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National 5 English
Updates and announcements, 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
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.
- N5 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).
- English: Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation Specimen Question Paper National 5 June 2018
- English: Critical Reading Specimen Question Paper National 5 October 2018
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
- National 5 English Critical Reading question paper
- National 5 English Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation question paper
- National 5 English Critical Reading marking instructions
- National 5 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 National 5 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 ( 27/11/2023 )
- Examples of candidate evidence with commentaries
Webinar (recording)
Changes to course assessment from academic session 2017-18 onwards
- Download webinar
Audio Presentation
- Overview of Course Assessment (2 minutes)
- Overview of Question Paper (4 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.
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 National 5 English Course Report September 2023
- 2022 National 5 English Course Report September 2022
- 2019 National 5 English Course Report September 2019
- 2018 National 5 English Course Report August 2018
- 2017 National 5 English Course report October 2017
Verification Reports
- English Verification Key Messages Round 1 March 2017
- English and Communication Qualification Verification Summary Report June 2019 June 2019
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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- 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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WEST OS has a wide range of recorded lessons for BGE and Senior Phase pupils:
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Both SCHOLAR and WEST OS have their own tiles on GLOW which we would recommend pupils add to their GLOW launch pad.
Other useful links:
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IMAGES
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COMMENTS
N5. National 4XDOLÛFDWLRQV 2021 ASSESSMENT RESOURCE X824/75/12English Critical Reading. Duration — 1 hour 30 minutes. Total marks — 40 SECTION 1 — Scottish text — 20 marks. Read an extract from a Scottish text you have previously studied. Choose ONE text from either Part A — Drama pages 02- 07 or Part B — Prose pages 08-17 or ...
National 5 Critical Essay Questions - Drama 1. Choose a play which deals with a close relationship within a family or community. By referring to appropriate techniques, show how the portrayal of this relationship helps in your understanding of the central concerns of the play. 2. Choose a scene from a play in which tension or suspense is built up.
NATIONAL 5 CRITICAL ESSAY EXEMPLAR - 'MACBETH' Techniques: characterisation, key scene(s), structure, climax, theme, plot, conflict, setting, dramatic irony, foreshadowing Choose a play which you feel has a dramatic final scene. Describe briefly what happens in the final scene and then, by referring to appropriate
5.0 (1 review) "An Inspector Calls" by J B Priestley is a thought-provoking drama which reveals the actions and attitudes of the Birling family when they are questioned about the painful suicide of a young woman by a mysterious Inspector. Written in 1945 but set in 1912 Birmingham before the start of the Great War, the play explores ideas about ...
Part A — Drama Pages 02-07 or Part B — Prose Pages 08-17 or Part C — Poetry Pages 18-25 Attempt ALL the questions for your chosen text. SECTION 2 — Critical essay — 20 marks Attempt ONE question from the following genres — Drama, Prose, Poetry, Film and Television Drama, or Language.
Critical Essay - Section 2. Question 5 Poetry (Shooting Stars by Carol Ann Duffy) Candidate 1 Evidence. Question 7 Film and Television Drama (The Truman Show) Candidate 2 Evidence. Question 4 Prose (The Hate U Give) Candidate 3 Evidence. Candidates 1 to 3 Commentaries.
Potential Essay Tasks In the exam, you will be asked to write a critical essay on the short story, The Pedestrian. You should always choose a task from the PROSE section of the exam booklet. Each task will have a particular focus. Here are some essay tasks from previous exams. Think about how these questions relate to The Pedestrian. 2015 1.
MEDIA QUESTIONS. 1. Choose a film or TV drama* which deals with issues which mainly affect young people. Explain how the film or TV drama* deals with such issues, stating whether or not you find the portrayal of these issues realistic. 2. Choose a scene or sequence from a film which provides a climax to the action.
Macbeth (worries he will not be able to get over the guilt of killing Duncan) "wake Duncan with thy knocking: I would thou could". Macbeth (regrets killing Duncan) "O full of scorpions is my mind dear wife". Macbeth (makes it clear that he is paranoid) Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like "Fair is foul, and foul is ...
touch repetitive as the essay goes on. Analysis/evaluation Analysis is the real strength of the essay, and the candidate demonstrates a thorough awareness of techniques. There is analysis of character, shot selection, National 5 English Question paper: critical reading 222 Commentary SQA www.understandingstandards.org.uk 1 of 6
Terms in this set (13) The purpose or purposes of the drama must be established in order to help communicate the meaning. This is the key demographic for whom your drama is aimed. It is a group of people who you would ideally like to see the performance. It is important to select your target audience carefully.
English: Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation Specimen Question Paper National 5 June 2018; English: Critical Reading Specimen Question Paper National 5 October 2018; 2021. 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 ...
SECTION 2 — CRITICAL ESSAY — 20 marks Attempt ONE question from the following genres — Drama, Prose, Poetry, Film and Television Drama, or Language. Your answer must be on a different genre from that chosen in Section 1. You should spend approximately 45 minutes on this Section. DRAMA 1.
National 5; About the National 5 English course Section Two - Critical Essay. The National 5 English course is assessed on folio writing, a spoken language assessment, a final exam as well as ...
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.
National 4 Resources. Added Value Unit. National 5 Resources. National 5 & Higher RUAE Preparation Task. N5 English RUAE Support Booklet. Helping your child with Higher National 5. National 5 Critical Essay Questions - prose. National 5 Critical Essay Questions - poetry. National 5 Critical Essay Questions - drama. High Quality National 5 ...
English Teachers of National 5 can use this PowerPoint in their lessons if the class are focusing on writing a critical essay for a Film or TV Drama text. Covering common techniques studied when completing a media critical essay and utilising a mixture of individual, paired and group activities, this PowerPoint is great for getting learners planning and responding to their taught text.Use with ...
NAT5 English - Critical Essay; Key Incident. John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men' is a novella which deals with many significant events but the death of Curley's Wife could be argued as the major turning point in the novella. This key incident will be discussed through Steinbeck's use of foreshadowing, Theme of the American Dream and theme of ...
Shocking Scene Proctor's Flaw - Essay Plan Key Scene - Essay Plan Importance of the Ending - Essay Plan The Crucible: revision aid - Further information on the narrative structure of the play (written from a Drama perspective) Weekly Critical Essay Questions - you should aim to write at least one timed response per week. Make sure you create a ...
APP # 2. Writing a Critical Essay. What is a Critical Essay? • A Critical Essay is a formal piece of writing. • It is a structured response to a particular question on a text. • You should use it to demonstrate your understandingof the whole text as well as your ability to analyseand evaluaterelevant aspects of it.
National 5 Past Prose Essay Questions. Answers to questions in this part should refer to the text and to such relevant features as characterisation, setting, language, key incident(s), climax, turning point, plot, structure, narrative technique, theme, ideas, description . . . Choose a novel or short story in which there is an interesting ...
5. Choose a novel or short story or non-fiction text which deals with an important issue (e.g. social, political, moral, religious . . .). Identify the issue and, by referring to appropriate techniques, show how the author deepens your understanding of it. 6. Choose a novel or short story in which there is a character who provokes an