Following the success of the National 5 Question Generator, I have been analysing the data to map recurring topics and question types. The process revealed several fascinating trends.
In World Religion, questions largely align with the published course specifications, yet it is notable that certain topics have remained untouched in seven years of exams. I also encountered a recurring ‘overlap’ challenge; figures like Muhammad, Krishna, and Jesus often span multiple specification points, and many questions are purposefully broad, asking about these figures generally rather than focusing on specific sub-categories.
Similarly, in the Morality unit, the questions are often open-ended—for instance, questions on ‘War’ frequently bridge multiple topics, creating an illusion of repetition when the requirements are actually quite flexible.
The RPQ section is highly predictable, e.g. the Existence of God unit almost guarantees a question asking to explain the Cosmological and Teleological arguments, suggesting a clear pattern that students can rely on.
Buddhism
Sub-Category
2018
2019
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
R101 Three Marks of Existence
X
X
X
X
X
R102 Four Noble Truths
R103 Three Poisons
X
X
X
X
R104 Beliefs about the Buddha
X
X
X
X
X
R105 Three Jewels
X
R106 Kamma
X
X
R107 Samsara
X
X
R108 Nibbana
X
X
X
X
X
R109 Living according to the Eightfold Path
X
X
X
R110 Five Precepts
X
X
X
R111 Meditation and puja
X
X
X
X
X
Christianity
Sub-Category
2018
2019
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
R201 Nature of God
X
X
X
R202 Humans created in God’s likeness
X
X
R203 Free will
X
X
X
X
R204 Sin
X
X
R205 Jesus as an incarnation of God
X
X
X
R206 Death and resurrection of Jesus
X
X
X
X
R207 Judgement
X
X
X
X
R208 Heaven and Hell
X
X
X
R209 Following Jesus’ teachings and example
X
X
X
X
X
X
R210 Worship
X
X
X
Hinduism
Sub-Category
2018
2019
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
R301 Nature of God
X
X
X
R302 Atman
X
X
R303 Avidya
X
R304 Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu
X
X
X
X
X
X
R305 Stories about Krishna
X
X
X
X
X
R306 Krishna and Arjuna
X
X
X
X
X
R307 Karma
X
R308 Samsara
X
X
X
X
X
X
R309 Moksha
X
X
X
X
X
R310 Dharma
X
X
X
X
X
X
R311 Three Margas
X
X
R312 Worship
X
X
X
Islam
Sub-Category
2018
2019
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
R401 Nature of God
X
X
X
R402 Khaliphas (stewardship)
R403 Free will
X
X
R404 Sin
X
X
X
R405 Seal of the prophets
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
R406 Muhammed as a role model
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
R407 Revelation of the Qur’an
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
R408 Judgement
X
X
X
X
R409 Al-Jannah and Jahannam
X
X
R410 The Five Pillars
X
X
X
X
X
X
R411 Living according to the Qur’an
X
X
R412 Worship
X
X
Judaism
Sub-Category
2018
2019
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
R501 Nature of God
X
X
R502 Dual nature of human beings
X
X
X
X
R503 Free will
R504 Sin
X
X
R505 The Exodus
X
X
X
X
R506 The Covenant
X
X
X
X
R507 Judgement
X
X
X
R508 Messiah
X
X
X
X
X
R509 Olam Ha-Ba
X
X
R510 Living according to the Torah
X
X
X
X
R511 Worship
X
X
Sikhism
Here is the exam tracking grid for the complete World Religion unit (Codes R101–R613).
Note: The years 2020 and 2021 have been excluded from these tables as the SQA exam diets were cancelled in those years.
