Explains the structure of the course, including its purpose and aims and information on the skills, knowledge and understanding that will be developed.

Changes have been made to this course following feedback from educators and learners:

Literary appreciation question paper:
Reduced the number of questions, and the marks available from 80 to 60.
Reduced the marks allocated for each author from 40 to 30.
Reduced the duration of the question paper from 2 hours and 40 minutes to 2 hours.

Translating question paper:
Scaled to 40 marks - scaling table of marks added to appendix 2.

We’ve amended the question paper details in the course specification. There's no change to teaching and learning. Please ensure learners are aware of the changes and that they are using the most up-to-date version of this document.
 

Session 2026-27 onwards

• Higher Latin course specification June 2026

Session 2025-26

• Higher Latin course specification July 2018

Examples of candidate evidence with commentaries

• Examples of candidate evidence with commentaries

Webinar (recording)

Course Assessment 19 November 2024

• Download webinar

Overview of course assessment from session 2018-19

• Download (89.87 MB)

Audio Presentation

• Overview of Course Assessment May 2018 (18 minutes)

Changes to Understanding Standards materials

• Changes to published Understanding Standards materials for all subjects

Please note: Understanding Standards materials are regularly reviewed to ensure they remain up to date.

Provides information on the performance of candidates - which is useful to teachers, lecturers and assessors in their preparation of candidates for future assessment.

Course Reports

• 2025 Higher Latin course report October 2025
• 2024 Higher Latin course report September 2024
• 2023 Higher Latin course report October 2023

Verification Reports

• Latin: quality assurance - external verification

• Higher Latin prescribed text  (263 KB)
• Higher Latin prescribed text The Poems of Catullus (363 KB)
• Higher Latin prescribed text Ovid Metamorphoses IV and VIII (362 KB)
• Higher Latin prescribed text Virgil Aeneid I IV and  VI (358 KB)
• Higher Latin prescribed text Pliny Letters  (156 KB)
• Higher Latin prescribed text Cicero In Verrem V (828 KB) (352 KB)