sqa critical essay marking scheme

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Critical Essay Marking Instructions - SQA

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2008 English<br />

Higher – <strong>Critical</strong> <strong>Essay</strong><br />

Finalised <strong>Marking</strong> <strong>Instructions</strong><br />

© Scottish Qualifications Authority 2008<br />

The information in this publication may be reproduced to support <strong>SQA</strong> qualifications only on a<br />

non-commercial basis. If it is to be used for any other purposes written permission must be obtained from<br />

the Assessment Materials Team, Dalkeith.<br />

Where the publication includes materials from sources other than <strong>SQA</strong> (secondary copyright), this material<br />

should only be reproduced for the purposes of examination or assessment. If it needs to be reproduced for<br />

any other purpose it is the centre’s responsibility to obtain the necessary copyright clearance. <strong>SQA</strong>’s<br />

Assessment Materials Team at Dalkeith may be able to direct you to the secondary sources.<br />

These <strong>Marking</strong> <strong>Instructions</strong> have been prepared by Examination Teams for use by <strong>SQA</strong> Appointed Markers<br />

when marking External Course Assessments. This publication must not be reproduced for commercial or<br />

trade purposes.

The <strong>Marking</strong> Procedure<br />

1 Judging against the Performance Criteria<br />

Each essay should first be read to establish whether it achieves success in all the Performance<br />

Criteria below, including relevance and the standards for technical accuracy (see 2 below).<br />

Understanding<br />

As appropriate to task, the response demonstrates secure understanding of key elements, central<br />

concerns and significant details of the *text(s).<br />

Analysis<br />

The response explains accurately and in detail ways in which relevant aspects of structure/style/<br />

language contribute to meaning/effect/impact.<br />

Evaluation<br />

The response reveals clear engagement with the *text(s) or aspects of the text(s) and stated or<br />

implied evaluation of effectiveness, substantiated by detailed and relevant evidence from the<br />

*text(s).<br />

Expression<br />

Structure, style and language, including use of appropriate critical terminology, are deployed to<br />

communicate meaning clearly and develop a line of thought which is sustainedly relevant to<br />

purpose; spelling, grammar and punctuation are sufficiently accurate.<br />

*The term “text” encompasses printed, audio or film/video text(s) which may be literary (fiction or<br />

non-fiction) or may relate to aspects of media or language.<br />

2 Confirming Technical Accuracy<br />

An essay which does not satisfy the requirement for “sufficient” technical accuracy cannot pass.<br />

If, however, technical accuracy is deemed “sufficient”, then there are no penalties or deductions for<br />

such errors.<br />

The definition of “sufficiently accurate” is the same as that given below for “consistently<br />

accurate”, but with an allowance made for examination conditions, ie time pressure and no<br />

opportunity to redraft.<br />

Consistently accurate (in line with Core Skills statement)<br />

Few errors will be present. Paragraphs, sentences and punctuation are accurate and organised so<br />

that the writing can be clearly and readily understood. Spelling errors (particularly of high<br />

frequency words) are infrequent.<br />

3 Assigning a Category and Mark<br />

Each essay should then be assigned to the appropriate Category as outlined in the Broad<br />

Descriptors, supported by reference to the Detailed Descriptors.<br />

(a)<br />

Broad Descriptors<br />

<strong>Essay</strong>s which pass (ie meet the minimum requirements of the Performance Criteria) should be<br />

assigned to one of four categories as follows:<br />

Category Mark(s) Broad descriptor<br />

I 25 Outstanding<br />

II 21 or 23 Very sound<br />

III 17 or 19 Comfortably achieves the Performance Criteria<br />

IV 13 or 15 Just succeeds in achieving the Performance Criteria<br />

<strong>Essay</strong>s which fail to meet the minimum requirements of one or more than one Performance<br />

