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100+ Free National 5 Cantonese Practice Questions

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: National 5 Cantonese Exam

120 marks

Total assessment marks

Qualifications Scotland Course Specification C812 75

Grade C

Minimum pass

Qualifications Scotland grading

CEFR B1

Approximate language level

Qualifications Scotland N5 modern language framework

100

Free practice questions here

OpenExamPrep

N5 Cantonese is a 120-mark SCQF Level 5 modern language qualification: Reading (30), Writing (20), Listening (20), Assignment-writing (20) and Performance-Talking (30). It tests Cantonese language skills across four set contexts at CEFR B1 equivalent level.

Sample National 5 Cantonese Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your National 5 Cantonese exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1What is the standard Cantonese term for 'father' in everyday conversation?
A.阿爸 (aa3 baa1) / 父親 (fu6 can1)
B.阿媽 (aa3 maa1) / 母親 (mou5 can1)
C.哥哥 (go1 go1) / 兄長 (hing1 zoeng2)
D.細佬 (sai3 lou2) / 弟弟 (dai6 dai6)
Explanation: In Cantonese, '阿爸' (aa3 baa1) is the common informal term for father, while '父親' (fu6 can1) is the formal written equivalent. Knowing family vocabulary across formal and informal registers is essential for N5 Society contexts.
2Choose the correct Cantonese classifier (量詞) to fill in the blank: 一___書 (jat1 ___ syu1 - a book).
A.本 (bun2)
B.隻 (zek3)
C.張 (zoeng1)
D.條 (tiu4)
Explanation: The classifier '本' (bun2) is specifically used for bound printed materials like books and notebooks. In Cantonese, specifying the correct classifier between a numeral and a noun is a core grammatical rule.
3What does the Cantonese phrase '食早餐' (sik6 zou3 caan1) mean?
A.To eat breakfast
B.To eat lunch
C.To eat dinner
D.To cook food
Explanation: '食' (sik6) means to eat and '早餐' (zou3 caan1) means breakfast. Daily routine vocabulary like meal names is frequently tested in N5 reading and listening tasks.
4What does the Cantonese third-person plural pronoun '佢哋' (keoi5 dei6) translate to in English?
A.They / them
B.We / us
C.You (plural)
D.He / she
Explanation: '佢' (keoi5) is the third-person singular pronoun (he/she/it) and adding the suffix '哋' (dei6) creates the plural form '佢哋' (they/them).
5What is the English translation of the location phrase '喺屋企' (hai2 ok1 kei1)?
A.At home
B.At school
C.At the shop
D.In the hospital
Explanation: '喺' (hai2) acts as the preposition 'at/in' in Cantonese, and '屋企' (ok1 kei1) means home or house. Combined, '喺屋企' means 'at home'.
6Which English phrase correctly translates the Cantonese verb phrase '睇醫生' (tai2 ji1 sang1)?
A.To see a doctor
B.To become a doctor
C.To call a doctor
D.To help a doctor
Explanation: In Cantonese, '睇' (tai2) literally means look/see and '醫生' (ji1 sang1) means doctor. Idiomatically, '睇醫生' means to see or consult a doctor.
7What activity does the phrase '聽音樂' (teng1 jam1 ngok6) refer to?
A.Listening to music
B.Playing sports
C.Watching movies
D.Reading novels
Explanation: '聽' (teng1) means to listen and '音樂' (jam1 ngok6) means music. Free-time hobbies are a major theme in the N5 Society module.
8Which Cantonese adjective describes 'cold' weather or cold temperature?
A.凍 (dung3) / 冷 (laang5)
B.熱 (jit6)
C.暖 (nyun5)
D.濕 (sap1)
Explanation: '凍' (dung3) is the primary spoken Cantonese word for cold (weather or food/drink), while '冷' (laang5) is also used in written context. Understanding weather descriptions is key for reading and listening.
9What school subject does the Cantonese term '數學' (sou3 hok6) represent?
A.Mathematics
B.Science
C.History
D.Geography
Explanation: '數' (sou3) relates to numbers and calculation, and '學' (hok6) means study/field. Thus '數學' is Mathematics.
10What is the English translation of the Cantonese noun '課室' (fo3 sat1)?
A.Classroom
B.Library
C.Playground
D.Canteen / Dining hall
Explanation: '課' (fo3) means lesson/class and '室' (sat1) means room, making '課室' (fo3 sat1) classroom.

