Qualifications Scotland Chemistry Changes 2026/27: What Students Need to Know

With Qualifications Scotland publishing the updated National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher Chemistry course specifications for the 2026/27 academic year, many students are wondering what this means for their exams.

The short answer? There's no need to panic.

Despite some headlines around qualification reform, the changes to the Qualifications Scotland Chemistry courses are actually very minimal. The course content remains largely unchanged, meaning students will still study the same key topics, concepts and skills that have been taught in previous years.

What Has Changed in Chemistry?

The main changes relate to the final exam papers rather than the course content itself.

National 5 Chemistry

• The exam has been reduced from 2 hours 30 minutes to 2 hours.

• The multiple-choice section has been shortened by 5 questions.

• The written section has been reduced by 15 marks.

• The assignment remains unchanged and continues to contribute 20% of the final grade.

  
  

Higher Chemistry

• The exam has been reduced from 3 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes.

• The separate multiple-choice and written papers have been combined into a single paper.

• The multiple-choice section has been reduced by 5 questions.

• The written section has been reduced by 15 marks.

• The assignment remains out of 20 marks, but will now be scaled to 25 marks instead of 30marks.

  
  

Advanced Higher Chemistry

• The exam has been reduced from 3 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes.

• Section 2 has been shortened by 10 marks.

• Section 1 remains unchanged.

• The project remains out of 25 marks, but will now be scaled to 34 marks instead of 40 marks.

  
  

What Doesn't Change?

Perhaps most importantly, the Chemistry content remains the same. The fundamental knowledge, understanding and problem-solving skills required at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher are still there. These updates are designed primarily to improve the assessment experience while maintaining appropriate coverage of course content.

Focus on What You Can Control

It's natural to worry when qualifications change, but the reality is that these adjustments should have very little impact on how you prepare.

Your time and energy will be much better spent building strong study habits and stick to them consistently throughout the year.

Rather than worrying about what Qualifications Scotland has altered, focus on what you can control: showing up, putting in the work, and developing good study habits from day one.

Do that consistently, and you'll give yourself the best possible chance of success regardless of the assessment format.

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Find the official documents for your Chemistry course on the Qualifications Scotland Website