The Data and AI School of London is an NCFE approved centre for this qualification. Enrol below to begin your learning journey.
← All courses
Level 2 · NCFE
Enrolling now NCFE Approved Qualification number 603/5054/4

NCFE Level 2 Functional Skills Qualification in English

The Level 2 English qualification, at the same level as a GCSE at grades 4 to 9, sharpen your reading, writing and communication for work, apprenticeships and higher study.

Duration: 55 guided learning hours, 66 total qualification time; booked assessments

Level
Level 2
Qualification number
603/5054/4
Awarding organisation
NCFE
Regulated status
On the RQF, regulated by Ofqual
Guided learning hours
55 hours
Total qualification time
66 hours
UCAS Tariff points
None at this level
Delivery
100% online
Study pattern
55 guided learning hours, 66 total qualification time; booked assessments
NCFE This qualification is awarded by NCFE and regulated by Ofqual

Course overview

This Level 2 qualification sits at the same level as a GCSE at grades 4 to 9, and is accepted where a Level 2 qualification in English or maths is required of English for employment, apprenticeships and access to further and higher education. Learners develop skilled reading of a range of texts, clear and well-organised writing, and confident speaking, listening and communication.

Delivery is 100% online with tutor support, meaning an emailed question answered within 2 working days and feedback on assessed work within 10, so you can fit study around work and family commitments. Study is flexible, but the assessment is not self-paced. Reading and writing are set and marked by NCFE and sat under invigilation at a session you book. The speaking, listening and communicating tasks are run by this centre and both of them need a group of at least three learners, so they are arranged when a group is ready rather than whenever you choose.

Reading and writing are assessed through NCFE-set assessments, and speaking, listening and communicating through structured tasks. On completion, learners hold one of the most requested qualifications in UK job advertisements.

What you will study

The units below, their unit reference numbers and their guided learning hours are taken directly from the NCFE qualification specification.

Unit Title Unit reference Hours
01 Speaking, listening and communicating (mandatory)
1 learning outcome
  1. Speaking, listening and communicating
    • L2.1.1 Identify relevant information from extended explanations or presentations
    • L2.1.2 Follow narratives and lines of argument Each subject content
    • L2.1.3 Respond effectively to detailed or extended questions and feedback statement is Make requests and ask detailed and pertinent questions to obtain specific equally
    • L2.1.4 weighted information in a range of contexts across the Communicate information, ideas and opinions clearly and effectively,
    • L2.1.5 entire providing further detail and development if required assessment Express opinions and arguments and support them with relevant and (some
    • L2.1.6 persuasive evidence statements Use language that is effective, accurate and appropriate to context and may apply to
    • L2.1.7 only one situation task).
    • L2.1.8 Make relevant and constructive contributions to move discussion forward
    • L2.1.9 medium
    • L2.1.10 register
 Not stated Not stated
02 Reading (mandatory)
1 learning outcome
  1. Reading
    • L2.2.11 when it is important to have specific details 10.00% Compare information, ideas and opinions in different texts, including how
    • L2.2.12 10.00% they are conveyed
    • L2.2.13 Identify implicit and inferred meaning 13.33% Understand the relationship between textual features and devices, and
    • L2.2.14 how they can be used to shape meaning for different audiences and 13.33% purposes Use a range of reference materials and appropriate resources (for
    • L2.2.15 example, glossaries, legends or keys) for different purposes, including to 6.67% find the meanings of words in straightforward and complex sources Understand organisational features and use them to locate relevant
    • L2.2.16 information in a range of straightforward and complex sources 10.00% Analyse texts of different levels of complexity, recognising their use of
    • L2.2.17 13.33% vocabulary and identifying levels of formality and bias Follow an argument, identifying different points of view and distinguishing
    • L2.2.18 fact from opinion 13.33%
    • L2.2.19 Identify different styles of writing and writer's voice 10.00%
 Not stated Not stated
03 Writing (mandatory)
1 learning outcome
  1. Writing
    • L2.3.20 example, colons, commas, inverted commas, apostrophes and quotation 13.64% marks) Use correct grammar (for example, subject-verb agreement, consistent
    • L2.3.21 use of a range of tenses, definite and indefinite articles) and modality 13.64% devices (for example, to express probability or desirability) Spell words used in work, study and daily life, including a range of
    • L2.3.22 13.64% specialist words
    • L2.3.23 13.64% effectively Write text of an appropriate level of detail and of appropriate length
    • L2.3.24 (including where this is specified) to meet the needs of purpose and 9.09% audience Organise writing for different purposes using the appropriate format and
    • L2.3.25 structure (for example, standard templates, paragraphs, bullet points, 13.64% tables) Convey clear meaning and establish cohesion using organisational
    • L2.3.26 4.55% markers effectively Use different language and register (for example, persuasive techniques,
    • L2.3.27 supporting evidence, specialist words) suited to the audience and 9.09% purpose Construct complex sentences consistently and accurately, using
    • L2.3.28 9.09% paragraphs where appropriate
 Not stated Not stated

Entry requirements

  • There are no formal entry requirements for this qualification.
  • Typically suitable for learners aged 16 and over; also available to pre-16 learners.
  • An initial assessment is recommended to confirm the appropriate starting level.
Take it with you

The course guide

Everything on this page as one document you can keep, print, or send to whoever is deciding with you.

  • All 3 units, with the hours behind each one
  • How you are assessed, and who checks the marking
  • How paying works, and what is due when
  • Entry requirements and where the qualification leads
Download the guide (PDF)

Generated from this qualification's record, so the units and hours in it are the ones on this page. The fee is here on the page rather than in the guide, so a saved copy cannot quote you an old one.

