Functional Skills update | NCFE | NCFE

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Key dates information

Introduction of new assessments into the paper bank (Functional Skills)

To support your planning, on this page you can find our schedule for introducing new assessment papers.  

At the start of last year, we provided you with the dates when we introduced new assessment papers for the full academic session. We’re planning to do the same this year, however we’re currently evaluating your feedback about the introduction of new papers, and we want to ensure that we’ve taken all of this into account before confirming the 2025 dates.

What changes are we considering? 

As we continually evolve our processes to provide the best possible service, we’re exploring options to avoid new onscreen and remote invigilation paper introductions clashing with apprenticeship deadlines at the end of July 2025, whilst maximising the periods where we can maintain the 6-day turnaround. We’ll release timelines for the remainder of the academic year upon completion of this review.  

Below, we’ve shared the dates that papers will be introduced until the end of the calendar year, and we’ll shortly update this to cover the full academic year. Please check back to this page for more information and read our service newsletter for updates.

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Supporting your planning 

Sharing the dates for the full academic year means that you can plan ahead and be aware of when a new assessment paper will be introduced for the assessment format, and also know when your learners’ results will be released if they sit that assessment. 

Schedule of new paper introductions until December 2024 
Functional Skills Mathematics and English
Delivery mode
Assessment date to and from
Results available

On-screen and RI

16/09/2024 – 25/10/2024

1/11/2024

Digital Functional Skills
Delivery mode
Assessment date to and from
Results available

On-screen and RI

23/09/2024 – 1/11/2024

8/11/2024

* Information correct at time of publication – August 24

Why do we introduce new papers into the live assessment bank? 

It’s a regulatory requirement with our regulator Ofqual that assessment papers are regularly introduced and retired to ensure consistency and confidentiality of assessments.  

Why does the 6-day turnaround need to be paused when a new paper is released? 
  • 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. 
Why does the timeframe need to be as long as a maximum 35 working days? 
  • 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.
What are grade boundaries? 
  • 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.