James Gillespie's High School crest James Gillespie's High School
City of Edinburgh Council

National 5 Computing Science
A guide for parents and carers

James Gillespie's High School · Academic years 2025–26 and 2026–27

Jump to key dates ↓

What is National 5 Computing Science?

National 5 Computing Science is a two-year course that develops your child’s ability to solve problems using technology. It covers four areas: writing and designing software programs, understanding how computers work, working with databases, and building websites. Pupils study all four areas throughout the course, but the final exam focuses on three of them.

The course is taught over S3 and S4, with three periods per week. It is awarded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and sits at the same level as other National 5 subjects.

What will my child study?

Software Design & Development

Writing and designing computer programs. Pupils learn to break problems down, plan solutions, write code, and test that it works correctly. This is the largest part of the course.

Computer Systems

How computers store and process information. Pupils explore how numbers, text, and images are represented digitally, and how the components inside a computer work together.

Database Design & Development

Designing and querying databases. Pupils learn to structure data, draw data diagrams, and use a database query language (SQL) to retrieve and sort information.

Web Design & Development

Building websites. Pupils learn to design and code web pages using HTML and CSS, following a structured design process.

⚠️ Note on the final exam and assignment: In the final exam, pupils answer questions on Software Design & Development and Computer Systems (mandatory), then choose either the Database or Web Design section. The coursework assignment also follows this structure.

How is my child assessed?

Question Paper

Exam · May each year
  • 80 marks out of 120 total (67%)
  • 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Set and marked externally by SQA
  • Section 1 — mandatory: Software Design & Development and Computer Systems (55 marks)
  • Choice of Section 2 — Databases (25 marks) or Section 3 — Web Design (25 marks)

This is a traditional written exam sat in school under exam conditions.

Assignment

Coursework · February/March each year
  • 40 marks out of 120 total (33%)
  • Completed over 6 supervised hours in school
  • Set by SQA annually (different each year)
  • Submitted to SQA for external marking
  • Task 1 — Software Design (25 marks, mandatory)
  • Choice of Task 2 — Databases (15 marks) or Task 3 — Web Design (15 marks)
The assignment is completed entirely in school under supervision — pupils cannot receive help at home on this task.

Total: 120 marks  |  Assignment 40 (33%) + Question Paper 80 (67%)

Question Paper (80 marks)
Assignment (40 marks)

How are grades awarded?

SQA award grades A, B, C, or D based on performance across both the question paper and the assignment combined. Grade boundaries are set by SQA after the exam diet each year — they are not fixed in advance. A grade A reflects an excellent level of performance; a grade C is a pass.

Grade What it means
A Excellent — strong performance across all areas
B Good — secure understanding with some gaps
C Pass — sufficient knowledge and skills demonstrated
D Just below pass standard
No Award Insufficient evidence to award a grade

There is no unit assessment or internal pass/fail hurdle in this course. Your child’s grade is determined entirely by the question paper and assignment.

Key dates

S4 pupils — exam year 2026–27

August 2026
S4 year begins; focus shifts to exam preparation alongside new content
November / December 2026
Preliminary exam — school-set, full past paper conditions
February / March 2027
SQA Assignment — 6 supervised hours completed in school
May 2027
SQA Question Paper

S3 pupils — exam year 2027–28

2025–27
Building foundations across all four course areas
November / December 2027
Preliminary exam
February / March 2028
SQA Assignment
May 2028
SQA Question Paper
Exact dates for the prelim and assignment window will be communicated by the school closer to the time.

Online lesson resource

Pupils have access to a dedicated online revision site built specifically for this course. Every lesson includes notes, worked examples, practice questions, and exam tips. It is designed to be used independently at home — no login required.

Go to the course site →
All four course areas covered
Practice questions with answers
Works on any device

How you can help at home

You do not need a background in computing to support your child. The most effective things parents and carers can do are:

Encourage regular short revision sessions

10–15 minutes of active practice on the revision site is more effective than re-reading notes. Ask them to explain what they’ve covered.

Help them manage the assignment period

The assignment is done in school, but pupils benefit from arriving rested and prepared. Make sure they know the dates in advance.

Treat Computing like other academic subjects

This course involves significant written work, design tasks, and problem-solving — not just using computers. Treat revision the same way as for English or Maths.

Get in touch early if concerns arise

If your child is struggling, contact the class teacher sooner rather than later. The prelim in November/December is a useful checkpoint.

Get in touch

If you have questions about your child’s progress or the course, please contact the Computing Science department through the school’s main office.

James Gillespie’s High School
Marchmont Road
Edinburgh
EH9 1HU
Visit the school website →