have been receiving English as an additional language (EAL) or ESOL support throughout their school education while living in the UK.
ESOL courses are not appropriate for learners whose first language is English, or learners who don’t need EAL or ESOL support in their learning. These learners would be more suited to English courses.
English and ESOL courses are equivalent qualifications, intended for different learners based on their language needs. They are not designed for dual presentation - centres must not enter a learner for both English and ESOL courses in the same session.
Sometimes identifying which course is best for a learner is not straightforward, read our guide Who are ESOL qualifications for? (102 KB), which has information on eligibility for ESOL courses.
Course Specification
Explains the structure of the course, including its purpose and aims and information on the skills, knowledge and understanding that will be developed.
National 5 English for Speakers of Other Languages Reading is on Wednesday 21 May 2025 from 09:00 to 10:10. National 5 English for Speakers of Other Languages Listening is on Wednesday 21 May 2025 from 10:40 to 11:15. National 5 English for Speakers of Other Languages Writing is on Wednesday 21 May 2025 from 11:45 to 12:55.
There were no exams in 2021. The 2020-21 question paper resources are, for most subjects, modified papers which reflect the modifications put in place for session 2020-21
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.
Further Understanding Standards materials including webinar recordings for this subject can be found on SQA’s secure website and you can access these through your SQA co-ordinator.
Webinar (recordings)
Question Paper (writing) course assessment from session 2023-2024
Please note: Understanding Standards materials are regularly reviewed to ensure they remain up to date.
Course reports
(23/09/2024)
Provides information on the performance of candidates - which is useful to teachers, lecturers and assessors in their preparation of candidates for future assessment.
