National 4 English

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.

Unit Specifications

These provide an outline of what each Unit will cover within the following Unit Specifications and detail the Outcomes and Assessment Standards.

Added Value Unit Specification

These define the mandatory requirements for the Added Value Unit, including the Outcomes and Assessment Standards.

They also include the further mandatory information on Course coverage for the National 4 Course and include information on the assessment method to be used and the conditions of assessment.

Added Value Unit Assessment

The English Added Value Unit assessment is an assignment. While describing what candidates must do, the published assessment offers considerable flexibility in the choice of a context for the assessment.

In the assessment, candidates choose a topic in discussion with the assessor, then select relevant information from at least two straightforward texts; use straightforward language in a written or oral presentation; and respond appropriately to questions.

Centres can access the assessment through their SQA Co-ordinator.

As with all SQA Unit assessments, Added Value Unit assessments must be internally verified by centres.

Course and Unit Support Notes

These provide advice and guidance for teachers/lecturers on learning, teaching and assessment within the Course and its Units.

Past Papers and Marking Instructions

Unit Assessment Support

These documents contain details of Unit assessment task(s), show approaches to gathering evidence and how the evidence can be judged against the Outcomes and Assessment Standards. Teachers/lecturers can arrange access to these confidential documents through their SQA Co-ordinator.

Annotated Unit assessment support is available for Literacy Units at National 3 and National 4. These documents are designed to encourage and promote inclusive practice in the assessment of the National Literacy Units, particularly where learners may have reading and writing difficulties. Teachers/lecturers can arrange access to these documents through their SQA Co-ordinator.

Verification and Course reports

Qualification Verification Summary Reports distil messages from verification activity from a given session. In 2020 not all planned activity took place, so reports have a more limited scope than in previous years.

Understanding Standards

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 overview

Webinar (recording): Added Value Unit revisions from session 2024-2025

Audio Presentation

Changes to Understanding Standards materials

Please note: Understanding Standards materials are regularly reviewed to ensure they remain up to date.