Skip to main content

← SQA-NATIONAL-5

Scotland Β· SQA2026

SQA National 5 Administration and IT: complete guide to the three areas, the question paper and the assignment

A complete guide to SQA National 5 Administration and IT, an SCQF level 5 qualification. Covers the three areas (Administrative Practices, IT Solutions for Administrators, Communication in Administration), how the assessment splits between the question paper and the practical assignment, the SQA command words, and how to study each area for an A.

Browse guides β†’Syllabus dot points (13)

SQA National 5 Administration and IT is a one-year course at SCQF level 5 that develops an understanding of administration in the workplace and the IT skills an administrator needs. It is graded A to D from two assessment components: a question paper and a practical assignment. This page is the index: below is a map of the three areas, the assessment structure, the command words, and how to study each area.

The three areas of SQA National 5 Administration and IT

The course specification organises the content into three areas of skills, knowledge and understanding.

Administrative Practices
A broad introduction to administration in the workplace: the tasks of an administrator and time and task management, the skills and qualities of an effective administrator, customer care (internal and external customers and service standards), health and safety legislation, the security of people, property and information including data protection, and organising and supporting events.
IT Solutions for Administrators
The applied IT skills: word processing and desktop publishing (templates, house style, mail merge, tables), spreadsheets (the functions SUM, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN and IF, plus formatting, sorting, filtering and charts), databases (fields and records, queries using criteria, sorting and reports), and electronic file management and the use of an electronic diary.
Communication in Administration
Using IT to gather and share information: the methods of electronic communication (email, intranet, internet, video conferencing, instant messaging and shared documents) and choosing the most suitable one, the methods of gathering information, the difference between primary and secondary sources, and how to judge the reliability of a source.

Course assessment

The award is graded A to D and is made up of two components, both set and marked by the SQA.

  • Question paper - sat under exam conditions. It tests knowledge and understanding and the application of skills across all three areas, using SQA command words such as Describe, Explain and Outline. Questions are often based on a short administrative context.
  • Assignment - the practical component. Under supervised conditions, candidates use IT applications (word processing, spreadsheets, databases) and problem-solving skills to complete a series of administrative tasks accurately, following the current SQA coursework task and any house style given.

The two components combine to give the overall grade.

The SQA command words

The question paper is built on command words, and answering the wrong one loses marks even when the knowledge is correct.

  1. Describe. Give a thorough description of features, more than a list.
  2. Explain. Give reasons: a cause and its effect.
  3. Outline. State the main features, with a little more detail than a bare list.
  4. Compare. Identify similarities and differences.
  5. Identify, Name and Give. Shorter tasks: state the key factors.

How to study SQA National 5 Administration and IT

The course rewards precise knowledge plus confident practical skills.

  1. Work from the specification. Each area is a checklist; question-paper items are written from it.
  2. Learn definitions exactly. Terms such as record, mail merge, intranet and primary source must be used precisely.
  3. Practise the command words. Turn recall into Describe and Explain answers, because that is where most marks are won.
  4. Drill the software skills. Mail merge, spreadsheet functions and charts, and database queries must be confident for the assignment.
  5. Practise past papers and the assignment. Use SQA past papers and marking instructions to learn the question style, and rehearse the practical tasks under timed conditions.

The three areas, topic by topic

Each area has topic answer pages with worked questions and cross-links, plus a unit guide and a quiz. Browse the full set from this hub.

  • Administrative Practices: tasks of an administrator, skills and qualities, customer care, health and safety, security of people, property and information, organising and supporting events.
  • IT Solutions for Administrators: word processing and desktop publishing, spreadsheets, databases, electronic file management and e-diaries.
  • Communication in Administration: methods of electronic communication, sources and reliability of information.
  • Course assessment: the question paper and the assignment explained.

For the official course specification

The SQA (now Qualifications Scotland) publishes the full National 5 Administration and IT course specification, specimen and past papers, and the coursework assessment task at sqa.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification and SQA past papers, because question style and terminology are board-specific.

Administration & IT guides

In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.

See all β†’

Administration & IT practice quizzes

Multiple-choice drills with worked answer explanations. Your scores stay on this device.

The SQA-NATIONAL-5 system, explained

See all β†’

Common questions about Administration & IT

How is SQA National 5 Administration and IT structured?
National 5 Administration and IT is an SCQF level 5 course built around three areas of skills, knowledge and understanding. Administrative Practices covers the tasks, skills and qualities of an administrator, customer care, health and safety, security and organising events. IT Solutions for Administrators develops word processing, spreadsheets, databases and file management. Communication in Administration covers electronic communication methods and the gathering and reliability of information. The course is assessed by a question paper and a practical assignment.
How is SQA National 5 Administration and IT assessed?
The award is graded A to D and has two components, both set and marked by the SQA. The question paper is sat under exam conditions and tests knowledge and the application of skills across all three areas, using command words such as Describe, Explain and Outline. The assignment is a practical task completed under supervised conditions in which candidates use IT applications such as word processing, spreadsheets and databases, with problem-solving skills, to complete administrative tasks accurately. Together they give the overall grade.
What is the National 5 Administration and IT assignment?
The assignment is the practical component. Under supervised, controlled conditions, candidates use IT applications and problem-solving skills to complete a series of realistic administrative tasks set by the SQA. They must read the instructions carefully, choose the right software feature for each task, and produce accurate documents to a professional standard, following any house style given. The completed work is the evidence that the SQA marks, and it assesses the practical IT skills that the question paper cannot.
What are the SQA command words for National 5 Administration and IT?
Command words tell you what to do with your knowledge. The main ones are Describe (give a thorough description of features), Explain (give reasons, a cause and its effect), Outline (state the main features with a little detail), Compare (identify similarities and differences) and Identify, Name or Give (state key factors). Answering the right command word is essential, because correct knowledge given as the wrong command, such as a list instead of an explanation, loses marks.
What does SCQF level 5 mean for National 5 Administration and IT?
SCQF is the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework. National 5 sits at level 5, broadly equivalent to a GCSE grade in England and the usual stepping stone to Higher (level 6). National 5 Administration and IT signals a secure understanding of administration in the workplace and the ability to use IT applications to complete administrative tasks, and it prepares learners for Higher Administration and IT or related study and work.
How should I revise for SQA National 5 Administration and IT?
Work through the three areas against the content in the current SQA course specification, because question-paper items are written from it. Learn each definition precisely (record, mail merge, intranet, primary source) and practise turning recall into Describe and Explain answers. Drill the practical software skills (mail merge, spreadsheet functions and charts, database queries and reports) for the assignment. Practise SQA past papers and marking instructions to learn the question style and the command words.