Criterion should be assigned to one of two categories as follows:<br />

V 11 or 9 Fails to achieve one or more than one Performance<br />

Criterion and/or to achieve sufficient technical<br />

accuracy, or is simply too thin<br />

VI* 7 or 5** Serious shortcomings<br />

In Categories II – VI, the choice of which mark to award should be determined by the level of<br />

certainty with which the response has been assigned to the Category.<br />

* <strong>Essay</strong>s in this Category will be extremely rare. It should be used only in cases of significant<br />

misunderstanding of a text, extreme thinness, or serious weaknesses in expression and/or technical<br />

accuracy.<br />

** Marks below 5 could, in exceptional circumstances, be awarded – for example to a response<br />

which was of extreme brevity, perhaps just a few lines.<br />

(b)<br />

Detailed descriptors<br />

Category I (25 marks): A sophisticated response which, allowing for the pressures of examination<br />

conditions and the limited time available, is outstanding in nearly every respect. Knowledge and<br />

understanding of the text(s) are sound. The question is addressed fully and convincingly in such a<br />

way as to show insight into the text(s) as a whole, and selection of evidence to support the<br />

argument is extensive and skilful. The essay is effectively structured as a genuine response to the<br />

question. As appropriate to the task and the text(s), the candidate demonstrates a sophisticated<br />

awareness of the literary and/or linguistic techniques being exploited. There is a committed<br />

evaluative stance with respect to the text(s) and the task, although this is not necessarily explicit.<br />

Expression is controlled and fluent.<br />

Dealing with longer texts, the response ranges effectively over the whole text where appropriate,<br />

selects effectively, and while focusing on the demands of the question, never loses sight of the text<br />

as a whole; dealing with shorter texts, the response uses a text which clearly allows the<br />

requirements of the question to be met fully, avoids “blanket coverage” and mechanistic,<br />

unfocused “analysis”, and shows a pleasing understanding of the text as a whole.<br />

Category II (21 or 23 marks): A very sound response which, allowing for the pressures of<br />

examination conditions and the limited time available, is secure in most respects. Knowledge and<br />

understanding of the text(s) are sound. The question is addressed fully in such a way as to show<br />

some insight into the text(s) as a whole, and selection of evidence to support the argument is<br />

extensive. The essay is soundly structured as a genuine response to the question. As appropriate to<br />

the task and the text(s), the candidate demonstrates a sound awareness of the literary and/or<br />

linguistic techniques being exploited. There is a clear evaluative stance with respect to the text(s)<br />

and the task, although this is not necessarily explicit. Expression is controlled.<br />

Dealing with longer texts, the response ranges over the whole text where appropriate, selects<br />

sensibly, and while focusing on the demands of the question, never loses sight of the text as a<br />

whole; dealing with shorter texts, the response uses a text which clearly allows the requirements of<br />

the question to be met, avoids “blanket coverage” and mechanistic, unfocused “analysis”, and<br />

shows a sound understanding of the text as a whole.<br />

Category III (17 or 19 marks): A response which, allowing for the pressures of examination<br />

conditions and the limited time available, is secure in a number of respects. Knowledge and<br />

understanding of the text(s) are on the whole sound. The question is addressed adequately in such<br />

a way as to show understanding of the text as a whole, and selection of evidence to support the<br />

argument is appropriate to the task. The essay is structured in such a way as to meet the<br />

requirements of the question. As appropriate to the task and the text(s), the candidate shows an<br />

awareness of the literary and/or linguistic techniques being exploited. There is some evaluative<br />

stance with respect to the text(s) and the task, although this is not necessarily explicit. Expression<br />

is satisfactory.<br />

Dealing with longer texts, the response makes some attempt to range over the whole text where<br />

appropriate, makes some selection of relevant evidence, and while focusing on the demands of the<br />

question, retains some sense of the text as a whole; dealing with shorter texts, the response uses a<br />

text which meets the requirements of the question, avoids excessive “blanket coverage” and<br />

mechanistic, unfocused “analysis”, and shows an understanding of the text as a whole.<br />

