Free Practice Questions for National 5 Cantonese
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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 review concepts for the National 5 Cantonese exam. 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?
2Choose the correct Cantonese classifier (量詞) to fill in the blank: 一___書 (jat1 ___ syu1 - a book).
3What does the Cantonese phrase '食早餐' (sik6 zou3 caan1) mean?
4What does the Cantonese third-person plural pronoun '佢哋' (keoi5 dei6) translate to in English?
5What is the English translation of the location phrase '喺屋企' (hai2 ok1 kei1)?
6Which English phrase correctly translates the Cantonese verb phrase '睇醫生' (tai2 ji1 sang1)?
7What activity does the phrase '聽音樂' (teng1 jam1 ngok6) refer to?
8Which Cantonese adjective describes 'cold' weather or cold temperature?
9What school subject does the Cantonese term '數學' (sou3 hok6) represent?
10What is the English translation of the Cantonese noun '課室' (fo3 sat1)?
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.
Exam sponsor: Qualifications Scotland (formerly SQA). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.
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 / Certification Fees
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.
Exam sponsor websiteFees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.
Our practice resources: topics covered
We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.
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
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
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
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
Performance — Talking
Internally assessed presentation (about two minutes) followed by a conversation with the teacher in Cantonese on the same and an unprepared context
Preparing for 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 / certification fees: 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. Official sources
Using Our Practice Resources
- Work through all 100 available questions
- Review every answer and explanation
- Track weak areas and revisit them
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
National 5 Cantonese: Suggested Study Strategy
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.