National 5 Mathematics

Entry to the course
​Pupils who achieve success with Level 4 material by the end of S3 will progress to completing the National 5 course in S4.

Pupils may also enter the National 5 course in S5/6 through successful completion the National 4 course in S4. 
Course content
The National 5 course comprises of three units of work: 
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Expressions and Fomulae
  • Significant figures
  • Surds
  • Indices
  • Multiplying out brackets
  • Factorising
  • Completing the square
  • Algebraic fractions
  • Arcs and sectors
  • Volume
Relationships
  • Straight line
  • Linear equations 
  • Inequations 
  • Simultaneous equations
  • Changing the subject of a formula
  • Quadratic functions
  • Quadratic equations
  • Pythagoras
  • Angles
  • Angles in circles
  • Similarity
  • Trigonometric graphs
  • Trigonometric equations
Applications
  • Area of a triangle
  • Sine rule
  • Cosine rule
  • Vectors
  • Percentages
  • Fractions
  • Boxplots
  • Standard deviation
  • Scattergraphs
Homework
Homework is an essential part of the National 5 course and will often take the form of completion of exercises started in class.
Formal homework exercises are assigned to consolidate the course material and prepare candidates for the final exam.
​Pupils receive feedback on their work and advice on how to improve understanding. 
Assessment
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The National 5 Mathematics course is assessed by means of an external exam completed in the May diet of SQA examinations. 

Paper 1 - Non-calculator    50 marks -  1 hour 15 minutes
Paper 2 - Calculator            60 marks -  1 hour 50 minutes


Exam dates 2018-19

National 5    Non-calculator paper is on Friday 3 May 2019 from 09:00 to 10:15.

National 5    Calculator paper is on Friday 3 May 2019 from 10:45 to 12:35.
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Progression
​Successful completion of the National 5 course may lead to further study at Higher level.
Course materials
Websites to support learning