Functional Skills English Level 2 past papers and mocks
Each awarding body publishes its own sample and practice papers. Sit them in the format your centre uses, then mark yourself against the timing.
| Pearson Edexcel Reading | 75 minutes, 35 marks |
|---|---|
| Pearson Edexcel Writing | 60 minutes, 36 marks, two tasks |
| NCFE Reading | 60 minutes, 30 marks, three sections |
| NCFE Writing | 70 minutes, 44 marks, two tasks |
| Speaking and listening | Assessed by your centre |
Get the right papers
Ask your college, training provider or test centre which awarding body you are entered with. Pearson Edexcel, NCFE and City & Guilds each set their own papers, with different timings and mark totals, so practise on the format you will sit.
What a Level 2 Reading paper asks
- Multiple-choice and short-answer questions on two or three documents
- Main points and specific details, and what the writer implies
- Why a writer uses a feature, such as a heading, a statistic or a rhetorical question
- Fact and opinion, bias, and comparing two texts
Our two mocks
Mock 1 runs on the Pearson Edexcel timings and Mock 2 on the NCFE timings. The documents, questions and writing tasks are our own. Reading is marked as you finish and each answer is explained; your writing gets instant checks and a model answer.
Next step
Can I use a dictionary?
Yes in Reading, no in Writing. Neither paper allows spellcheckers for writing.
Is Functional Skills English graded?
It is pass or fail. You need to pass Reading, Writing and Speaking, listening and communicating at Level 2.