National 5 Practical Electronics

Practical Electronics National 4 National 5

Subject updates

October 2019 subject update (148 KB)
October 2018 subject update (195 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.

Deliver this qualification

19-JAN-2019

Centres need to apply for approval before delivering the qualification for the first time, and must consider the resources that are available to them to do this.

In order to deliver this qualification in the next academic session, and in order for candidates to be certificated in August the following year, centres must apply for approval by the end of September of the previous year (for example, the deadline for applications for approval must be submitted by September 2020 in order to deliver and certificate the qualification by August 2021).

Subject-specific requirements for the course

Teachers and lecturers delivering or assessing Practical Electronics are required to have one of the following:

a physics or technology teaching degree
a degree in a physics, electronics, electrical engineering or a technology area with a post graduate teaching qualification and relevant experience in electronics

Centres must have:

a laboratory or electronics workshop with appropriate ventilation, equipped with power
soldering equipment and a range of electronic components, circuit construction and testing tools available for all candidates
IT equipment available for all candidates (including appropriate circuit simulation software)
personal protective equipment available for all candidates
a health and safety policy and risk assessment in place

Find out more about our approval process

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 4

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

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

National 5

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

Question paper: removing this component for session 2021-22 (30% of course assessment) allows teachers and lecturers to focus on practical skills. We expect theory still to be delivered and candidates can evidence their understanding of this through the practical activity.

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.

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.

N5 Practical Electronics Course Specification 2017-18 session
September 2017

Gathering evidence (May 2021)

Guidance

National 5 Practical Electronics: Guidance on gathering key evidence for producing estimates in session 2020-21 (163 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 Electronics Specimen Question Paper National 5
August 2017

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.

This subject has live assessment briefs which are held on SQA's secure site. Teachers and lecturers can access these and related confidential documents through their SQA co-ordinator.

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 (May 21)

Additional resources session 2020-21

Webinar Recording - guidance for marking and provisional results

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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

Examples of candidate evidence with commentaries

Course assessment overview

Overview of course assessment - presentation with audio: Introduction (11 minutes)
Overview of course assessment - presentation with audio: Analysis and Design (6 minutes)
Overview of course assessment - presentation with audio: Designing and simulating a solution (9 minutes)
Overview of course assessment - presentation with audio: Constructing the solution (14 minutes)
Overview of course assessment - presentation with audio: Testing the solution (6 minutes)
Overview of course assessment - presentation with audio: Reporting on the solution (4 minutes)

The audio presentation in the list above and 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.

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

2016 National 5 Practical Electronics Course Report
September 2016
2017 National 5 Practical Electronics Course Report
October 2017
2019 National 5 Practical Electronics Course Report
September 2019
2018 National 5 Practical Electronics Course Report
August 2018

Verification Reports

There was no verification activity for this subject for Round 1 of verification in 2015, therefore there are no subject-specific Verification Key Messages available at this stage. However, Generic Verification Key Messages are available which may be of interest to you. Subject-specific Verification Key Messages for this subject should be available following completion of Round 2 verification.

Practical Electronics: Quality Assurance - external verification

Practical Electronics Verification Key Messages Round 2
June 2017
Practical Electronics Verification Key Messages Round 2
June 2017
Practical Electronics Verification Key Messages
October 2016
2016 National 5 Practical Electronics Course Report
October 2016
Practical Electronics Verification Key Messages Round 2
June 2015
Practical Electronics Verification Key Messages
Jul 2014

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.