Students in these years will study two of the following;  a play;  a novel;  a selection of poetry.  Students will write critical essays based on the texts studied and will be assessed in school on a number of occasions.  These assessments are known as NABs.  In the final exam, students will write two critical essays on the texts they have studied.

Students will continue to develop Close Reading skills, and will again sit a number of NABs in school which tests their Close Reading ability.  A Close Reading paper is part of the Higher Exam.

Students have to read a number of papers, which have samples of text from novels, plays and poetry.  They then have to answer questions on the text they have read.  This aspect of Higher Still is called Textural Analysis.  Students will sit Textural Analysis NABs in school, and must pass at least one.  There is no Textural Analysis in the final exam.

Students must write either a creative essay or a discursive essay, and workshops are organised to help them in this task.  This essay is sent away and will go towards their final exam scoring.

Finally, students must read a book of their own choice, and will take their own notes on the various literary aspects of their novels.  At some point in the school year, pupils will write a Critical Essay on their chosen novels, and will use the skills they have developed to assist them in this task.  This essay is written in school, in exam conditions and is internally assessed.  This aspect of Higher is known as Personal Study.