Pass Functional Skills

Pass Functional Skills: Ofqual-regulated maths and English exams and courses

Pass Functional Skills is a UK service built around Functional Skills qualifications in maths and English. Its offer spans the full path from initial assessment to sitting the exam: regulated exams, online courses, one-to-one tuition, revision products and free study materials. The company presents itself as the UK's number one Functional Skills service and states that 93% of students pass their exam when completing its course, a figure it links to its own course data.

The qualification it focuses on, Level 2 Functional Skills, is described as equivalent to GCSE grade C/4 and is accepted by universities and employers. The service is aimed at three broad groups: students who need maths or English to meet university entry requirements, people pursuing careers such as nursing, policing or teaching, and apprentices who must complete Level 2 as part of their training.

Exams, exam boards and booking

Exams are regulated by Ofqual and delivered through TQUK, Open Awards and City & Guilds. The company states it can book an exam for the next working day and that its exams team assigns the board offering the fastest results at the time, while allowing candidates to request a specific board when booking. Results are generally available in as little as two working days, depending on the time of year and the board used. Candidates can resit as many times as needed, with a resit support team guiding them through booking and preparation.

Courses and revision resources

The maths course covers every topic and question type that can appear in the exam, combining video tutorials, practice questions, exam-style questions and model solutions. It includes a Subject Knowledge Assessment to identify weak areas and more than 50 full mock exams covering the major exam boards. A free version of the Level 2 courses gives access to resources, mock exams and the Subject Knowledge Assessments for both maths and English.

Beyond the courses, the catalogue includes revision guides, revision cards, practice papers and bundles for maths and English, plus free revision web pages, worksheets and past paper solutions. Tuition in maths and English is offered alongside these materials.

Support for training providers and employers

Pass Functional Skills works with individual learners on a one-to-one basis and also with training providers supporting apprentices through their Level 2 qualifications. It states it is the only provider offering free initial assessments for Functional Skills that can be used to determine RPL (recognition of prior learning) for maths and English, and it maintains a dedicated service for further education institutions and training providers.

Progression beyond Functional Skills

The company points to Access to Higher Education Diplomas through Pass Learn as the next step after Functional Skills, including an Access to HE Diploma (Nursing) described as a fully online route into a nursing degree without A Levels. It presents this Level 3 qualification as nationally recognised, accepted by universities and nursing courses, equivalent to three A Levels and worth up to 144 UCAS points. It also directs candidates who need A Levels to Pass A Level for exam booking.

Reputation and pass rates

The site reports an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 from 1,252 reviews and claims higher pass rates than other providers, a comparison it bases on maths Level 2 pass rates from Pearson for 2023/2024 against data from 5,399 Pass Functional Skills maths Level 2 exam sittings. These figures reflect the company's own presentation of its results.