About the National 5 Cantonese Exam

National 5 Cantonese (course code C812 75) is the Qualifications Scotland modern-language qualification at SCQF Level 5, awarded by Qualifications Scotland (formerly SQA) since February 2026. The course covers four contexts — Society, Learning, Employability and Culture — and assesses reading, writing, listening and speaking using Traditional Chinese characters and Cantonese speech. Note: While official SQA question papers require written English answers and Cantonese compositions, this web platform adapts key learning objectives into a 100-question multiple-choice practice format to facilitate structured self-study and rapid retrieval.

Assessment

Question count not published by the exam provider

Time Limit

Reading and Writing 2 hours (extended time for Chinese languages); Listening approximately 30 minutes; Performance-talking 6-8 minutes; assignment-writing scheduled separately

Passing Score

Graded A-D, with No Award below D. Notional grade boundaries are 50% of the total course assessment marks for a C, 70% for an A and 85% for an upper A; final boundaries are set each year at awarding meetings after marking.

Exam Fee

No candidate fee is published by Qualifications Scotland: entry fees are invoiced to the presenting centre, so school and college candidates in Scotland are not charged. Private candidates must arrange an approved presenting centre, which sets its own charge. (Qualifications Scotland (formerly SQA))

National 5 Cantonese Exam Content Outline

30 marks

Reading

Three texts in Cantonese (Traditional characters) drawn from Society, Learning, Employability or Culture; comprehension questions answered in English testing detail, overall purpose and inference

20 marks

Writing

Single 120-150 character email in Cantonese responding to a job advert or prompt, addressing four predictable bullet points (personal details, education, experience, skills) plus two unpredictable bullet points

20 marks

Listening

One monologue then one conversation in Cantonese played twice; comprehension questions answered in English on the four contexts including numbers, dates, opinions and reasons

20 marks

Assignment — Writing

Externally marked 120-200 character piece in Cantonese on a chosen context, drafted in class with a 30-minute supervised final write using a bullet-point plan

30 marks

Performance — Talking

Internally assessed presentation (about two minutes) followed by a conversation with the teacher in Cantonese on the same and an unprepared context

How to Pass the National 5 Cantonese Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Graded A-D, with No Award below D. Notional grade boundaries are 50% of the total course assessment marks for a C, 70% for an A and 85% for an upper A; final boundaries are set each year at awarding meetings after marking.
  • Assessment: Question count not published by the exam provider
  • Time limit: Reading and Writing 2 hours (extended time for Chinese languages); Listening approximately 30 minutes; Performance-talking 6-8 minutes; assignment-writing scheduled separately
  • Exam fee: No candidate fee is published by Qualifications Scotland: entry fees are invoiced to the presenting centre, so school and college candidates in Scotland are not charged. Private candidates must arrange an approved presenting centre, which sets its own charge.

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

National 5 Cantonese Study Tips from Top Performers

1Master high-frequency Cantonese vocabulary and Traditional characters for the four core contexts: Society, Learning, Employability, and Culture
2Learn essential Cantonese sentence particles (如 呀 aa3, 呢 ne1, 啦 laa1, 㗎 gaa3) and aspect markers (咗 zo2, 緊 gan2, 過 gwo3)
3Practise Cantonese-English translation patterns focusing on word order (e.g., place and time before verb, indirect object before direct object)
4Memorise key phrases for job applications (e.g. 工作經驗, 語言能力, 團隊精神) for the Writing component
5Listen regularly to authentic Cantonese dialogues to build speed in number recognition, dates, prices, and opinion markers

Frequently Asked Questions

Who awards National 5 Cantonese in 2026?

From 1 February 2026, the awarding body is Qualifications Scotland (formerly SQA). The course content, code (C812 75) and assessment structure are unchanged from the SQA specification.

What Chinese script and romanisation are used for N5 Cantonese?

National 5 Cantonese uses Traditional Chinese characters (繁體字) for written texts and tasks. Jyutping (粵拼) is the standard phonetic romanisation system widely used to study Cantonese pronunciation and tones.

What are the four contexts in N5 Cantonese?

Society (family, friends, health, technology, environment), Learning (school, subjects, education system, future study), Employability (jobs, CV, work experience, careers) and Culture (holidays, travel, Hong Kong traditions, food, festivals, entertainment).

How is N5 Cantonese graded?

The five components total 120 marks. Grade C is roughly 50%, Grade B roughly 60% and Grade A roughly 70%. Below Grade D no award appears on the certificate.