Functional skills updates
Stay up to date with the latest Functional Skills assessment updates. See below.
[Updated 18/08/26]
Functional Skills new papers update 2026
Following the successful launch of our new style English and Mathematics papers, we now have a sufficient number of papers in the live assessment bank. As a result, new papers will be introduced just once per session for each delivery mode. Previously, we introduced multiple new papers (up to three per delivery mode); however, these changes mean you will now benefit from greater access to our 6-working-day results turnaround.
English and Mathematics new paper introductions
|
Delivery mode |
Assessment to and from date |
Results Available |
|
Paper-based |
13/01/2027 – 23/02/2027 |
05/03/2027 |
|
On-screen & RI |
05/02/2027 – 18/03/2027 |
25/03/2027 |
From 2027 onwards the paper-bank will be refreshed in January for paper-based assessment and February for online assessments. Exact dates will be published nearer the time.
Digital Functional Skills new paper introductions
|
Delivery mode |
Assessment to and from date |
Results Available |
|
Paper-based |
07/09/2026 – 16/10/2026 |
23/10/2026 |
Once the updated pre-release materials are available you will be able to download them here. We will send a communication to advise all our Digital Functional Skills centres that the files have been uploaded to the website.
It’s a regulatory requirement with our regulator Ofqual that assessment papers are regularly introduced and retired to ensure consistency and confidentiality of assessments.
- When new papers are introduced, there’s a standardisation and validation process referred to as awarding, which is the process all awarding organisations use to establish pass boundaries.
- During the awarding process, the standard 6-day result turnaround is paused to gather sufficient live learner data which is scrutinised by an awarding committee including Subject Chairs and Chief Examiners. This enables NCFE to establish consistent and reliable pass marks based on live learner performance.
- New paper introductions and associated results release will never exceed a maximum of 35 working days, which only applies if a learner sits an assessment on the first day that the new papers are live, thereafter the maximum timeframe reduces day by day.
- From the new papers going live there needs to be a process of building up live learner sits which last approximately 14 days.
- Examiners will attend a standardisation event led by the Chief Examiner where live learner responses are discussed and standardised with mark schemes being finalised prior to marking taking place.
- We ensure examiners are marking consistently and reliably following standardisation by enacting a stringent sampling plan.
- Examiners who have successfully completed sampling are provided with their allocations and marking commences.
- Awarding process is instigated, and pass marks or grade boundary ranges are applied.
- Our Assessment Delivery team conducts quality assurance checks and subsequently releases results.
- Grade boundaries occur following awarding where analysis of learner assessments is unable to set a definitive pass mark, and the awarding committee needs to see further scripts at potential pass / fail marks to determine the pass mark for any specific papers.
- When we introduce onscreen and remote invigilation papers, we introduce three sets at each level (Level 1 and Level 2), and all these papers need to have a pass mark agreed.
Further information around grade boundaries and pass marks for live papers can be found in this document and on the qualification pages on our website > Assessment Materials > External assessment guidance.