Hardest National 5’s vs the Easiest National 5’s: What Should I Do?

By Clarissa Joshua
May 3, 2022

The hardest National 5 subjects ranked
The easiest National 5 subjects ranked
Should I choose the hardest National 5’s or easiest National 5’s?

We understand that choosing your National 5 subjects is a big deal as they’ll prepare you for your Highers and should be aligned with what you want to do at university if that’s the path you’re going to take. With a little planning and careful consideration, you can pick the right ones for you and never look back. We’re going to help by sharing the hardest National 5’s and the easiest National 5’s, plus we’ll give you tips on how to choose.

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The hardest National 5 subjects ranked

Before we give you the hardest National 5 subjects ranked (no peeking!) this list comes with a caveat: how difficult a subject is comes down to each individual and their strengths and interests. You might be a superstar at English but the next student finds it boring or extremely challenging. 💫

So, we’ve put together a list of Nat 5’s based on the percentage of students who were awarded a grade A to C over the past five years. This will give you a good indication of how “hard” it is to do well in these qualifications. This table’s in order of the grades attained in 2021.

Here are the Nat 5's in order of difficulty:

Rank	Hardest National 5	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
1	Applications of Mathematics	47	58	59	75	64
2	Care	82	78	80	82	71
3	Mathematics	64	65	66	79	73
4	Biology	71	73	71	83	76
5	Philosophy	71	70	61	85	81
6	Physics	73	75	75	86	81
7	Environmental Science	58	52	49	86	82
8	Chemistry	76	77	77	88	82
9	Business Management	78	79	78	90	83
10	Media	68	68	66	92	84
11	Health and Food Technology	73	67	75	92	85
12	Psychology	70	65	58	89	85
13	Sociology	77	67	69	88	85
14	Computing Science	82	75	75	90	86
15	Design and Manufacture	84	57	71	91	86
16	Engineering Science	79	78	84	93	86
17	Practical Electronics	78	70	87	86	86
18	Graphic Communication	85	72	72	92	87
19	Practical Metalworking	92	81	83	94	87
20	Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies	68	70	69	90	87
21	Accounting	85	79	84	91	88
22	Gaelic (Learners)	83	85	73	94	88
23	History	77	78	79	90	88
24	Geography	75	71	72	90	89
25	Classical Studies	81	85	80	95	90
26	English for Speakers of Other Languages	86	80	78	93	90
27	Modern Studies	76	70	73	89	90
28	Dance	93	92	87	96	91
29	English	87	85	86	91	91
30	Fashion and Textile Technology	93	64	59	92	91
31	French	89	87	85	94	91
32	German	89	87	86	95	91
33	Italian	94	87	89	94	91
34	Practical Woodworking	93	85	86	94	92
35	Spanish	90	90	88	95	92
36	Administration and IT	79	80	79	92	93
37	Practical Cake Craft	91	62	60	93	93
38	Practical Cookery	89	66	83	95	93
39	Art and Design	92	89	87	96	94
40	Chinese Languages	92	89	96	98	94
41	Music Technology	88	85	85	95	94
42	Drama	92	93	94	97	96
43	Music	94	95	94	97	97
44	Physical Education	95	94	94	98	97
45	Economics	90	95	91	98	98
46	Gàidhlig	97	93	92	98	99
47	Latin	100	99	96	99	99
48	Urdu	92	100	99	100	100

As you can see, the hardest National 5 is Applications of Mathematics with 64 percent of students receiving an A to C grade in 2021. In 2017, this figure was even lower at 47 percent. In second and third position were Care and Mathematics, respectively.

Many students ask “is National 5 English hard?” or “is National 5 Maths hard?” and the reason is that these are compulsory qualifications to take. Applications of Mathematics can be taken instead of Maths but this is commonly viewed as being harder. With English coming in at number 29, the high percentage of students who receive an A to C grade demonstrates you can do well in it if you put in the work. 👍

In fact, the same is usually true for any National 5. Even if you hit a speedbump and encounter some difficult concepts or topics, National 5 tutoring is there to get you back on track. At GoStudent, we have tutors who can help you with absolutely any subject. You’ll find the one-to-one teaching extra supportive and lessons are tailored to what you need to achieve and your learning style.

The easiest National 5 subjects ranked

OK, so now you know the hardest National 5’s let’s look at the easiest National 5’s. As you’ll see from the list, languages feature prominently. This doesn’t mean they’re a walk in the park but most likely students are highly engaged and passionate about learning the language.

Here are the easiest National 5 subjects:

Rank	Easiest National 5	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
1	Urdu	92	100	99	100	100
2	Latin	100	99	96	99	99
3	Gàidhlig	97	93	92	98	99
4	Economics	90	95	91	98	98
5	Physical Education	95	94	94	98	97
6	Music	94	95	94	97	97
7	Drama	92	93	94	97	96
8	Chinese Languages	92	89	96	98	94
9	Art and Design	92	89	87	96	94
10	Music Technology	88	85	85	95	94

This list is also in order of the grades awarded in 2021. Urdu clearly seems like a winner as the easiest National 5 subject to get an A to C grade in, with 100 percent achieving this! However, if you’re not going to use Urdu and have no interest in it then we never recommended doing a subject just because it makes the easiest National 5 list. Let’s talk more about why this isn’t a good idea now and what you should consider.

Should I choose the hardest National 5’s or easiest National 5’s?

So, are you surprised at any of the National 5’s that appear in either of the lists? If so, please don’t let this deter you from taking them or choosing other subjects as a result. That’s because the most important things to consider when choosing your National 5’s are:

Which subjects do you need to enter your dream job or for your Highers and future studies?
Which subjects are you naturally good at?
Which subjects are calling your name and you can’t wait to take them?

Write yourself a list of any National 5’s that fall under these categories. If one fits all three then it’s a no-brainer and you should definitely do that National 5 as it’s something you need, you’re good at it, and are passionate about it, so classes will be enjoyable and you’ll want to put in study time. If a subject only fits two of these criteria or one, don’t write it off. You’ll just need to assess your list at the end and be honest about what’s most important to you.

If you have no idea what you want to do in the future, you’re not alone. While some people know from early childhood what they want to be, others take many careers before they land on something they love. If you’re not sure, it’s worthwhile selecting a good balance of subjects to keep your options open (e.g. from arts to sciences). This could include a blend of the easiest National 5’s and hardest National 5’s. ⚖️

No matter what you end up doing, we’d like to wish you the best of luck. If you’d rather take luck out of the equation, we’ll be here and have qualified tutors who specialise in different National 5 qualifications so we’ve got your back. Private online lessons will help save you time studying and also save you from working through the tougher times alone. You’re going to have enough on your plate and National 5 tutoring is the easiest way to boost your grades with less stress on your part!