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Higher English - critical reading

From 2026/27, the marks allocation in the Scottish Text section of the Critical Reading question paper has changed. There are 12 marks available for the analysis questions on the printed text and 8 marks for the final question. The Critical Reading specimen question paper and marking instructions have been updated to reflect this.

 

Critical Reading 2025 (All links open as PDF files)

Section 1 Scottish Text 

Candidate 1 - ( Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy)

Candidate 2 - (The Slab Boys by John Byrne)

Candidate 3 - (Basking Shark by Norman MacCaig)

Candidate 4 - (The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson)

 

Section 2 Critical Essays

Candidate 1 - (The Shawshank Redemption)

Candidate 2 - (Havisham by Carol Ann Duffy)

Candidate 3 - (The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald)

Candidate 4 - (A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams)

 

Critical Reading 2024 - Section 1 Scottish Text  (All links open as PDF files)

Candidate 1 - (In Mrs Tilscher's Class by Carol Ann Duffy)

Candidate 2 - (Men Should Weep by Ena Lamont Stewart)

Candidate 3 - (The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Candidate 4 - (The Slab Boys by John Byrne)

 

Critical Reading 2024 - Critical Essays (All links open as PDF files)

Candidate 1 - (Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller)

Candidate 2 - (Death of a Naturalist by Seamus Heaney)

Candidate 3 - (The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger)

Candidate 4 - (2001: A Space Odyssey)

 

Critical Reading 2023 - Section 1 Scottish Text  (All links open as PDF files)

Candidate 1 - Question 40 (The Way My Mother Speaks by Carol Ann Duffy)

Candidate 2 - Question 24 (Jekyll and Hyde)

Candidate 3 - Question 48 (Brooklyn Cop by Norman MacCaig)

Candidate 4 - Question 12 (Men Should Weep)

 

Critical Reading 2023 - Critical Essays (All links open as PDF files)

Candidate 1 - A View from the Bridge

Candidate 2 - Othello

Candidate 3 - Lord of the Flies

Candidate 4 - Disabled (Poem)

 

Critical Reading 2022  (All links open as PDF files)

Candidate 1 - 1984 (Novel)

Candidate 2 - Smeddum (Short story)

Candidate 3 - The Catcher in the Rye (Novel)

Candidate 4 - Exposure (Poem)

Candidate 5 - Dunkirk (Film)

Candidate 6 - The Godfather (Film)

 

Critical Reading 2021 - Section 2

 

Critical reading 2019  (All links open as PDF files)

Candidate 1 - Scottish text: The Slab Boys. Critical Essay: The Great Gatsby

Candidate 2 - Scottish text: The Telegram. Critical essay: Romeo and Juliet

Candidate 3 - Scottish text: The Cone-Gatherers. Critical essay: O Captain! My Captain!

Candidate 4 - Scottish text: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Critical essay: The Crucible

Candidate 5 - Scottish text: In Mrs Tilscher's Class. Critical essay: Death of a Salesman

Candidate 6 - Scottish text: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Critical essay: A Streetcar Named Desire

Candidate 7 - Scottish text: Last Supper. Critical essay: A Hanging

Candidate 8 - Scottish text: Men Should Weep. Critical essay: My Last Duchess