Buddhism
Sub-Category
2018
2019
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
R101 Three Marks of Existence
X
X
X
X
X
R102 Four Noble Truths
R103 Three Poisons
X
X
X
X
R104 Beliefs about the Buddha
X
X
X
X
X
R105 Three Jewels
X
R106 Kamma
X
X
R107 Samsara
X
X
R108 Nibbana
X
X
X
X
X
R109 Living according to the Eightfold Path
X
X
X
R110 Five Precepts
X
X
X
R111 Meditation and puja
X
X
X
X
X
Christianity
Sub-Category
2018
2019
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
R201 Nature of God
X
X
X
R202 Humans created in God’s likeness
X
X
R203 Free will
X
X
X
X
R204 Sin
X
X
R205 Jesus as an incarnation of God
X
X
X
R206 Death and resurrection of Jesus
X
X
X
X
R207 Judgement
X
X
X
X
R208 Heaven and Hell
X
X
X
R209 Following Jesus’ teachings and example
X
X
X
X
X
X
R210 Worship
X
X
X
Hinduism
Sub-Category
2018
2019
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
R301 Nature of God
X
X
X
R302 Atman
X
X
R303 Avidya
X
R304 Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu
X
X
X
X
X
X
R305 Stories about Krishna
X
X
X
X
X
R306 Krishna and Arjuna
X
X
X
X
X
R307 Karma
X
R308 Samsara
X
X
X
X
X
X
R309 Moksha
X
X
X
X
X
R310 Dharma
X
X
X
X
X
X
R311 Three Margas
X
X
R312 Worship
X
X
X
Islam
Sub-Category
2018
2019
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
R401 Nature of God
X
X
X
R402 Khaliphas (stewardship)
R403 Free will
X
X
R404 Sin
X
X
X
R405 Seal of the prophets
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
R406 Muhammed as a role model
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
R407 Revelation of the Qur’an
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
R408 Judgement
X
X
X
X
R409 Al-Jannah and Jahannam
X
X
R410 The Five Pillars
X
X
X
X
X
X
R411 Living according to the Qur’an
X
X
R412 Worship
X
X
Judaism
Sub-Category
2018
2019
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
R501 Nature of God
X
X
R502 Dual nature of human beings
X
X
X
X
R503 Free will
R504 Sin
X
X
R505 The Exodus
X
X
X
X
R506 The Covenant
X
X
X
X
R507 Judgement
X
X
X
R508 Messiah
X
X
X
X
X
R509 Olam Ha-Ba
X
X
R510 Living according to the Torah
X
X
X
X
R511 Worship
X
X
Sikhism
Sub-Category
2018
2019
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
R601 Nature of God
X
X
R602 Atma
X
X
R603 Maya
X
R604 Haumai
X
X
R605 The Five Evils
X
X
X
X
R606 Following the Gurus’ teachings
X
X
X
X
R607 Guru Granth Sahib
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
R608 Jivan Muhkti
X
X
X
X
R609 Karma
X
X
R610 Free will
X
X
R611 Sewa and Simran
X
X
X
R612 Khalsa
X
X
R613 Worship
X
X
Morality and Justice
Sub-Category
2018
2019
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
M101 Purposes of punishment: Retribution
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
M102 Purposes of punishment: Deterrence
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
M103 Purposes of punishment: Reformation
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
M104 Purposes of punishment: Protection
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
M105 Causes of crime: Poverty
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
M106 Causes of crime: Environment
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
M107 Causes of crime: Psychological factors
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
M108 UK responses to crime: Custodial sentences
X
X
X
X
X
X
M109 UK responses to crime: Non-custodial sentences
X
X
X
X
X
X
M110 UK responses to crime: Crime prevention
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
M111 Capital punishment and life tariffs: Humaneness
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
M112 Capital punishment and life tariffs: Human rights
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Morality and Relationships
Sub-Category
2018
2019
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
M201 Gender roles: Family
X
X
X
X
X
X
M202 Gender roles: Employment
X
X
X
X
X
X
M203 Gender roles: Religion
X
X
X
X
X
X
M204 Sexual relationships: Purpose of sex
X
X
X
X
X
M205 Sexual relationships: Sexual consent
X
X
X
X
X
M206 Sexual relationships: Same-sex relationships
X
X
X
X
M207 Marriage: Arranged marriages
X
X
X
X
X
M208 Marriage: Co-habitation
X
X
X
X
X
M209 Marriage: Same-sex marriages
X
X
X
X
X
M210 Marriage: Divorce
X
X
X
X
M211 Equality and exploitation: Religion
X
X
X
X
X
X
M212 Equality and exploitation: Media
X
X
X
X
X
Morality, Enviroment and Global Issues
Sub-Category
2018
2019
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
M301 Resource management: Purpose
X
X
M302 Resource management: Natural resources
X
X
X
X
X
X
M303 Resource management: World economy
X
X
X
M304 Environmental crises: Global warming
X
X
X
X
M305 Environmental crises: Depletion of resources
X
X
X
X
M306 Environmental crises: Biodiversity
X
X
X
X
M307 Poverty: Causes
X
X
X
X
X
M308 Poverty: Effects
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
M309 Poverty: Solutions
X
X
X
X
X
X
M310 Trade and aid: Types of aid
X
X
X
X
X
M311 Trade and aid: Types of trade
X
X
X
X
M312 Trade and aid: Charity
X
X
X
Morality Medicine and the Human Body
Sub-Category
2018
2019
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
M401 The value of life: Right to life
X
M402 The value of life: Right to die
X
M403 The value of life: Sanctity of life
X
X
X
X
M404 The value of life: Personal autonomy
X
X
M405 Use of embryos: Reproductive
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
M406 Use of embryos: Research
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
M407 Use of embryos: Therapeutic
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
M408 End-of-life care: Palliative
X
X
X
X
M409 End-of-life care: Hospice
X
X
X
X
X
X
M410 Euthanasia and assisted dying: Voluntary
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
M411 Euthanasia and assisted dying: Non-voluntary
X
X
X
X
X
X
M412 Euthanasia and assisted dying: Assisted dying