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National Qualifications Information
National Qualifications are designed to build on the knowledge, understanding and skills developed up to the end of S3. In S4/5/6, pupils can choose from a wide range of qualifications.
National Qualifications FAQ
What qualifications might I complete whilst I am at school?
There are a wide range of qualifications on offer during the senior phase at school. Most pupils will complete some National Qualifications from Nat 1 to Nat 5, progressing to Highers or Advanced Highers. We also offer National Progression Awards (NPA’s) at levels 4-6 and various Foundation Apprenticeships.
What do the different levels mean?
All National Qualifications delivered by Qualifications Scotland have an SCQF level. All Scottish universities and colleges also use SCQF levels and credit points to describe their courses.
SCQF is a way of comparing Scottish qualifications. It does this by giving each qualification a level and a number of credit points. The level of a qualification shows how difficult the learning is. The credit points show how much learning is involved in achieving that qualification. Each credit point represents an average of 10 hours of learning.
The chart below shows which qualifications sit at each level, for example a National 5 Qualification is the same SCQF level as a Level 5 National Progression Award (NPA).
More information about SCQF levels can be found on the SCQF website:
A parent guide can be found here:
How are my qualifications assessed?
Some qualifications require that you take a final exam and send coursework to Qualifications Scotland. Other qualifications are assessed by teachers in school in line with standards set by Qualification Scotland.
National 1 to 4 courses include ongoing coursework and unit assessments, internally assessed by teachers in line with standards set by Qualifications Scotland. There is no exam for these courses.
National 5, Higher & Advanced Higher courses are externally assessed by Qualifications Scotland. Each course is different, but there is usually an element of coursework plus a final exam. Courses are graded from A-D.
National Progression Awards (NPAs) include coursework and unit assessments that are internally assessed by teachers in line with standards set by Qualifications Scotland. There is no exam for these courses however it is important to remember that pupils must pass all course units to complete the qualification and there is usually only one opportunity to resit a failed assessment.
Foundation Apprenticeships also include ongoing assessment throughout the course however these also include a work experience element which must be completed to achieve the course.
Further detailed information about National Qualifications can be found on the Qualifications Scotland website.
Qualifications Scotland Website
Additional information about all the different courses available, including Nationals, Higher, NPAs and Foundation Apprenticeships can be found on our Mintlaw Academy DYW website.
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