Raising attainment has become an over-riding concern for politicians and educational administrators on both sides of the Atlantic. The public perception, often generated by adverse reports in the media, is of declining educational standards. However, it is often difficult to compare standards across time and between countries since assessments do not remain constant and often examine different types of knowledge and skills. Nevertheless, a comparison across time of standards within the highest level of history course in Scottish secondary schools has demonstrated that they have found ways to demand more of students compared with the 1990s in both essay writing and source analysis. These increased demands reflect rigorous procedures in the setting and marking of external examinations, and are a response to a statement of the leader of the Scottish National Party who said, "it is essential that the Scottish qualifications system is robust, so there can be no accusations that the system is getting easier." This article discusses key changes in the syllabus, external examination, marking instructions and student answers between 1992 and 2006 for Advanced Higher History, the most demanding history course in Scottish schools. This article also discusses the current expectations and student attitudes towards key elements of the course. (Contains 1 figure and 12 endnotes.)