Category IV (13 or 15 marks): A response which, allowing for the pressures of examination<br />

conditions and the limited time available, just manages to meet the minimum standard to achieve<br />

the Performance Criteria. Knowledge and understanding of the text(s) are adequate. The question<br />

is addressed sufficiently in such a way as to show reasonable understanding of the text as a whole,<br />

and there is some evidence to support the argument. There is some evidence that the essay is<br />

structured in such a way as to meet the requirements of most of the question. As appropriate to the<br />

task and the text(s), the candidate shows some awareness of the literary and/or linguistic techniques<br />

being exploited. There is some evaluative stance with respect to the text(s) and the task, although<br />

this is not necessarily explicit. Expression is adequate.<br />

Dealing with longer texts, the response retains some sense of the text as a whole; dealing with<br />

shorter texts, the response uses a text which meets the requirements of the question, avoids<br />

excessive use of mechanistic, unfocused “analysis”, and shows some understanding of the text as a<br />

whole.<br />

Category V (11 or 9 marks): A response will fall into this Category for a variety of reasons: it fails<br />

to achieve sufficient technical accuracy; or knowledge and understanding of the text are not<br />

deployed as a response relevant to the task; or any analysis attempted is undiscriminating and/or<br />

unfocused; or the answer is simply too thin.<br />

Some general guidelines<br />

• Assessment must be holistic. It is not possible to see an essay in “subsets” such as Relevance,<br />

Analysis, Evaluation, etc. In every essay there will be strengths and weaknesses; assessment should<br />

focus as far as possible on the strengths, penalising weaknesses only when they significantly detract<br />

from the overall achievement.<br />

• Categories are not grades. Assumptions about final grades or association of final grades (such as A, B<br />

or C) with particular categories should not influence the assessment.<br />

• Markers are reminded that all <strong>Critical</strong> <strong>Essay</strong> questions require candidates to select from their<br />

knowledge of a text in order to shape a response to a specific question. Thus, obviously “prepared”<br />

answers which entirely fail to focus on the question cannot pass. Similarly, blanket coverage<br />

(especially of a poem) which merely touches on the question is very unlikely to do well. Markers<br />

should reward good selection and genuine efforts to address the chosen question.<br />

• The term “longer texts” should be taken to mean novels, most novellas, full-length plays, and<br />

particularly long poems; “shorter texts” should be taken to mean short stories, one-act plays, and most<br />

poems.<br />

• The use of critical terminology is not an end in itself. The candidate’s explanation and appreciation of<br />

how a writer exploits literary/linguistic features is of more value than simply naming them.<br />

• “Evaluation” need not be explicit. Indeed, in examination conditions, faced with unseen questions, the<br />

level of a candidate’s engagement with the question will be as telling as any superficial praise lavished<br />

on the text.<br />

• Quality of expression should not be confused with “Technical Accuracy”, which is limited to matters of<br />

spelling, punctuation and grammar. An essay characterised by clumsy expression is likely to be selfpenalising,<br />

but should not be failed for this alone.<br />

• Where a question contains a twofold instruction, assessment should take a sensible view of the extent to<br />

which “both parts of the question” have been answered. Sophisticated responses will often tackle both<br />

parts concurrently, or give much more weight to the more demanding element. Weaker answers will<br />

often concentrate on the more straightforward element, perhaps to the near-exclusion of the remainder;<br />

such responses cannot score high marks, but may still pass.<br />

• In the Descriptors, terms such as “sound”, “adequate”, “effective”, “sophisticated” and even “some”,<br />

can never be defined with precision, and their application can be made only after reference to<br />

exemplification. Detailed exemplification is given each year to those appointed to mark the<br />

examination, and is disseminated to the profession by such means as the Understanding Standards<br />

website, Professional Development Workshops, Development Visits.<br />

• Markers should avoid hypothetical comparisons between essays at Higher and those at Intermediate 2.<br />

While a bare pass essay at Higher might sometimes compare unfavourably with a pass essay at<br />

Intermediate 2, the questions at Intermediate 2 are designed to be more straightforward than at Higher.<br />

Comparison, therefore, is not possible and should be resisted.<br />

Administration<br />

1 Procedure<br />

• At the end of the essay, indicate the Category (in Roman numerals) and the Mark out of 25.<br />

• Transfer the two marks to the back cover of the booklet and total them there.<br />

• Enter the total in the “Others” box under “Total Marks” on the front cover.<br />

