National 5 Business Management
National 5 Business Management now has a 70-mark exam lasting 1 hour 30 minutes. The 30-mark assignment is scaled to 20. The 2027 exam is on Thursday 13 May, 9:00 to 10:30.
- Question paper09:00 to 10:30
What grade is my mark?
Type a total mark to see the grade it would have got.
How the A and C boundaries have moved
Boundaries as a share of the total marks. A lower line means the papers were judged harder that year. Qualifications Scotland publishes boundaries from 2022 in this format.
| Year | Out of | A | B | C | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 120 | 84 | 72 | 60 | 48 |
| 2025 | 120 | 84 | 71 | 59 | 46 |
| 2024 | 120 | 87 | 73 | 60 | 46 |
| 2023 | 120 | 84 | 71 | 58 | 45 |
| 2022 | 120 | 86 | 71 | 56 | 41 |
What changed for 2026/27
The question paper is shorter. It drops from 90 marks to 70 and from 2 hours to 1 hour 30 minutes. Section 1 used to have two 20-mark questions on two case studies. It now has one 20-mark question on stimulus material about a real organisation.
Section 2 is unchanged: five 10-mark questions, one from each area of study. The assignment keeps its 30 marks but is now scaled to 20. So the exam is about 78% of the grade and the assignment about 22%.
The exam
Section 1 tests how you apply knowledge to the organisation described. Its parts are worth 1 to 5 marks each. Section 2 has parts worth 1 to 4 marks, each sampling one area of study.
When a Section 1 question asks about the organisation, use details from the stimulus in your answer. General textbook points with no link to the business are weaker.
The assignment
You research a business topic and produce a report using set headings. It has a 1,300-word limit, plus up to two pages of appendices. You have up to 5 hours in total.
| Report section | Marks |
|---|---|
| Background information | 4 |
| Research methods and sources | 6 |
| Findings, analysis and interpretation | 12 |
| Conclusions and recommendations | 6 |
| Reporting | 2 |
Findings carry the most marks, so keep the background short. Use more than one research method and say why each source can be trusted.
Examiner feedback from 2025
Candidates were strong on sectors of the economy, objectives, pricing strategies and environmental benefits. Many assignments were well presented, and conclusions improved.
The report flagged weaker areas:
- methods of advertising
- trade credit
- economic external factors
- the role of trade unions
- answering describe questions when the command word changed
In assignments, background sections were often too long. Findings used vague words like money instead of sales or profit.
The advice was to practise telling explain from describe. Name a technology before describing its use. Qualify words like expensive, so the marker can see why.
Using past papers
Papers before 2027 had a longer Section 1. Use one of its two case study questions as practice for the new single question. Time Section 2 at about 13 minutes per 10-mark question.
Revision checklist
Tick topics as you revise. Ticks are saved on this device only.
- Write a describe answer and an explain answer on the same topic to see the difference.
- Revise advertising methods with one advantage of each.
- Learn trade credit and other sources of finance, with a cost or benefit for each.
- Learn PESTEC external factors and practise applying economic factors to a business.
- Revise the role of trade unions and methods of industrial action.
- Practise reading a case study and linking every answer to that organisation.
- Time each 10-mark Section 2 question at about 13 minutes.
- Keep the assignment background to a few short points.
- Use precise terms such as sales, profit and cash flow in assignment findings.
- Check your report is under 1,300 words, excluding appendices.
Quick answers
- How long is the National 5 Business Management exam in 2027?
1 hour 30 minutes, down from 2 hours. The paper is now 70 marks.
- Is the Business Management assignment scaled?
Yes. From session 2026/27 the 30-mark assignment is scaled to 20, about 22% of the grade.
- What is the word limit for the assignment?
1,300 words, excluding appendices, with up to two pages of appendices.
- When is the National 5 Business Management exam in 2027?
Thursday 13 May 2027, 9:00 to 10:30.