Exciting number of points (5)
I believe the answer is:
tense
'exciting' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are adjectives. Maybe there's a link between them I don't understand?
'number of points' is the wordplay.
'number' becomes 'ten' (ten is a kind of number).
'of points' becomes 'se' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should believe this answer much more).
'ten'+'se'='TENSE'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for tense that I've seen before include "show strain" , "Under emotional strain" , "Taut - timely verbal indication" , "Verb form, indicates time" , "Rigid; verb form" .)