• Please check the arithmetic.<br />

2 Comments on scripts<br />

Absolutely no words (or codes/abbreviations such as “Sp”, “Gr”, “Rel?”, “!!!”, “??” etc) should be<br />

written on a candidate’s script. This instruction applies to all subjects and all levels. You may,<br />

however, use ticks, crosses and lines within an answer to help clarify your marking, and this is<br />

essential in order to indicate weaknesses in Technical Accuracy.<br />

If it is felt necessary to make a comment or to report on an essay (or on the work of a candidate in<br />

general), this must not be written on the script but should instead be submitted either as a formal<br />

referral to the Principal Assessor (eg in the case of serious doubt about the mark to be awarded or<br />

in the event of a genre infringement) or as a referral under the heading of Suspected Malpractice.<br />

For details of how to refer under Suspected Malpractice, see page 5 of General <strong>Instructions</strong> to<br />

Markers.<br />

3 PA Referral<br />

For details of how to make a referral to the Principal Assessor, see page 4 of General <strong>Instructions</strong><br />

to Markers. If you refer an essay to the PA, for whatever reason, you must have allocated it a<br />

provisional mark. You should explain on the form the reason for the referral and, if appropriate,<br />

the thinking behind the provisional mark awarded.<br />

Please refer to the PA (after marking in the normal way) all essays from Section E – Language.<br />

4 Genre Infringements<br />

You should be alert to potential genre infringements such as:<br />

• totally unacceptable genre (eg a poem for a drama question)<br />

• confusion of prose genres (eg fiction for a non-fiction question, a short story for a novel<br />

question, a longer text such as a novella for a short story question)<br />

• two questions chosen from the same section<br />

• two essays on the same text or material.<br />

In such cases, the essays should be marked in the normal way, as if they were entirely acceptable,<br />

and the script must then be referred to the PA for an appropriate penalty to be applied. There is no<br />

fixed tariff of penalties, and markers should avoid the temptation to impose, consciously or<br />

subconsciously, their own penalties.<br />

Supplementary <strong>Marking</strong> <strong>Instructions</strong><br />

It is not necessary to provide detailed instructions for each question, but the following points should be<br />

noted:<br />

Section A – Drama<br />

1. Although both heroism and vulnerability must be discussed, they need not be explored in equal<br />

depth.<br />

3. Accept a “truth” which is significant in the restricted world of a character or characters, or accept a<br />

more universally recognisable “truth”.<br />

Section B – Prose<br />

5. Be reasonably generous to a candidate’s interpretation of “cruelty of human nature”.<br />

6. Accept within reason the candidate’s interpretation of “central importance”. Focus on a<br />

confrontation of minor importance is likely to be self-penalising.<br />

7. Although two short stories must be chosen, they need not be discussed in equal depth. Also,<br />

markers should not expect either short story to be dealt with in as much detail as would be<br />

appropriate for an answer dealing with one short story only.<br />

8. Accept within reason the candidate’s interpretation of “a period of social or political change”.<br />

9. Do not penalise a candidate who has seen an overlap in the two concepts.<br />

10. Accept within reason the candidate’s choice of “a piece of travel writing”. If in doubt about<br />

suitability, mark as if acceptable and refer to PA.<br />

Section C – Poetry<br />

13. Accept a wide definition of “location”. However, if a candidate chooses a location which lacks<br />

“essence”, this will be self-penalising.<br />

14. Although two poems must be chosen, they need not be by the same poet, nor need they be<br />

discussed in equal depth. Also, markers should not expect either poem to be dealt with in as much<br />

detail as would be expected for an answer dealing with one poem only.<br />

15. Be reasonably generous to the candidate’s interpretation of “the speaker”.<br />

Section D – Film and TV Drama<br />

The following general advice is offered about the marking of essays from Section D:<br />

Section D of the <strong>Critical</strong> <strong>Essay</strong> paper seeks to elicit responses on Film and TV Drama broadly similar to<br />

those on Drama, Prose or Poetry. The essay should deal with the text as a whole and should support the<br />

line of thought by reference to the impact of techniques appropriate to the genre. Some Film/TV Drama<br />

techniques are specific to these genres (eg editing and use of camera), but others are shared with Drama,<br />