How you are assessed

Functional Skills use assessments set and marked by NCFE. They are taken online under remote invigilation, which we arrange with you rather than something you book yourself, and you take them when your tutor agrees you are ready. You will be asked to confirm your identity before the assessment starts, and we check your device and connection with you beforehand so that nothing goes wrong on the day.

For what happens after you submit: who marks it, who checks the marking, how long feedback takes and what to do if you disagree with a decision, see how assessment works.

If you need an adjustment to how you are assessed, for a disability or any other reason, ask us before you begin. We arrange adjustments under our Reasonable Adjustments policy, and you can request one online.

How we assess and quality assure is set out in DAIS-POL-016 Assessment and Internal Quality Assurance.

How you study, and what you need

You study online through our virtual learning environment, which is where the teaching material, your assessment submissions, your feedback and your progress all live. You work at your own pace, with tutor support throughout. Everyone completes a short online induction before starting an assessed unit.

What you need to take part
Device Laptop or desktop computer
Operating system Windows 10 or macOS 10.15 or later
Browser Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, latest version
Internet speed 10 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload
Webcam Required for live sessions and identity verification
Microphone Required for live sessions

These are the minimum requirements published in DAIS-POL-024 Online Learning and Digital Delivery.

Support, and how quickly we reply

These are the response times we commit to in policy, not an aspiration.

What How Response
General questions Message your tutor in the VLE Within 2 working days
Assessment feedback Returned in the VLE or e-portfolio Within 10 working days of submission
Technical problems Technical support email Within 1 working day
Urgent welfare concerns Email to the Designated Safeguarding Lead Within 1 working day

Published in DAIS-POL-024 and DAIS-POL-009 Learner Support.

Registration and your certificate

We register you with NCFE before you begin any assessed unit, and we collect your Unique Learner Number as part of that. When your assessment decisions are finalised and quality assured, we claim your certificate through the NCFE portal and you are notified digitally. The certificate comes from NCFE, not from us.

Set out in DAIS-POL-008 Learner Registration and Certification.

Is this the same level as a GCSE?

People usually search for this as a GCSE equivalent. It is not a GCSE, and we do not claim equivalence between the two qualifications. What the overview above states, and what these two sources support, is that it sits at the same qualification level: a GCSE at grades 4 to 9. The government's list of qualification levels places level 2 functional skills and GCSE grades 4 to 9 together at Level 2. And for 16 to 19 funding, the Department for Education's maths and English condition of funding states that a Functional Skills level 2 pass and a GCSE at grades 4 to 9 both meet it, with no further maths or English qualification required.

What that does not settle is any individual employer, university or training provider, each of which sets its own entry requirements and some of which ask for a GCSE by name. If you are studying this to meet somebody else's requirement, check with them first what they accept.

Other names for this qualification

The regulated title is NCFE Level 2 Functional Skills Qualification in English, qualification number 603/5054/4. People also look for it as:

  • Level 2 English
  • English Level 2
  • NCFE Level 2 English
  • Functional Skills English Level 2
  • Level 2 Functional Skills English
  • 603/5054/4
  • NCFE 603/5054/4
  • English course online
  • English qualification UK
  • English distance learning

If you arrived searching one of those, you are in the right place: they all describe this one qualification.

Fees and paying for it

Ways to pay
Pay in full, or spread the cost over 3 interest-free payments with Klarna.
Nothing is paid when you apply. Payment is only taken after you accept an offer, and we will confirm the exact amounts with you before then. Fees and how to pay.

Klarna Spread the cost with Klarna

Investing in your own skills
Your fee pays for the part that gives a qualification its value: assessment by a qualified assessor, independent quality assurance, and a certificate issued by NCFE on the Regulated Qualifications Framework, regulated by Ofqual.
You can start now rather than waiting for a September intake, and study around work. Tutor replies come within 2 working days, and assessment feedback within 10.
You finish with evidence as well as knowledge: a portfolio of your own work, and a qualification that stays on your record for life. Of everything you can spend money on, your own skills are the one thing that follows you into every job you ever take.

Many employers will pay for this, and most people never ask. Send them the one-page case: what it costs, what it asks of the business, and how to check us independently. How employer funding works.

Common questions

Who awards NCFE Level 2 Functional Skills Qualification in English, and how do I get my certificate?

NCFE Level 2 Functional Skills Qualification in English is awarded by NCFE, an Ofqual-approved awarding organisation, and sits on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). The qualification number is 603/5054/4. The Data and AI School of London is an NCFE approved centre. We register you with NCFE before you start any assessed unit and collect your Unique Learner Number. Once your work is assessed and quality assured we claim your certificate through the NCFE portal, and it is issued by NCFE rather than by us.

How long does NCFE Level 2 Functional Skills Qualification in English take?

This qualification carries 55 guided learning hours and a total qualification time of 66 hours. It is studied online at your own pace, so how long it takes in calendar time depends on how much you can commit each week.

What do I need before I can start?

There are no formal entry requirements for this qualification. We assess every applicant individually and will tell you if a different level would suit you better.

Can I study this entirely online?

Yes. Teaching, materials and assessment are all delivered through our Moodle-based virtual learning environment, so you can study from anywhere in the UK. You need a laptop or desktop computer, a current version of Chrome or Firefox, and a broadband connection of at least 10 Mbps down and 5 Mbps up. Tutor support is available throughout, and we answer questions within 2 working days and return assessment feedback within 10 working days of submission.

Can I enrol now, and when do I pay?

The fee is £295. Enrolment is open, so you can apply online today. Nothing is paid at application: payment is taken only after you accept an offer.

Not sure this is the right qualification?

Ask before you apply. We will say honestly if a different level would suit you better.

Worth reading first

More from the blog

Other qualifications

See all qualifications