SQA National 5 English past papers

This page links every English paper SQA publishes for everyone to download, newest first, starting with 2026. Each link opens the PDF on SQA's own website. The most recent series is usually released a year or so after the exam, and it will appear here once SQA makes it public.

Yes, 10 of the 12 question papers here have a mark scheme, and 3 have an examiner report as well, which is worth reading for the mistakes that cost the most marks.

In 2026, an A needed 72 out of 100 and a C needed 51. The grade boundaries for every series from 2018 to 2026 are on this course's grade boundaries page, and each series of papers here links to its own year's table, so you can mark a paper and read your grade.

It is linked at the top of this page: SQA's own English specification, a PDF on its website, which sets out what you can be examined on and how the exams are marked.

Once you have worked through the papers, cookie has a practice deck for this course with fresh questions based on the specification and past papers, feedback on what you write, and spaced repetition.

Cookie Tutoring may have tutors for English. The Find a tutor link keeps the subject and qualification filters from this page, so you can check the marketplace without assuming that a suitable tutor is available.