Prose and Poetry.<br />

The essay should demonstrate awareness that the film or programme makers are working in an audio-visual<br />

medium, but need not concentrate heavily (and certainly not exclusively) on highly technical features<br />

specific to Film or TV Drama. A useful comparison may be made with the Poetry section, where it is not<br />

usually appropriate or necessary for candidates to deal exhaustively with very technical areas of scansion<br />

and metre, nor deal exhaustively with single sounds, words, phrases or lines at the expense of<br />

demonstrating an appreciation of the text as a whole.<br />

17. Accept a wide definition of “life-affirming”.<br />

18. Accept a wide definition of “tragic”.<br />

Section E − Language<br />

The following general advice is offered about the marking of essays in Section E:<br />

The “text” which must be dealt with in a language question is the research which the candidate has done<br />

and any secondary language texts which may have been consulted.<br />

Examples taken from their research must be there for you to see.<br />

However, to demonstrate understanding and analysis related to these examples there has to be some ability<br />

to generalise from the particular, to classify and comment on the interesting phenomena discovered. It is<br />

not enough merely to produce a list of words in, say, Dundonian with their standard English equivalents.<br />

This is merely description and without any further development does not demonstrate understanding of any<br />

principle underlying the choice of words.<br />

The list of features offered to the candidate in the box at the head of the section provides prompts for the<br />

candidates, but is not exclusive. Some appropriate use of technical terminology should be expected.<br />

Explicit evaluation is required by each of the questions, but there may also be evaluation integral to the<br />

research itself.<br />

All essays from Section E – Language should be referred to the PA.<br />

Advice on marking essays on texts with which you are unfamiliar.<br />

As experienced teachers of Higher English, markers are likely to be very familiar with most texts offered by<br />

candidates. It is accepted, however, that from time to time you will face answers on texts you know less<br />

well or not at all, although it is important to remember that texts do not fall simply and conveniently into<br />

those you know well and those of which you have never heard – rather, there is a spectrum which includes<br />

texts you know reasonably well, those you recall dimly, those you recognise but have not read, …<br />

When faced with answers on such texts, one or more of the following strategies could be employed:<br />

• the text of most poems can be readily accessed via an Internet search (or on sites such as<br />

www.poemhunter.com) and it is not too time-consuming to familiarise yourself with a new text<br />

• synopses of longer texts can be found in reference works such as The Oxford Companion to English<br />

Literature or on sites such as www.sparknotes.com or www.en.wikipedia.org; these will allow you to<br />

re-familiarise yourself with a text<br />

• if the packet contains more than one essay on the text in question, read all the essays before assigning<br />

any marks; this should broaden your knowledge of the text<br />

• although one essay must not be used to predict a mark for the other, it can be helpful to read the<br />

candidate’s other essay to give you some indication of her/his general level of ability to handle<br />

literature<br />

• where appropriate, you could, without divulging details about a centre or a candidate, consult school or<br />

college colleagues about a text<br />

• as a final check, you may refer the script to the Principal Assessor.<br />

[END OF MARKING INSTRUCTIONS]<br />

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2008 English Higher – <strong>Critical</strong> <strong>Essay</strong> Finalised <strong>Marking</strong> <strong>Instructions</strong> © Scottish Qualifications Authority 2008 The information in this publication may be reproduced to support <strong>SQA</strong> qualifications only on a non-commercial basis. If it is to be used for any other purposes written permission must be obtained from the Assessment Materials Team, Dalkeith. Where the publication includes materials from sources other than <strong>SQA</strong> (secondary copyright), this material should only be reproduced for the purposes of examination or assessment. If it needs to be reproduced for any other purpose it is the centre’s responsibility to obtain the necessary copyright clearance. <strong>SQA</strong>’s Assessment Materials Team at Dalkeith may be able to direct you to the secondary sources. These <strong>Marking</strong> <strong>Instructions</strong> have been prepared by Examination Teams for use by <strong>SQA</strong> Appointed Markers when marking External Course Assessments. This publication must not be reproduced for commercial or trade purposes.

