Functional Skills courses in English, maths and digital

Functional Skills in English, Mathematics and Digital. These are the qualifications people usually mean when they ask about a GCSE equivalent in English or maths. Unlike the rest of the catalogue they are not portfolio assessed: the assessments are set and marked by NCFE and taken online under remote invigilation that the school arranges.

The school currently holds NCFE approval for 12 qualifications in this subject, from Entry Level 1 to Level 2. 6 are open for enrolment now, at £295. All of them are studied online from anywhere in the UK, and every one is awarded by NCFE and regulated by Ofqual.

NCFE Every qualification below is awarded by NCFE and regulated by Ofqual

The qualifications

NCFE Entry Level 1 Functional Skills Qualification in English

Opening later NCFE Approved

Build confident everyday English, speaking, listening, reading and writing, the very first step on the Functional Skills ladder.

Duration: 55 guided learning hours, 61 total qualification time; booked assessments

Register your interest View details →

NCFE Entry Level 1 Functional Skills Qualification in Mathematics

Opening later NCFE Approved

Take the first step in everyday maths: numbers, simple measures and basic information handling, built at your own pace.

Duration: 55 guided learning hours, 61 total qualification time; booked assessments

Register your interest View details →

NCFE Entry Level 2 Functional Skills Qualification in English

Opening later NCFE Approved

Strengthen everyday English, speaking, listening, reading and writing, progressing from the basics toward greater independence and confidence.

Duration: 55 guided learning hours, 61 total qualification time; booked assessments

Register your interest View details →

NCFE Entry Level 2 Functional Skills Qualification in Mathematics

Opening later NCFE Approved

Grow confident with everyday numbers, money, measures and simple charts, the second step on the Functional Skills maths ladder.

Duration: 55 guided learning hours, 61 total qualification time; booked assessments

Register your interest View details →

NCFE Entry Level 3 Functional Skills Qualification in English

Opening later NCFE Approved

Master practical English, speaking, listening, reading and writing, the final entry-level step before Level 1 Functional Skills.

Duration: 55 guided learning hours, 61 total qualification time; booked assessments

Register your interest View details →

NCFE Entry Level 3 Functional Skills Qualification in Mathematics

Opening later NCFE Approved

Consolidate practical maths for daily life, working with numbers, money, time and data, ready to progress to Level 1.

Duration: 55 guided learning hours, 61 total qualification time; booked assessments

Register your interest View details →

NCFE Entry Level 3 Digital Functional Skills

Enrolling now NCFE Approved

Build essential digital life skills: using devices, staying safe online, communicating and handling information with confidence.

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

£295 View details →

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NCFE Level 1 Functional Skills Qualification in Mathematics

Enrolling now NCFE Approved

Apply maths with confidence to real problems at home and at work, and open the door to Level 2 study.

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

£295 View details →

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NCFE Level 1 Functional Skills Qualification in English

Enrolling now NCFE Approved

Strengthen reading, writing, speaking and listening for work and further study, the step beyond Entry Level English.

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

£295 View details →

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NCFE Level 1 Digital Functional Skills

Enrolling now NCFE Approved

Prove the digital skills employers expect: devices and information, documents, online communication, transactions and online safety.

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

£295 View details →

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NCFE Level 2 Functional Skills Qualification in Mathematics

Enrolling now NCFE Approved

The Level 2 maths qualification employers ask for, at the same level as a GCSE at grades 4 to 9, practical, problem-solving mathematics delivered 100% online.

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

£295 View details →

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NCFE Level 2 Functional Skills Qualification in English

Enrolling now NCFE Approved

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

£295 View details →

Klarna Spread the cost with Klarna

Not sure which of these fits you? Tell us where you are now and what you want the qualification for, and we will say which one suits and which does not. Ask us a question, or call +44 207 0990 956, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.

What Functional Skills are actually for

These are the qualifications in English, maths and digital skills that adults take when school did not go to plan.

They are not a rerun of GCSE. The content is what you actually use: writing that gets read, numbers that come up at work, and the digital tasks a job now assumes.

They are regulated by Ofqual and awarded by NCFE, so they carry weight with employers and colleges.

Nobody is too old for one. Most people taking them are working adults.

Level 2 is the one that opens doors

Level 2 Functional Skills in English or maths is widely accepted where a GCSE at grade 4 is asked for.

That matters for teacher training, for nursing and for many apprenticeships. It is often the single thing standing between someone and a course they want.

If a college or employer has told you to get a Level 2, this is the qualification they mean.

Check what the receiving organisation accepts before you enrol. We would rather you asked than assumed.

Digital Functional Skills is a separate qualification

It is not the digital part of English or maths. It stands on its own.

It covers using a device, finding and checking information, creating and editing documents, communicating online, and staying safe while you do it.

It is the qualification for someone who can use a phone but has never been taught the rest properly.

It exists because a great many jobs now assume these skills and very few ever taught them.

The assessment is different from our other courses

Most qualifications here are assessed by portfolio. Functional Skills are not.

These are assessed by tasks set and marked by NCFE. That is how the standard stays the same for everyone, wherever they studied.

So there is a sitting rather than a folder of evidence. It is short, and you are prepared for it.

We say this plainly because it changes how you should prepare, and finding out late would be unfair.

Where to start

If you need a recognised Level 2, start at Level 2.

If Level 2 feels a long way off, Level 1 is the step before it and is a qualification in its own right.

Entry Level sits below that, for someone building back up from very little.

If you are not sure, ask us. We would rather place you correctly than sell you the wrong level.

How the study works

Study is online and at your own pace.

There are no due dates, because people fit this around work and family.

Tutor support comes with published response times.

No qualification is required to start, and no work placement is involved.

Other ways people search for this

If you arrived looking for any of these, this is the page for it: functional skills english online, functional skills maths online, functional skills level 2, functional skills level 1, entry level functional skills, digital functional skills, functional skills distance learning, NCFE functional skills.

Worth reading first

The other subjects we teach