National 5: Practical Cookery

Practical Cookery National 3 National 4 National 5

Subject updates

October 2019 subject update (201 KB)
October 2018 subject update (351 KB)

Arrangements for National 5 in session 2020-21

07-OCT-2020

The Deputy First Minister has announced that there will be no external assessment of National 5 in session 2020-21.

Learners will not be required to sit exams and SQA will not assess coursework (including performances and practical activities). Instead, we are working with stakeholders to develop an alternative certification model for National 5 that is based on teacher and lecturer estimates.

Centres need to gather evidence of candidates attainment and use this to determine estimate grades and bands. We have today published broad guidance on evidence gathering and estimation with a very clear focus on the quality, not quantity, of evidence. This is accompanied by an SQA Academy Course on quality assuring estimates. This will be followed after the October break by subject specific guidance, published on a rolling basis, on the work that learners need to complete. Where possible, we will specify between two and four pieces of work per subject that will form the basis of arriving at a final award. We will also provide some additional resources that teachers and lecturers can draw on for assessment purposes.

Information on National Course changes for session 2020/21.

Course information 2021-22

23-JUN-2021

The following modification decisions are valid regardless of the agreed approach to assessment in session 2021-22.

National 3

Modifications for session 2021-22 will remain the same as session 2020-21.

Outcome 2 will be removed from the Understanding and Using Ingredients unit.

National 4

Modifications for session 2021-22 will remain the same as session 2020-21.

Outcome 2 will be removed from the Understanding and Using Ingredients unit.

There will be no requirement to complete the added value unit assessment.

National 5

For session 2021-22 we will reinstate the link between the assignment and practical activity, and issue new, secure recipes to be used for both components.

New recipes for the practical activity will be developed for session 2021-22 - these will only be available from SQA's secure website. The assignment should also be based on these recipes to maintain rigour, coherence, and the vital link with the practical activity.

Dishes in the practical activity can be produced individually, as opposed to in a single sitting.

Manage MyAlerts

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.

2021 Key Messages

The Alternative Certification Model included a national quality assurance activity, carried out in May 2021. SQA appointees reviewed and provided feedback on a selection of assessment evidence from SQA centres. Subject-specific feedback has been provided to those centres for each course and level they were selected for.

The key messages report provides information on any common themes and key points from the evidence submitted and reviewed across all the selections. This report is provided for all delivering centres to reflect upon and make any appropriate adjustments.

National 5 Practical Cookery 2020-21 key messages
June 2021

Course Specification

This explains the overall structure of the Course, including its purpose and aims and information on the skills, knowledge and understanding that will be developed.

National 5 Practical Cookery Course Specification
July 2019

Gathering evidence (May 2021)

Guidance

National 5 Practical Cookery: Guidance on gathering key evidence for producing estimates in session 2020-21 (145 KB)

SQA Academy course

Determining provisional results for session 2020-21

Past Papers and Marking Instructions

Access all past papers by subject/level

Specimen Question Papers

These illustrate the standard, structure and requirements of the question papers learners will sit. These also include marking instructions.

Practical Cookery Specimen Question Paper National 5
August 2019

Coursework

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.

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 (Dec 2020)

New resources session 2020-21

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Please note: For session 2020-21 there will be no external assessment for this course. However, the materials detailed below remain a useful illustration of the standards required. These should be viewed along with the National 5 to Advanced Higher Course information for 2020-21.

Examples of candidate evidence with commentaries

Further examples of candidate evidence and commentaries can be found on SQA¿s secure website and you can access these through your SQA co-ordinator.

Course assessment overview¿

Video overview of course assessment from session 2017-18 (31 minutes)
Overview of course assessment presentation with audio (11 minutes)
Revised National 5 course assessment (January 2018)

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.

Course reports

These reports provide information on the performance of candidates which it is hoped will be useful to teachers, lecturers and assessors in their preparation of candidates for future assessment.

Course Reports

2019 National 5 Practical Cookery Course Report September 2019
2018 National 5 Hospitality: Practical Cookery Course Report September 2018
2017 National 5 Hospitality: Practical Cookery Course Report October 2017
2016 National 5 Hospitality: Practical Cookery Course Report September 2016

Verification Reports

Practical Cookery Verification Key Messages Round 2
June 2017
Practical Cookery Verification Key Messages Round 1
March 2017

CPD

Additional CPD support

Where any particular areas of concern are identified, which are not addressed by our Understanding Standards events or support materials, we will offer free continuing professional development (CPD) training, subject to request. CPD support is subject-specific and can be tailored to cover one or more qualification level. To find out more about this service visit our CPD page.