Assessment for National 4/5
To achieve the Physics (National 4/5) Course, learners must pass all of the required Units, including the Added Value Unit. National 4 courses will be internally assessed by teachers and graded as pass/fail. In National 5 courses, learners will draw on and extend the skills they have learned during the Course. These will be assessed within a question paper and a Coursework assessment, requiring demonstration of the breadth of knowledge and skills acquired from across the Units in unfamiliar contexts and/or integrated ways. All assessment grades will be subject to external verification.
The Course has four mandatory Units including an added value unit at National 4.
Physics: Electricity and Energy (National 4/5)
This Unit will explore relationships in heat energy and in electrical energy, while developing skills in investigation, experiment and analysis. It will focus on concepts in energy and transformation appropriate to this level introducing electronic systems and components.
Physics: Waves and Radiation (National 4/5)
This Unit will explore concepts, appropriate to this level, that are relevant to electrical and mechanical equipment in use in society, while developing skills in investigation, experiment and analysis. It will focus on the use of electromagnetic waves and sound waves in medicine and communications, and on applications of mechanics.
Physics: Dynamics and Space (National 4/5)
This Unit will explore concepts, appropriate to this level, relevant to study of the universe and its exploration, while developing skills in investigation, experiment and analysis. It will focus mainly on relationships involving forces.
Physics: Added Value Unit (National 4)
Courses from National 4 to Advanced Higher include assessment of added value. At National 4, added value will be assessed in an Added Value Unit. The Added Value Unit will address the key purposes and aims of the Course as defined in the Course Rationale. It will do this by addressing one or more of breadth, challenge or application. In this Course, the Added Value Unit will focus on breadth and application. Learners will draw on and extend the skills they have learned during the Course. This will be assessed through a project and a test. These will offer opportunities to demonstrate the breadth of knowledge and skills acquired from across the other Units, in unfamiliar contexts and/or integrated ways.
Conditions of award
To achieve the Physics (National 4/5) Course, learners must pass all of the required Units, including the Added Value Unit at National 4 level.
Further details of units and course content can be obtained from
www.sqa.org.uk/curriculumforexcellence.
Progression
Passing National 5 Physics with a grade of B or better may provide progression to:
- Higher Physics
- Higher in another Science Subject
- further study, employment or training
