Welcome to the functional skills page here at Liverpool Tutor Company. We hope this page will provide you with information about the functional skills qualification.
The Levels
There are 5 different levels for both the English and maths functional skills qualification and the last qualification (level 2) is the GCSE equivalent qualification. The levels start at entry level 1, then entry level 2, entry level 3, level 1and level 2. This is the same for both the maths and the English qualifications. The level that you need to be accepted by universities and is the GCSE equivalent qualification is the level 2.
Exam Boards
The most popular qualifications every year is the City and Guilds functional skills level 2 with thousands of people sitting the exam each year. This isn’t surprising since City and Guilds is one of the biggest exam boards in the UK. The functional skills courses have minor differences between them. However the major exam boards don’t have any differences when it comes to the curriculum since the government is the people that decide and set it.
We have put together our most frequently asked questions for functional skills and provided an answer below.
FAQs
What is a functional skills qualification?
A functional skills qualification at level 2 is useful when applying for university or a job since it is a GCSE equivalent qualification.
Is there a difference between the two exam, if so what are they?
One of the differences between the exams that is beneficial to know beforehand is the material you have to learn, there is more that you have to learn for the GCSE exams.
Is functional skills harder than GCSEs?
Some people find it easier than GCSE exams because you can relate to the questions since they use day to day examples as the questions.
How long does it take to complete a functional skills level 2 qualification?
It can take from a week up to months to complete the functional skills but the time it takes will depend on the learner. We will create a programme that will take into consideration other factors that will take up your time such as if you have a job and children to see when we think you can complete this qualification.
Is this qualification recognised by employers?
Yes this qualification is one that employers accept so it can get to a job and the level 2 is a GCSE equivalent to that which will enhance it even more.
What is the pass mark that I need to achieve for the functional skills exams?
The mark isn’t always the same, it changes depending on the paper but it is often around 50 to 60% but it can always change.
Do they also offer an online functional skills maths level 2 exam?
Yes you are able to and MME is one of the providers for the online functional skills maths level 2 exams.
How can I get a free functional skills exam?
There are apprenticeship programmes that you can apply to if you are older than 19, but if you are 19 or younger then you get funding for the functional skills courses by the government. If you want to know the cheapest functional skills online English exams provider is, MME is the cheapest.
Additional Support
If you have any other questions and you don’t know where to go next, we highly recommend you have a look at the Functional Skills Support Group on Facebook; A congregation of tutors and students collaborating and exchanging ideas to help each other pass their functional skills exams.
If you are looking for a different provider other than MME, we can also recommend having a look at Pass Functional Skills.