FOI25/26 075 Grading and Catergory for each Question for Nat 5 and Higher Biology from 2014

Date published: 10/12/2025

FOI reference: 25/26 075

Date received: 11/08/2025

Date responded: 05/09/2025

Information requested

Please can I have the analysis of the National 5 and Higher Biology Papers from 2014 onwards which shows the grading for each question and the category of the question e.g. Problem solving, Knowledge and Understanding etc.

Response

Thank you for your request for analysis of the National 5 and Higher Biology Papers from 2014 onwards which shows the grading for each question and the category of the question e.g. problem solving, knowledge and understanding etc.

We can provide the majority of the information you have requested (attached).

Some information was never generated or published so we are unable to provide it. Please see the table below for full information.

There are no question papers or associated information for 2020 because exams were cancelled. What would have been the 2020 papers were released to centres in 2021 along with question paper skills tagging. Please be aware that for the 2021 papers any questions marked as an ‘A’ were intended to function as an ‘A’ because they were never actually sat by students. In other series items marked as an ‘A’, performed as an ‘A’ evidenced by data provided after the exam had been sat.

Biology N5

2014 This information is provided

2015 This information is provided

2016 This information is provided

2017 This information is provided

2018 This information is provided

2019 This information is provided

2020 The 2020 paper was not sat. It was released to centres in 2021

2021 This information is provided. Please note that because the paper was not sat by students, the grade A questions are those that were intended to function as A

2022 This information is provided.

2023 This information is provided.

2024 This information is provided.

Higher

2014 This information does not exist because the new higher qualifications did not start until 2015.

2015 This information is provided.

2016 This information is provided.

2017 This information is provided.

2018 This information is provided.

2019 This information is provided.

2020 The 2020 paper was not sat. It was released to centres in 2021.

2021 This information is provided. Please note that because the paper was not sat by students, the grade A questions are those that were intended to function as A.

2022 This information is provided.

2023 This information is provided.

2024 This information is provided.