The Pearson Edexcel, NCFE and Open Awards Functional Skills Qualification in English at Level 1 consist of 3 exams, these are Reading, Writing and Speaking, Listening and Communicating.
Pearson Edexcel:
Speaking, Listening and Communicating
Speaking, listening and communicating are assessed through one 5-minute presentation and linked question and answer session in groups of three to five and one 15-minute formal discussion together in groups of three to five learners. This exam will be conducted via Microsoft Teams.
- Duration = Up to 25 minutes
- Number of marks = Pass/Fail
Reading
Reading is assessed through a test consisting of multiple-choice, short open-response and medium open-response questions.
- Duration = 75 minutes
- Number of marks = 35
Pass Mark: Learners are required to achieve an overall 65% mark to pass the English reading exam.
Writing
Writing is assessed through a test comprising two tasks. (42% of marks assess spelling, punctuation and grammar).
- Duration = 60 minutes
- Number of marks = 36
Pass Mark: Learners are required to achieve an overall 63% mark to pass the English writing exam.
NCFE:
Speaking, Listening and Communicating
Speaking, listening and communicating are assessed through one 8-minute presentation and linked question and answer session in groups of three to five and one 15-minute formal discussion together in groups of three to five learners. This exam will be conducted via Microsoft Teams.
- Duration = Up to 25 minutes
- Number of marks = Pass/Fail
Reading
Reading is assessed through a test consisting of multiple-choice, short open-response and medium open-response questions.
- Duration = 60 minutes
- Number of marks = 30
Pass Mark: Learners are required to achieve an overall (53% – 57%) mark to pass the English reading exam. However, the awarding process will determine specifically where the pass mark sits for each assessment version. Therefore, the pass mark may vary between assessments.
Writing
Writing is assessed through a test comprising two tasks. (42% of marks assess spelling, punctuation and grammar).
- Duration = 60 minutes
- Number of marks = 44
Pass Mark: Learners are required to achieve an overall (57% – 61%) mark to pass the English writing exam. However, the awarding process will determine specifically where the pass mark sits for each assessment version. Therefore, the pass mark may vary between assessments.
Open Awards:
Speaking, Listening and Communicating
Speaking, listening and communicating are assessed through one 10-minute presentation and linked question and answer session in groups of three to four and one 10-minute formal discussion together in groups of three to five learners. This exam will be conducted via Microsoft Teams.
- Duration = Up to 25 minutes
- Number of marks = Pass/Fail
Reading
Reading is assessed through a test consisting of multiple-choice, short open-response and medium open-response questions.
- Duration = 60 minutes
- Number of marks = 30
Pass Mark: Each English Reading assessment is designed to enable a pass mark of 18 out of 30. However, the awarding process will determine specifically where the pass mark sits for each assessment version. Therefore, the pass mark may vary between assessments.
Writing
Writing is assessed through a test comprising two tasks. (42% of marks assess spelling, punctuation and grammar).
- Duration = 60 minutes
- Number of marks = 60
Pass Mark: Each English Writing assessment is designed to enable a pass mark of 36 out of 60. However, the awarding process will determine specifically where the pass mark sits for each assessment version. Therefore, the pass mark may vary between assessments.