You are here: Subjects > Drama > National 5
Why study Drama?
Drama gives you the opportunity to use your imagination and express yourself in a creative and practical way. It helps you to develop important skills such as problem solving, communication, planning and creative thinking. It is particularly suitable for those who love being creative, getting their ideas across in a dramatic way and communicating their ideas with others.
The skills that you develop in Drama are useful in many different careers, including: communications and media, theatre, film, TV, radio, costume design, production, writing and teaching.
What do I need to get in?
Entry is at the discretion of the school or college but you would normally have achieved:
What will I study?
Drama is a practical, hands-on subject that develops your creativity and imagination, and your artistic skills. You will learn how the use of voice, language and movement can develop your ideas for drama. You will learn the skills and techniques involved in planning, producing and presenting drama.
You will also find out how actors and writers work, and how the environment and culture affect their work.
The course has two compulsory units. The units are similar to those for National 4, but you will be expected to produce a higher standard of work.
Drama Skills (9 SCQF credit points)
In this unit you will:
- explore and develop a range of drama skills and ways of communicating thoughts and ideas to an audience
- develop a range of skills as an actor
- learn how to respond to stimuli, including text
- develop your understanding of how to portray character
- develop your knowledge and understanding of form, structure, genre and style when creating and presenting drama
- extend your understanding of social and cultural influences on drama
- reflect on your own progress and that of others.
Note: This unit may be taken with a Scottish Context option, which contributes towards the Scottish Studies Award.
Drama: Production Skills (9 SCQF credit points)
In this unit you will:
- develop a range of production skills and use these skills to enhance drama when presenting
- use problem solving skills in order to generate ideas for presenting drama.
How will I be assessed?
Course Assessment (6 SCQF credit points)
Units will be assessed internally by your teacher or lecturer as 'pass' or 'fail'. Your work will be assessed on an ongoing basis throughout the course.
Units do not contribute to your overall grade but to achieve the course qualification, you must pass both units plus the course assessment.
The course assessment for this course consists of two components:
- performance (60 marks)
- examination question paper (40 marks).
The question paper will be set and marked by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).
For the performance component, you will create and present a drama. This will be set by your school or college and assessed by an SQA visiting assessor.
The course assessment is graded A–D.
What can I go on to next?
If you complete the course successfully, it may lead to:
Further study, training or employment in:
Which jobs are related to this subject?
Where can my parents find out more?
Your school will give your parents an Options or Choices information booklet, which has detailed information on the curriculum and the individual subjects or courses you can study. It will also invite them along to a Parents’ Information Evening.
They can also read the information leaflet(s):
Nationals in a Nutshell - Drama (National 5)