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SQA National 5 Classical Studies: complete guide to the three areas, the question paper and the assignment

A complete guide to SQA National 5 Classical Studies, an SCQF level 5 qualification. Covers the three areas of study (Life in Classical Greece, Life in the Roman World, and Classical Literature, Life and Myth), the comparison with the modern world, and how the question paper and the assignment are assessed.

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SQA National 5 Classical Studies is a one-year course at SCQF level 5 that develops knowledge and understanding of classical Greek and Roman civilisations and asks learners to compare them with the modern world. It is graded A to D from two assessment components: a question paper and an assignment. The course is built around three areas of study, and the subject's distinctive skill, running through every area, is comparison. This page is the index: below is a map of the areas, the assessment, and how to study. The classical world is presented neutrally.

The three areas of SQA National 5 Classical Studies

The course is organised into three areas of study. Within each there is flexibility over the exact themes a centre teaches, but the kinds of question are the same.

Life in Classical Greece
A study of the society of classical Athens: growing up and education, the role and status of women, citizenship and the direct democracy, slavery, religion and the gods, and leisure such as the games and the theatre.
Life in the Roman World
A study of Roman society and daily life: the family, the role of women, making a living, religion, entertainment such as the arena and the baths, and the evidence from Pompeii buried in AD 79.
Classical Literature, Life and Myth
A study of a classical text, most commonly Homer's Odyssey, exploring its story, the hero and heroism, the gods and mortals, fate and free will, and values such as hospitality, alongside the universal themes that link the ancient and modern worlds.

Centres choose the exact themes and, in the literature area, the text studied. Check what your school or college is teaching, because the detail you need depends on those choices. The comparison skill, however, applies to every area.

The comparison skill

The defining feature of Classical Studies is comparison. Across all three areas you are asked to set the beliefs, practices and values of the classical world against those of the modern world, and to reach a supported view. This skill, not just recall, is what the higher marks reward.

Course assessment

The National 5 Classical Studies award is graded A to D and is made up of two components, both set and marked by the SQA (now Qualifications Scotland).

  • Question paper - sat under exam conditions and worth the larger share of the marks. It tests detailed knowledge and understanding of the chosen areas and the skill of comparing the classical and modern worlds, using Describe and evaluative questions.
  • Assignment - a piece of coursework worth the smaller share of the marks. You choose a classical studies issue, research it in advance using a resource sheet, and write it up under supervised conditions, marked for knowledge, evidence, structure and a supported conclusion.

The exact mark split is set in the current course specification, which was updated in May 2025, and the assignment conditions were updated for session 2025-26, so always check the latest SQA documents.

How to study SQA National 5 Classical Studies

Classical Studies rewards both secure content knowledge and confident comparison.

  1. Confirm your themes and text. Centres choose the themes in each area and the literature text, so revise what you are actually taught.
  2. Build detailed facts. Describe questions reward several separate, developed points, so learn specific detail on each topic.
  3. Practise comparison. For each topic, rehearse how the classical world compares with the modern world, since this is the subject's key skill.
  4. Drill the question types. Describe and the evaluative questions each have a pattern; practise them on past papers and the marking instructions.
  5. Plan the assignment early. Choose a focused issue and plan the structure before the supervised write-up.

The areas and skills, page by page

Each area and the exam-skills set have answer pages with worked questions and cross-links. Browse the full set from this hub:

  • Life in Classical Greece - growing up, women, citizenship, slavery, religion and leisure in Athens.
  • Life in the Roman World - the family, women, work, religion, entertainment and Pompeii.
  • Classical Literature, Life and Myth - Homer's Odyssey, the hero, the gods, fate and free will, and values such as hospitality.
  • Exam skills and the assignment - the question paper, the comparison skill, and the coursework.

For the official course specification

The SQA (now Qualifications Scotland) publishes the full National 5 Classical Studies course specification, specimen and past papers, marking instructions and the coursework assessment task at sqa.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification and SQA past papers, because the areas, themes, set text and question style are set by the awarding body, and confirm what your centre teaches.

Classical Studies guides

In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.

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Classical Studies practice quizzes

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

The SQA-NATIONAL-5 system, explained

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Common questions about Classical Studies

How is SQA National 5 Classical Studies structured?
National 5 Classical Studies is an SCQF level 5 course built around three areas of study: Life in Classical Greece, Life in the Roman World, and Classical Literature, Life and Myth. It develops knowledge and understanding of the religious, political, social, moral and cultural aspects of classical Greek and Roman societies, and it is a comparative subject, so learners are asked to compare the classical world with their own. There is considerable flexibility in the themes a centre can choose within each area.
How is SQA National 5 Classical Studies assessed?
The course award is graded A to D and is set and marked by the SQA (now Qualifications Scotland). It has a question paper, sat under exam conditions and worth the majority of the marks, which tests knowledge, understanding and the skill of comparing the classical and modern worlds, and an assignment, a piece of coursework worth a smaller share of the marks. The exact mark split and conditions are set out in the current course specification and the coursework assessment task, so always check the latest SQA documents.
What is the Classical Literature, Life and Myth area about?
This area studies a work of classical literature, most commonly Homer's Odyssey, alongside the life, values and mythology it reflects. Learners explore the story and its key episodes, the idea of the hero and heroism, the relationship between the gods and mortals, the question of fate and free will, and values such as hospitality (xenia), loyalty and cunning. It connects the literature to the wider beliefs and society of the classical world and to universal themes that still matter today.
What is the National 5 Classical Studies assignment?
The assignment is a piece of coursework in which a learner chooses a classical studies issue or topic, researches it in advance using a resource sheet, and then writes it up under supervised conditions. It is marked for knowledge and understanding, the use of evidence, a clear structure and a supported conclusion, and it tests the same comparison skill as the question paper. The precise conditions, the resource-sheet rules and the mark allocation are set out in the SQA coursework assessment task, which was updated for session 2025-26.
What skills does National 5 Classical Studies test?
Beyond detailed knowledge of the chosen areas, the course tests the skill of comparison: setting beliefs, practices and values of the classical world against those of the modern world and reaching a supported view. The question paper uses Describe questions, which reward several developed points of fact, and evaluative questions such as how far or how important, which ask for a weighed, supported judgement. Learning what each question type rewards, and practising the comparison, is the fastest way to raise marks.
How does National 5 Classical Studies differ from a GCSE in Classical Civilisation?
National 5 Classical Studies is a Scottish SCQF level 5 qualification set by the SQA (now Qualifications Scotland), whereas GCSE Classical Civilisation is set by English boards such as OCR. National 5 is organised into three areas (Life in Classical Greece, Life in the Roman World, and Classical Literature, Life and Myth), strongly emphasises comparing the classical and modern worlds, and is assessed by a question paper plus a coursework assignment under SQA marking instructions. Always revise from the current SQA course specification and SQA past papers.