Why study Practical Cookery?

Healthy, tasty food is crucial to our wellbeing. The course will suit you if you love food and cooking and want to develop your skills in this area.

Being able to cook for yourself and others is a valuable life skill and can lead to a range of careers, including working in hotels and restaurants, the health sector and the food industry.

Career Pathways

To see what career areas this subject could lead to and the routes to get there, download and view these career pathways:

Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism

Sport

What do I need to get in?

Entry is at the discretion of the school or college but you would normally have achieved one of the following:

• National 4 Health and Food Technology
• National 4 Practical Cookery

What will I study?

This course is practical and relevant to the world of work. You will develop your skills in choosing ingredients, preparing dishes and presenting them appropriately. You will learn more about the importance of safety and hygiene when preparing and presenting food. 

The course comprises three areas of study.

Cookery Skills, Techniques and Processes

You will:

• enhance your cookery skills, food preparation techniques and ability to follow cookery processes
• further develop your understanding of the importance of safety and hygiene and your ability to follow safe and hygienic practices at all times.

Understanding and Using Ingredients 

You will:

• enhance your knowledge and understanding of ingredients from a variety of different sources
• learn about the importance of sustainability, the responsible sourcing of ingredients and of current dietary advice
• further develop your ability to select and use a range of appropriate ingredients in the preparation of dishes and to do so safely and hygienically.

Organisational Skills for Cooking

You will:

• extend your planning, organisational and time management skills
• further develop your ability to follow recipes; to plan, produce and cost dishes and meals; and to work safely and hygienically
• gain more experience in evaluating the product.

How will I be assessed?

Course Assessment

The course assessment has three components totalling 130 marks:

• Component 1: question paper – worth 30 marks (scaled to 25 marks towards overall total) 
• Component 2: assignment – worth 18 marks (scaled to 13 marks)
• Component 3: practical activity – worth 82 marks (scaled to 62 marks).

Component 2 and component 3 are inter-related and will be assessed using one activity. You will carry out one task — planning and producing a meal — which will provide evidence for both components.

Both the assignment and the question paper will be set and externally marked by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

The practical activity will be set by SQA and will be assessed internally, with external quality assurance by SQA.

The grade awarded is based on the total marks achieved across all course assessment components.

The course assessment is graded A-D. 

Study Materials

• SQA Past Papers Practical Cookery National 5
• SQA Understanding Standards Practical Cookery
• BBC Bitesize National 5 Practical Cookery
• Ushare Study Resources

What can I go on to next?

Further study, training or employment in:

• Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism
• Sport

Which jobs are related to this subject?

• Practical Cookery - Related Careers

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 - Practical Cookery (National 5)