SQA National 5 Practical Woodworking: the practical activity - manufacturing a product, the log book and the case study

What this area actually demands

National 5 Practical Woodworking is assessed almost entirely by doing. The whole course assessment is a single practical activity: you manufacture a product, keep a log book, and answer a case study. This guide explains the assessment, how it is marked, what changed from session 2025-26, and how to prepare. The detail of the skills it tests lives in the tools, materials and construction dot points; this area is about putting them together under assessment conditions.

The practical activity

The practical activity is worth 80 marks and, from session 2025-26, 100 per cent of the course assessment (the question paper was removed). It has three parts:

• Manufacture a product - mark out, cut, machine, join (flat-frame and carcase joints) and finish a set product accurately and safely. This earns most of the marks.
• Log book - record the planning, the processes carried out and an evaluation of the work and finished product, working independently.
• Case study - worth 10 marks, added from session 2025-26 so the wider course knowledge can still be sampled.

What changed from session 2025-26

The question paper was removed from the course. The practical activity was expanded to include the case study (10 marks), and is now worth 80 marks / 100 per cent. The course specification and specimen coursework assessment task were updated to match. Always work from the current documents.

How it is assessed and graded

The practical activity is assessed by the teacher and then verified by the SQA (Qualifications Scotland), which keeps marking fair across centres. The award is graded A to D on the total marks. This differs from some other courses where the SQA marks coursework externally; here the centre marks and the SQA verifies.

How the course skills feed the assessment

Every dot point in this subject is shown in the practical activity: choosing materials for their properties, marking out from a face side and face edge, cutting frame and carcase joints, using machines safely, and preparing and finishing the surface. The case study samples the underpinning knowledge of tools, materials, processes and safety.

Check your knowledge

A mix of recall and reasoning questions covering the course assessment. Attempt them, then check against the solutions.

1. How many marks is the practical activity worth? (1 mark)
2. What share of the course assessment is the practical activity from session 2025-26? (1 mark)
3. Name the three parts of the practical activity. (1 mark)
4. Who assesses the practical activity, and who verifies it? (1 mark)
5. What was removed from the course from session 2025-26, and what was added? (2 marks)