National 5 Practical Metalworking and Practical Woodworking - Updated documents for session 2025-26 now available
We’ve published the updated course specifications and specimen coursework assessment tasks for National 5 Practical Metalworking and Practical Woodworking.
These documents reflect the changes to the practical activities from session 2025-26 onwards, following our recent announcement that we’re removing the question papers.
What’s changing
With the question papers removed for session 2025-26 onwards, we’ve added a new case study to the practical activity in each course. This will ensure that all course content can continue to be sampled in the course assessment.
The case study is worth 10 marks, which increases the practical activity from 70 marks to 80 marks.
Updated documents for National 5 Practical Metalworking
The updated National 5 Practical Metalworking course specification and specimen coursework assessment task are now available.
These documents reflect the removal of the question paper and the addition of the 10-mark case study to the practical activity.
In the course specification, we’ve also updated the bench work section of the ‘Skills, knowledge, and understanding for the course assessment’ table to specify hammer types as ball pein, cross-pein, and claw. In addition, we've updated the ‘Further information’ section with links to recent research.
In the specimen coursework assessment task, we’ve added information on completing the log book to the ‘Specific information for teachers and lecturers’ section, and clarified some of the marking instructions.
You'll find more information on the changes in the ‘history of changes’ section at the back of each document.
You can access the updated documents from the ‘course specification’ and ‘coursework’ tabs on the National 5 Practical Metalworking web page. They’re dated April 2025 and are available alongside the current documents for session 2024-25.
An updated version of the Practical Metalworking common questions is also now available from the Practical Metalworking web page.
Updated documents for National 5 Practical Woodworking
The updated National 5 Practical Woodworking course specification and specimen coursework assessment task are now available.
These documents reflect the removal of the question paper and the addition of the case study.
In the course specification, we’ve also removed ‘string and block’ from the cramping section of the ‘Skills, knowledge, and understanding for the course assessment’ table. In addition, we've updated the ‘Further information’ section with links to recent research.
In the specimen coursework assessment task, we’ve added information on completing the log book to the ‘Specific information for teachers and lecturers’ section.
You'll find more information on the changes in the ‘history of changes’ section at the back of each document.
You can access the updated documents from the ‘course specification’ and ‘coursework’ tabs on the National 5 Practical Woodworking web page. They’re dated April 2025 and are available alongside the current documents for session 2024-25.
An updated version of the Practical Woodworking common questions is also now available from the Practical Woodworking web page.
What you need to do next
Please familiarise yourself with the assessment conditions and requirements of the case study, and how to apply marks.
Please also make sure learners are aware of how the course will be assessed from next session.
Session 2024-25 documents
The current course specifications and specimen coursework assessment tasks will remain available on our website until after this year’s appeals service closes.
New course codes
We’ll issue new course codes in May. You’ll need the new course codes to enter learners for these courses in session 2025-26 onwards.
We’re updating the course codes because we’re making a significant change to the courses assessments by removing the question paper components. The change in codes will differentiate between the current and revised course assessment structures.
Understanding Standards support
We’ll provide Understanding Standards support to help you prepare for the changes to assessment in these courses. We’ll confirm details of this support in due course.