• Page 2 and 3: The Marking Procedure 1 Judging aga
• Page 4 and 5: Category II (21 or 23 marks): A ver
• Page 6 and 7: Administration 1 Procedure • At t
• Page 8 and 9: Section D - Film and TV Drama The f

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• Sep 19, 2019

Our top 8 tips on how to write your National 5 English Critical Essay

Your critical essay is an essay that allows you to demonstrate your analysis, interpretation and evaluation of pieces of literature. Your national 5 English critical essay is worth 20 marks (or half of the critical reading exam) so it is important to make this count. In this post, we have outlined our top 8 tips on how to write and pass your National 5 English critical essay.

Remember: The N5 English Critical Essay questions are found in Section 2 of the Critical Reading paper. You must only answer one question.

1) Choose the right genre!

Ensure you select the correct genre for your essay. The Critical Essay paper will give you a choice of genres: Drama, Poetry, Prose and Language . You can only write an essay on a novel or short story using one of the Prose questions.

Writing about the wrong genre will stop you getting the grade you deserve.

Remember that your Critical Essay cannot be from the same genre as your Scottish text.

2) Choose the right question!

Under each genre heading, you will have a choice of two questions. Make sure that you read both of them carefully and select the one which you feel you could write about best.

3) Identify the key words in your chosen question! These words will be the focus of your essay.

For example:

Choose a poem in which the poet creates a powerful sense of place …

Choose a novel in which there is an interesting character .

In each of these examples, you would use the underlined phrase as your key words.

4) Introduce the text! Your introduction should consist of a brief paragraph consisting of two parts. Firstly, include the title, author, form and subject of your text.

E.g. ‘Dracula’ by Bram Stoker is a powerful gothic novel based upon an ancient vampire’s attempt to move from Transylvania to England.

The second part of your introduction should be a link to the question – using those key words.

E.g. Throughout the novel, we can clearly see how Stoker portrays Count Dracula as a mysterious and interesting character .

5) Structure your discussion! After your introduction, identify where you first see the key words in your chosen text.

E.g. In the opening stages of the novel, Stoker establishes Count Dracula as an interesting character when the protagonist – Jonathan Harker- is travelling to his castle:

 ‘I was not able to light on any map or work giving the exact locality of the Castle  Dracula…’

Start every other paragraph, with a topic sentence that includes the key words.

Later in the novel, we see Stoker further develop the idea of Count Dracula as an  interesting character , when Jonathan meets him in person…

6) Provide analysis of any evidence!

Here, the author makes effective use of setting , when he locates Dracula in a mysterious home. This helps develop the sense of the count being an interesting character.

Note that evidence can be quotations, but it doesn’t need to be – especially if you are writing about drama or prose. You just need to explain what events are significant and why they are effective.

7) Remember to evaluate!

Use phrases throughout your discussion to evaluate the writer’s methods:

E.g. this clearly shows… this is effective in revealing… this provides a vivid image of…

8) End in a proper manner!

Your essay must be complete. This means that you need to include a separate concluding paragraph, which sums up your discussion.

You can start your conclusion with

In conclusion, throughout (name of text) we can clearly see (key words) in terms of…

Ultimately, throughout (name of text) we can clearly see (key words) in terms of…

Just remember to include the key words in your conclusion and include an evaluative term too.

Eg. In conclusion, throughout the novel ‘Dracula’, Bram Stoker has clearly presented Count Dracula as an interesting character . This is evident in his effective use of setting to make Dracula mysterious, and later through the character development where the count changes from a proud Transylvanian to a murderous monster.

• SQA Nat 5 and Higher English

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• Past Papers
• National Qualifications  >  Subjects  >  English  >  Higher  > Higher English

Higher English

Updates and announcements, communication and literature units (24/08/23), qualification verification summary report (qvsr).

• Qualification Verification Summary Report 2022  (186 KB)

SCQF level 5

Guidance for the Communication and Introduction to Literature units (SCQF level 5) (142 KB)

• Communication - SCQF level 5
• Introduction to Literature - SCQF level 5

SCQF level 6

The following guidance details how to deliver and assess these units.

Assessment guidance valid from 2023-24 (112 KB)

Guidance for the Communication NC and Literature 1 units (SCQF level 6) (152 KB)

• Communication (NC) - SCQF level 6
• Literature 1 - SCQF level 6

Change to conditions of assessment in English portfolios from session 2024-25 (01/05/24)

We’re tightening the conditions of assessment in National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher English writing portfolios from session 2024-25.

