Functional Skills Initial Assessment
Free functional skills initial assessments in maths and English, designed to accurately measure ability through weighted questions and provide a solid foundation for ongoing progress tracking. Get free access by registering below.
Free functional skills initial assessments in maths and English, designed to accurately measure ability through weighted questions and provide a solid foundation for ongoing progress tracking. Get free access by registering below.
Accurate Level Determination
The Pass initial assessments use weighted questions to accurately determine a learner’s level in maths and English and suggest an appropriate course for enrolment.
Free for Unlimited Learners
Pass offer the only free initial assessments for functional skills in the industry, allowing you to test as many learners as you need without additional costs.
ESFA Compliant
The functional skills initial assessments meet ESFA standards by determining learners’ levels, generating personalised plans, and exporting data for compliance.
Initial Assessment Overview
The functional skills initial assessments for maths and English are a type of diagnostic test, used to determine a learner’s current level. This is achieved by carefully selecting and weighting each question according to its difficulty and relevance within the functional skills curriculum.
The total of correct answers, along with their respective weights, is used to calculate an accurate reflection of the learner’s level. Once established, this ‘Current Level’ serves as a foundation for monitoring progress over time. After every practice question and mock exam attempt, the Current Level updates, informing educators when learners are ready for their exam.
ESFA Compliant
The functional skills initial assessment tools are aligned with the National Standards for Adult Literacy and Numeracy, meeting the ESFA requirement to assess learners’ current levels. Due to the ESFA regulation for functional skills exemptions, which requires evidence of Current Level, there are now more learners that require an initial assessment.
The advanced maths and English initial assessments accurately determine a learner’s Current Level and produce a personalised learning plan. All data generated can be exported into Excel and PDF formats as reports, making it simple to provide the necessary evidence to the ESFA.
Determine Current Level
The term ‘Current Level’ refers to a learner’s level of attainment within the Pass functional skills software, calculated from using the initial assessment result and updated after each subsequent exercise. The unique algorithm considers question difficulty and applies specific weightings, going beyond a simple percentage score. It evaluates a learner’s ability on harder questions while minimally adjusting for gaps in easier areas. This ensures learners are placed on the right course for their ability, addressing any knowledge gaps effectively. The Pass approach uniquely identifies capable learners who may have significant knowledge gaps.
Current Level Breakdown
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Entry Level
Limited prior knowledge and potential difficulties with using the software. They will likely need support with IT skills. While they could be considered for Level 1, they are currently performing at Entry Level.
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Level 1
The learner is ready to start the Level 1 course, which will strengthen their understanding of essential concepts, giving confidence and setting the foundation for further development in the Level 2 course.
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Level 2
The learner is ready to start the Level 2 course, where they will build confidence in the Level 2 content. They can take the Subject Knowledge Assessment to determine gaps.
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Exam Ready
The learner is ready for the exam. They could take the Subject Knowledge Assessment to pinpoint Level 2 topics for review. Concentrated study in these areas would improve exam performance.
Looking to complete initial assessments for your functional skills learners?
FAQs
Do Pass offer free maths and English initial assessments?
The Pass maths and English initial assessments are completely free to use. The service is free and unlimited for apprenticeship training providers, colleges and other educational institutions.
What is included in the maths initial assessment?
The maths initial assessment includes a wide range of questions types and topics across the maths functional skills curriculums, ranging from basic calculation questions, to complex, multi-step problems spanning multiple topics.
What is included in the English initial assessment?
The English initial assessment covers a broad range of question types and topics from the functional skills English curriculum, from basic comprehension questions to more complex, multi-part tasks across various topics.
Is the Initial Assessment different to the BKSB functional skills initial assessment?
The Pass initial assessments differ from the BKSB Functional Skills initial assessment. The Pass proprietary technology is based on a complex algorithm, which provides the most accurate reflection of a learner’s current level.
Why are the Pass maths and English initial assessments free when others charge for theirs?
The Pass group of brands provide more free resources than any other service provider. The approach aims to give learners maximum access to free functional skills resources, to remove barriers to achieving.
If a learner achieves a Level 1 in the functional skills initial assessment, does this mean they have to be enrolled on the level 1 course?
If a learner achieves a Level 1 in their English or maths initial assessment, this does not mean that they have to be enrolled on the Level 1 course, it is just a recommendation. Educators have the freedom to choose which course their learners are enrolled on.