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Getting Started with Your Advanced Higher Chemistry Project

Updated: 2 days ago


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How to Succeed in Your SQA Advanced Higher Chemistry Project - Topics, Tips & Guide

Discover some SQA Advanced Higher Chemistry project topics, avoid common mistakes, and learn how to plan, evaluate, and write up your project effectively.


Introduction


The SQA Advanced Higher Chemistry project is a crucial part of your qualification—worth 25 marks (scaled to 40), it counts for a quarter of your final grade. In this guide, you’ll find topic suggestions, common pitfalls to avoid, time management tips, and direct links to SQA’s official resources to help you get clear on what you are expected to produce.


Step 1: Read the Official Guidance


How can you successfully plan when you do know what you’re actually trying to achieve? Exactly, you can’t. So before diving into experiments, read these official SQA documents:



These explain the assessment structure, marking criteria, and key requirements which are essential for planning a successful project.


I would also recommend having a watch of our Advanced Higher Chemistry Project Tips Video on YouTube. Within this video we take you through an example project and supporting marker commentary from the SQA Understanding Standards.



Step 2: Choosing a Topic


This is something you definitely want to spend some time thinking about, as once you start your project it can be difficult to change it.


My advice is to choose a project that is:

  • Relevant to the Advanced Higher Chemistry course

  • Achievable with the resources available in your school

  • Rich in data and analysis opportunities

  • Something you are interested in


The last one here is more important than you may think. Projects get hard, especially towards the end. You will undoubtably begin to lose motivation so by starting off with something you are actually interested in you will delay to onset of the project ‘misery’.


Struggling for inspiration? Here are some popular project topics:


  • Synthesis and purity analysis of aspirin

  • Determining calcium content in milk using titration

  • Extraction and analysis of caffeine

  • Content of manganese in a paperclip

  • Content of ethanoic acid in vinegar

  • Studying reaction rate changes under different conditions


Each of these allows you to showcase practical techniques and link back to the Advanced Higher Chemistry theory. The Advanced Higher Chemistry page on the SSERC website can be used as a useful resource here too, as they have a library of AH Chemistry PPAs that you can use as a starting point.



Step 3: Common Mistakes to Avoid


  1. Choosing irrelevant chemistry

    Projects must relate to AH Chemistry theory so choosing irrelevant topics can limit your ability to gain marks for underlying chemistry.


  2. Unsupported evaluations

    Don’t make claims your results don’t support. Always back up evaluative comments with your own data, not assumptions.


  3. Relying on Google/AI to write your underlying chemistry

    Google and AI can provide a access a vast amount of knowledge and information but the problem here is just that…its almost too vast. It is vital that the underlying chemistry you include in your project is relevant to the Advanced Higher Chemistry Course Specification. So make sure you use the course specification document to help you select the chemistry relevant to your project and then gather information related to those. Also make sure you read the SQA policy on using GenAI in assessments if you plan on using GenAI to support you in your project.

  4. Believing your results need to be perfect

    Many students believe their project needs flawless results to score highly, but this isn’t true. Examiners value clear reasoning, analysis, and honest evaluation more than perfect numbers. Unexpected or low-yield results can still score well if they are interpreted and evaluated properly.



Step 4: Plan Ahead to Avoid Last-Minute Stress


Good time management is key. You may feel like you have loads of time but in amongst lessons, assessments and general life your time will disappear quicker than you think. So make sure you carve out some time each week to do some work on your project.


Here are some actionable steps you can take to help you stay on track:


  • Create a timeline with mini-deadlines for each section (introduction, methods, results, evaluation, references).

  • Start your practical work as soon as possible and communicate clearly with your school technicians.

  • Start your write-up early and draft as you go.

  • If self-motivation is tough, ask a classmate, friend, or family member to check you are meeting deadlines for some extra accountability.



Some Final Words of Wisdom


Your SQA Advanced Higher Chemistry project will be a challenge, but it is also an opportunity. See it as an opportunity to push yourself out of your comfort zone and develop your independence.


You will undoubtedly develop many soft skills by completing your project: written communication, verbal communication, problem solving, leadership, attention to detail and self motivation just to name a few. All of these skills will benefit you in later life, so when times start to get a bit tough just remember your future self will be thankful you put in the work and effort.


So focus on clarity over perfection, give yourself enough time and use all the support you have available to you.


Good luck!



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