Qualifications Update:

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Qualifications Update N5 Economics
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Developing qualifications - drivers

• Progression
• More open and flexible requirements
• Assessment which supports learning
• Refreshed and relevant contexts for learning
• Personalisation and Choice
• Robust and credible

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Key points

• Skills-based Units
• Provides opportunities to apply skills, knowledge
  and understanding using current economic
  contexts
• Builds knowledge and understanding progressively
  up the levels from N5 to Advanced Higher
• Combines the best aspects of current
  Intermediate and Standard Grade Courses
•  Added Value is assessed at N5 is by a question
  paper and an assignment

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Unit Structure
National 5 Economics
Economics of the Market
UK Economic Activity
Global Economic Activity
5
New Quality Assurance arrangements

• Covers National 1 to National 5 from 2013/14
• Promotes shared understanding of national
  standards through a collaborative and partnership
  approach
• New Nominee role - provides a pool of
  nationally trained experts
• Intense verification in the first 3 years,
  thereafter an approach based on information
  gathered
• Verification in Nov/Dec, Feb and Apr/May - allows
  for early identification of issues and
  support/guidance to be given

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Assessment Support Schedule 2012/13
Oct 12 N3 to N5 Unit Assessment Support (Package 1)
Feb 13 N3 to N5 Unit Assessment Support (Package 2)
Feb 13 N5 Specimen Question Paper
Apr 13 N3 to N5 Unit Assessment Support (Package 3)
Apr 13 N5 Specimen Coursework
Apr 13 N4 Added Value Assessment Support
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EconomicsUnit AssessmentNational 5
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Unit assessment

• Flexible and open Assessment Standards and
  Evidence Requirements in Units
• Greater range of techniques and methodologies for
  assessment encouraged through Unit assessment
  support packages
• Assessments can be designed to provide evidence
  across more than one outcome or Unit combined
  assessments
• More opportunities to gather naturally occurring
  evidence assessment as part of learning and
  teaching
•  

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Unit Assessment Support packages purpose

• Assessment support packages will be provided
  which you can use to
• Assess your candidates
• Adapt for your own assessment programmes
• Help you develop your own assessments

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Unit Assessment Support
packages key features

• Valid from August 2013
• Designed to encourage professional judgment
  allow assessors to choose appropriate context and
  forms of evidence
• Show range of approaches to generating assessment
  evidence
• Give information on the type of evidence which
  could be gathered and how this is to be judged
  against Assessment Standards

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Assessment Package 1

• Pack 1 Unit by Unit approach
• Each Unit has a pack which covers every
  assessment standard
• Each pack is ready to use and all meet minimum
  competence
• Each pack shows only 1 way of assessing that
  particular set of assessment standards

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Judging Evidence
Outcome Assessment Standards Judging the evidence Assessment for candidates (Appendix 1) commentary on assessment judgements  
Examine economic choices that an individual has to make regarding whether to spend, to save or to borrow by       1.1 Describing basic elements of personal income, personal spending and how they affect personal budgeting decisions Candidates should be able to describe an example of personal income, and outline at least two items of spending for an individual.   Candidates should be able to describe how income and spending affect personal budgeting decisions. Task 1 Questions 1, 2 and 3 A source of income for Max is the earnings he gets from working.   Two items that Max might spend his money on are food to eat and clothes to wear.   Max is careful with his spending because there is uncertainty in the economy. He may lose his job in the future, so at least he will have some funds to keep him going.
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EconomicsAdded Value Assessment- National 5
Course Assessment
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Adding Value National 5

• Each Course at National 4 and National 5 includes
  assessment of Added Value
• For National 5, the added value is in the Course
  Assessment - graded A - D (as at present)

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National 5 coursework

• 30 marks (question paper 70 marks)
• Prepare a short economic report
• Choose an economic topic to focus on and offer a
  reasoned conclusion based on research

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National 5 coursework

• Select, with minimum support, a current economic
  topic and choose a particular area of focus
• Use research skills and apply knowledge and
  understanding to explain the key features of the
  topic, referring to at least two economic
  viewpoints
• Analyse and interpret the topic from an economic
  perspective to draw a reasoned conclusion
• Present findings in a structured report using
  correct economic terminology

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National 5 coursework
Examples of current economic topics could include Examples of a particular area to focus your report on could include
Markets Why is there an increased demand for the produce at a local farmers market?
Government finance There have been cuts in local government spending. How have these cuts affected businesses in my town?
Global trade How has an increase in the tax on Scottish Whisky affected the amount of Whisky exported to Japan?
Local Economy How might the Commonwealth Games affect the Glasgow economy?
Exchange rates In what ways has the Euro crisis affected the price of holidays to Greece?