What’s changing:

There will be a new mandatory requirement for learners to complete their first draft during class time, under the supervision of the teacher or lecturer.

This will enable teachers and lecturers to review learners’ first drafts before learners continue to work on them independently. Learners will then complete their final piece under some supervision and control, as is currently the case.

We aren’t making any other changes to the writing portfolios. The assessment standards remain the same.

Why we’re making this change:

We’ve been receiving ongoing feedback from the English teaching profession that, under the current assessment conditions, it can be difficult to verify that learners’ work is their own, as it’s possible they may have had input from others when working on their draft outside of school or college hours.

This change will further support teachers and lecturers with authenticating learners’ work in the writing portfolio. It will allow them to observe how learners’ work is developing without any outside influences. This will help them to identify if there are any unusual changes in the quality and content of a learner’s writing portfolio at the final submission stage, or if the final piece is unrecognisable from the first draft, which may indicate that it’s not the learner’s own work.

Updated documents

We’re updating the course specifications and the portfolio-writing coursework assessment tasks at each level. These will provide a clear process that learners need to follow when producing their portfolios. The updated documents will be available in early June.

Alternative certification model

The alternative certification model is how National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses will be resulted this year, following the cancellation of the 2021 exams. It involves five different stages.

View the alternative certification model and see what will happen at each stage.

Essential Information

Course specification ( 13/09/2023 ).

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

• Higher English course specification September 2023

Past Papers and Marking Instructions

Access all past papers by subject/level

Additional question papers resources

Illustrates the standard, structure and requirements of the question papers candidates will sit (includes marking instructions).

• Higher English Critical Reading Specimen Question Paper August 2023

There were no exams in 2021. The 2020-21 question paper resources are, for most subjects, modified papers which reflect the modifications put in place for session 2020-21

• Higher English Critical Reading question paper
• Higher English Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation question paper
• Higher English Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation text
• Higher English Critical Reading marking instructions
• Higher English Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation marking instructions

Coursework ( 18/1/24 )

This section provides information on marking instructions and/or the coursework assessment task(s). It includes information that centres need to administer coursework and must be read in conjunction with the course specification.

Instructions

• Instructions for the submission of National 5 and Higher English coursework January 2024
• English Coursework Template - Microsoft Word
• English Coursework Template - Google Docs
• Coursework assessment task for Higher English
• Guidance on conditions of assessment

Information on the production and submission of SQA-assessed coursework for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher.

• Coursework for External Assessment (261 KB)

Understanding Standards ( 24/01/2024 )

• Examples of candidate evidence with commentaries

Audio Presentation

• Critical Reading- Essays 2023-2024 (16 minutes) (26.26 MB)
• Critical Reading- Scottish Text 2023-2024 (16 minutes) (27.51 MB)

Webinar (recording)

Changes to course assessment academic session 2018-19 onwards

• Download webinar (72.21 MB)

Performance - Spoken Language Understanding Standards materials

• Higher English performance - Spoken Language material . Login required Please speak to your SQA co-ordinator to access these materials.

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.

Additional Resources session 2020-22

Further information can be found on the Understanding Standards Website.

Course reports ( 14/09/2023 )

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

• 2023 Higher English Course Report September 2023
• 2022 Higher English Course Report September 2022
• 2019 Higher English Course Report   September 2019
• 2018 Higher English Course Report   August 2018
• 2017 Higher English Course Report October 2017

Verification Reports

In 2019, a single qualification verification summary report replaced the verification key messages.

• English Verification Key Messages Round 1 March 2017
• English: Quality Assurance - external verification

Scottish Texts in English Courses

Scottish text list for National 5 and Higher English courses (valid from session 2018-19).

• Scottish set text list 2018-19

Ushare open learning resources

Where can you take this course?

Centre Finder

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SQA National 5 English Paper 1 Mark Scheme – May 2016

The 2016 SQA National 5 English Paper 1 X724/75/11 Tier mark scheme. The exam date for the X724/75/11 National 5 English was 5th May 2016. View and download SQA National 5 English past papers .

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