The present invention relates to the field of 
RNA analysis. In particular, the invention concerns the use of a catalytic 
nucleic acid molecule for the analysis of an 
RNA molecule. The invention concerns methods for analyzing the 5′ terminal structures of an 
RNA molecule having a cleavage site for a catalytic 
nucleic acid molecule. In particular, the invention concerns a method for determining the presence of a cap structure in an 
RNA molecule having a cleavage site for a catalytic 
nucleic acid molecule, a method for determining the capping degree of a 
population of RNA molecules having a cleavage site for a catalytic 
nucleic acid molecule, a method for determining the orientation of the cap structure in a capped 
RNA molecule having a cleavage site for a catalytic 
nucleic acid molecule and a method for determining relative amounts of correctly capped RNA molecules and reverse-capped RNA molecules in a 
population of RNA molecules, wherein the 
population comprises correctly capped and / or reverse-capped RNA molecules that have a cleavage site for a catalytic 
nucleic acid molecule. Moreover, the present invention provides uses of a catalytic nucleic 
acid molecule.