2. Understanding Standards: An Overview of Course Assessment
Philosophy National 5
An Overview of Course Assessment
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3. What this Presentation Covers
The overall structure of the revised National 5 Philosophy course assessment.
What has changed and what is unchanged.
A detailed overview of each component.
General guidance on preparing candidates for assessment.

4. Overall structure of the revised course assessment
Level
Course Assessment
National 5
Assignment
Question Paper
There is no change to the overall structure of the course assessment. There are still two components which together provide the basis for grading attainment in the course award. The course will be graded A–D.

5. Changes to the assignment
The assignment is retained, but is now marked out of 20 marks rather than 30 marks.
It is reduced in weighting from 37.5% of the course assessment to 20%. This changes the way the assignment is marked.

6. Changes to the question paper
The question paper component has increased from 50 marks to 80 marks and will be worth 80% of the course assessment.
The time allocation for the question paper is now 2 hours and 20 minutes.
The mark allocation for questions now ranges from 1 mark to 10 marks.

7. Assignment Research Stage
The research stage of the assignment will continue to be conducted under some supervision and control.
Candidates may complete part of the work outwith the learning and teaching setting but teachers should put in place processes for monitoring progress and ensuring that the work is the candidate’s own and that plagiarism has not taken place.

8. Conditions for write up of assignment
The production of evidence stage for the assignment will now be conducted under a high degree of supervision and control. This means that:
candidates must be in direct sight of the teacher (or other responsible person) during the period of the assessment
candidates must not communicate with each other
candidates have one hour for the write up

9. The Philosophy Resource Sheet
The purpose of the Resource Sheet is to support the candidate during the production of evidence stage. It should be no more than 200 words in length. It may contain:
a plan of the assignment
quotes, extracts, mind maps
prompts and very brief notes
The Resource Sheet is not marked. However, it must be included with the submission of the candidate’s written report.

10. Assignment Marking - Skills
National 5 Philosophy - assignment
Mark allocation
Introducing the chosen philosophical question or claim and describing responses to it 6
Using and analysing relevant information relating to the philosophical question or claim
Explaining criticisms of responses relating to the chosen philosophical question or claim
Presenting ideas in a logical sequence throughout the assignment 2
Total 20

11. Detailed overview of Question Paper
National 5 Philosophy – question paper
Mark allocation
Arguments in Action 20
Knowledge and Doubt 30
Moral Philosophy
Total 80

12. Changes to documentation
The Course Specification and Course Assessment Specification documents have been combined to form a Course Specification document. Support Notes will be added to this document as Appendices.
Teachers are reminded that examination questions will be drawn from the Course Content specified in the Course Specification: (pages 3 – 5)

13. Course content Knowledge and Doubt
The introduction to Knowledge and Doubt has been made more explicit:
The distinction between ‘knowing how’ and ‘knowing that’ — knowledge as ‘justified, true belief’ (the tripartite theory of knowledge).
Empiricism — all knowledge of the world ultimately depends on experience (Locke's blank sheet of paper).
Rationalism — at least some knowledge of the world can be gained through reason and innate ideas (Leibniz’ block of marble).

14. Course content Knowledge and Doubt
Scepticism — the claim that knowledge (perhaps in just some cases; perhaps in all cases) is unattainable.
The Descartes content covers both the deceiving God argument and the malicious demon.

15. General Guidance - Dates
Candidates should undertake the production of evidence stage of the assignment in time to meet the submission date set by SQA.
The submission date for the assignment is approximately the third week of March.
The date of the question paper examination is published annually.

16. SQA Contact Details for further information
NQ Philosophy Team
Elaine McFadyen (Qualifications Manager)
Lynne McCallum (Qualifications Officer)
Marj Adams (Subject Implementation Manager)

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