Overview (SQA National 5 English): Revision Note
Exam code: X824 75
The SQA National 5 English qualification consists of two compulsory exam papers and a writing portfolio. There is also a spoken-language component which is assessed internally and reported separately from your final grade
National 5 English course overview
Component | Title | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
1 | Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation (RUAE) | 30% |
2 | Critical Reading: Scottish Texts | 20% |
2 | Critical Reading: Critical Essay | 20% |
Portfolio | Creative/Discursive Writing | 30% |
Performance | Spoken Language | N/A |
Critical Reading Section 2: Critical Essay
In Section 2 of the Critical Reading Paper, you will write an essay on a text you have studied. This will be from a choice of genres, such as drama, prose, poetry, film and TV drama or language. Your essay must be based on a different genre from the one you chose in Section 1 (Scottish Texts).
Critical Reading Section 2 | |
|---|---|
Text type | Drama, prose, poetry, film and television drama, language |
Number of questions | 1 question from a choice of 2 (per genre) |
Skills assessed |
|
Mark available | 20 marks total (one extended essay) |
Timing | Approximately 45 minutes |
Open texts
There is a free choice of texts for the Critical Essay section of the exam. This means you can write about any appropriate text you have studied during the course. Here are some examples of the texts you might study for your Critical Essay. These are simply suggestions and you may choose to study other texts.
Drama | Title | Author/Director |
|---|---|---|
Macbeth | William Shakespeare | |
Romeo and Juliet | William Shakespeare | |
An Inspector Calls | J.B. Priestley | |
A View from the Bridge | Arthur Miller | |
Prose | Of Mice and Men | John Steinbeck |
Lord of the Flies | William Golding | |
Animal Farm | George Orwell | |
To Kill A Mockingbird | Harper Lee | |
Poetry | ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ | Wilfred Owen |
‘Havisham’ | Carol Ann Duffy | |
‘Glasgow 5 March 1971’ | Edwin Morgan | |
‘Mid Term Break’ | Seamus Heaney | |
TV and Drama | Psycho | Alfred Hitchcock |
Romeo and Juliet | Baz Luhrmann | |
Jaws | Steven Spielberg | |
Language | Persuasive writing | |
What are the main command words for Section 2?
Knowing the main command words that will be used in an exam paper and what they mean, can be helpful in understanding what is expected of you in the exam. This table covers some of the common command words you should expect to see in Section 2 of the exam.
Command words | What it means |
|---|---|
Describe and explain |
|
Show how |
|
Explain and evaluate |
|
Learn more
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