Highers in a single year.

2.         The average and median grades achieved by students based on the number of Advanced Highers taken (3, 4, 5, or more).

3.         The percentage of students who achieved each grade (A, B, C, etc.) for each subject across different workloads (3, 4, 5, or more Advanced Highers).

4.         Patterns or trends in performance for students who took multiple Advanced Highers over several years (e.g., starting in S5 and continuing into S6).

5.         Comparative data on overall academic performance of students taking varying numbers of Advanced Highers (e.g., average grades or number of subjects passed).

6.         Data on the correlation between subjects taken, the number of Advanced Highers attempted, and the grades achieved. This would include how particular subjects or combinations of subjects impact the overall grades.

I am interested in data for the years 2020 to 2024.

For the distribution of grades, I would like to ask for the distribution based on individual grades for students who took 3, 4, or 5 Advanced Highers in a single year. I am not asking for permutations of grades, but rather the number of each specific grade achieved by students taking 3 Advanced Highers, 4 Advanced Highers, and so on. The distribution is required separately for each category (3 entries, 4 entries, etc.).
By "patterns or trends in performance for students who took multiple Advanced Highers over several years," I meant any observable trends in academic achievement for students who started taking Advanced Highers in S5 and continued to take additional Advanced Highers in S6 or simply took advanced highers in S6 only. For example, I’m interested in seeing if students who start taking Advanced Highers in S5 tend to perform better, worse, or similarly to those who started in Advanced Highers in S6, and the S6 AH takers S5 higher results.
For the comparative data, I am seeking information on students' overall academic performance (such as average grades) who take different numbers of Advanced Highers. For example, how do the average grades or the number of subjects passed compare between students taking 3 Advanced Highers versus those taking 4 or 5? And what subjects did they take and did that influence their overall grades (by number of subjects taken)? E.g. Taking 4 AH subjects maths physics, biology, chemistry and maths and results in ABBA or taking 4 AH subjects and taking geography chemistry, maths, and English and getting BBBB. 

Section 17 of FOISA provides that where an authority does not hold information requested it should notify the requester to that effect.  We do not hold information on patterns or trends in candidate performance or the correlation between number if subjects taken, number of advanced Highers attempted, and the grades achieved. The information you requested that we do hold has been included in the attached spreadsheet.

The distribution of grades for students who took 3, 4, 5, or more Advanced Highers in a single year. See attached spreadsheet.

The average and median grades achieved by students based on the number of Advanced Highers taken (3, 4, 5, or more). See attached spreadsheet.

The percentage of students who achieved each grade (A, B, C, etc.) for each subject across different workloads (3, 4, 5, or more Advanced Highers). See attached spreadsheet .

Patterns or trends in performance for students who took multiple Advanced Highers over several years (e.g., starting in S5 and continuing into S6). For example, I’m interested in seeing if students who start taking Advanced Highers in S5 tend to perform better, worse, or similarly to those who started in Advanced Highers in S6, and the S6 AH takers S5 higher results. Information not held—exempt under section 17.

Comparative data on overall academic performance of students taking varying numbers of Advanced Highers (e.g., average grades or number of subjects passed). See attached spreadsheet.

Data on the correlation between subjects taken, the number of Advanced Highers attempted, and the grades achieved. This would include how particular subjects or combinations of subjects impact the overall grades. Information not held—exempt under section 17.

Information sheet (0.96 MB)