National 4 Physics: the units, the assignment and practice questions

There's no National 4 exam to sit a prelim for, so use the National 4 daily paper as practice for your unit tests, and the National 5 paper as a look at the next step.

How National 4 Physics is assessed

The course specification sets out four units, each worth 6 SCQF credit points at level 4, making 24 in all.

The three units

The unit specifications were updated for session 2025 to 2026 onwards (Dynamics and Space, August 2025). Each unit has two parts:

• An experiment. You plan it, follow the procedure safely, record measurements, present the results, draw a conclusion and evaluate the method. You need five of those six to pass, and one experiment can count for all three units.
• A test. A test of statements and problem solving on that unit's key areas. You pass with 50% or more.

The National 4 Physics assignment

For the added value unit, you pick a topical issue from the course with your teacher, such as a renewable energy source or a medical use of radiation. You research it, process and present the information, explain the physics behind it and communicate what you found. It is done in class under some supervision, with no more than 8 hours on the whole assignment.

• Assessed in school. Your teachers mark every unit, and Qualifications Scotland checks schools' standards through verification.
• Not graded. You must pass all four units, including the assignment. There are no A to D grades at National 4.
• No exam date. National 4 courses aren't in the 2027 exam timetable: your school decides when you are assessed.

Qualifications Scotland replaced SQA on 1 February 2026 and says these course documents remain current.

From National 4 to National 5 Physics

Each National 4 unit is designed to lead into the matching part of National 5 Physics, which does have an exam. In 2027 it's on Tuesday 4 May, and the course is graded A to D. If you might move up, try the National 5 daily paper to see the jump.

National 4 Physics practice questions

We wrote these for this guide. Write down the relationship, put the numbers in, and give the unit.

Question 1 (Dynamics and Space): a cyclist travels 1.8 km in 6 minutes. Find the average speed in metres per second. Answer: change to metres and seconds first: 1800 m and 360 s. Average speed = distance ÷ time = 1800 ÷ 360 = 5 m/s.

Question 2 (Electricity and Energy): a 2 kW kettle is switched on for 3 minutes. How much energy does it use? Answer: E = Pt = 2000 W × 180 s = 360 000 J. Change kilowatts to watts and minutes to seconds before you multiply. Try a power and cost question from our Electricity course and press Mark.

Question 3 (Waves and Radiation): ripples on a pond are 0.25 m apart, and 8 pass a post each second. How fast are they moving? Answer: the wavelength is 0.25 m and the frequency 8 Hz, so v = fλ = 8 × 0.25 = 2 m/s. Check others in the Wave Speed Calculator.

Question 4 (Dynamics and Space): a go-kart speeds up from 4 m/s to 16 m/s in 6 s. Find its acceleration. Answer: acceleration = change in speed ÷ time = (16 − 4) ÷ 6 = 2 m/s².

Common mistakes

• Mixed units: kilometres with seconds, or kilowatts with minutes. Convert first.
• No unit on the answer. 5 on its own isn't a speed.
• Skipping the evaluation in an experiment report. Suggest one real improvement to the method.
• Copying sources in the assignment instead of explaining the physics in your own words.

Practise with a daily paper

Today's National 4 Physics paper covers speed and motion graphs, forces, energy and power, simple circuits, magnets, waves and the electromagnetic spectrum, atoms and radiation, and density. That matches most of the three units, though it doesn't cover satellites or cosmology, and it can't practise the experiment or the assignment. When you're ready for more, try the National 5 Physics paper.

Read next

Scotland · National 4National 4 Chemistry: How It Is Assessed and PracticeNational 4 Chemistry explained: the three units, the added value assignment, how it is assessed in school with no exam, moving to National 5, and practice.