Question 1

Where can I do functional skills?

Accepted Answer

You can study functional skills online and sit exams at a local college or independent assessment centre.

Question 2

When do functional skills results come out?

Accepted Answer

Functional skills results will take a maximum of 20 working days to arrive. On average, students receive their results within 6 working days of completing their exams.

Question 3

What's the difference between functional skills and GCSEs?

Accepted Answer

Functional skills are designed to equip you with real-life skills, whilst GCSEs are designed to equip you with knowledge which you can build upon in future.

Question 4

What qualification is functional skills?

Accepted Answer

Functional Skills are applied qualifications which enable students to demonstrate practical skills in English and Maths.

Question 5

What is level 3 functional skills equivalent to?

Accepted Answer

Functional Skills Level 3 is the equivalent of a Maths GCSE Grade 1.

Question 6

What is functional skills maths?

Accepted Answer

Level 2 Functional Skills Maths is an alternative qualification for GCSE Maths.

Question 7

What is a functional skills test?

Accepted Answer

Functional skills assess the fundamental skills of English and Maths. The tests help prepare people with skills they may need in their working lives.

Question 8

What is a functional skills qualification?

Accepted Answer

A functional skills qualification is the equivalent of a standard GCSE. Functional skills courses are usually undertaken by those who could not obtain an English or Maths GCSE.

Question 9

Is this the same qualification I would achieve in a traditional school or college?

Accepted Answer

Yes! You study the same curriculum, take the same examinations, and get the same qualification. The only difference is that the course is specially designed to be studied in your own time, at your own pace.

Question 10

Can I enrol with low grades?

Accepted Answer

Oxbridge believes everyone should have the opportunity to achieve their dreams. Our learning advisors will be able to guide you through the best course choices in terms of your ability, previous experience and outcome.

Question 11

Do you offer courses if I live outside of the UK?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! Our online learning portal, MyOxbridge, can be accessed from anywhere in the world. However, if your course requires you to sit an exam, this might need to be taken within the UK, so be sure to check with your personal tutor.

Question 12

Do I have to sit an exam?

Accepted Answer

Most of our courses have been handcrafted to be assessed through coursework submission alone, which will be marked by your personal tutor. For a small number of courses, such as GCSEs and A-levels, you will need to sit an exam. For other courses, such as Functional Skills, you’ll be given the option to sit your exams online. You can find out how your course is assessed by checking the individual course page.

Question 13

Is functional skills a GCSE?

Accepted Answer

No, functional skills are not a GCSE. However, they are a recognised equivalent.

Question 14

How to pass functional skills maths level 2?

Accepted Answer

To pass functional skills maths at level 2 you must revise appropriately and achieve a pass mark between 32-37.

Question 15

How to pass English functional skills?

Accepted Answer

To pass functional skills English you must revise appropriately and achieve the required pass mark for whichever level you are studying at.

Question 16

How long does it take to get functional skills results?

Accepted Answer

You will typically receive your functional skills results within 6 working days of your final exam.

Question 17

How long does a functional skills course take?

Accepted Answer

A functional skills course can normally be completed between 6 and 12 weeks (about 3 months).

Question 18

How do I find my functional skills results?

Accepted Answer

Please get in touch with your examination board or learning institution to find the results of your functional skills.

Question 19

What if I need help during my course?

Accepted Answer

All of our courses offer unlimited tutor support. When you enrol on your course, your personal tutor will reach out to you over email, and remain on hand should you need extra support.

Question 20

Do I need to complete a Level 1 Functional Skill before starting Level 2?

Accepted Answer

No. If you already have some knowledge in your chosen area of study you are welcome to enrol straight onto a Level 2 Functional Skills course. You do not need to complete a Level 1 Functional Skills course before starting Level 2.

Question 21

How long do functional skills take to complete?

Accepted Answer

You have up to six months to complete a functional skills course at level one or two or a bundle covering both. However, our students generally complete these courses in two-to-four months. As you can see, you are given plenty of time to get through whichever functional skills course you opt for.

Question 22

Why study functional skills with Oxbridge?

Accepted Answer

You can study any of our functional skills courses online in the comfort of your own home, at your own pace, making it the perfect option if you have a full-time job or specific family commitments.
When you invest in a functional skills distance learning course, you’ll gain access to expert tutors who are on hand to help every step of the way. We take pride in the quality of our courses and have a fantastic student pass rate.
If you’re unsure which level you should take first, speak with one of our learning advisers. They’ll love to help.

Question 23

How many times can you take functional skills courses?

Accepted Answer

As many times as required. While the structure of our courses and the support of our expert tutors means that most students pass first time, all functional skills courses can be taken and retaken as many times as needed.
Where courses have individually graded units, if just one unit is failed, you only need to retake that unit in order to gain your certification.

Question 24

Do employers like functional skills?

Accepted Answer

Yes, functional skills qualifications look good to employers. While GCSEs are the “standard” employers ask for, many will happily accept functional skills qualifications in their place.
This is due to the courses’ focus on teaching real-world problem-solving skills.

Question 25

Do Universities accept functional skills?

Accepted Answer

Most UK Universities accept level 2 functional skills qualifications in place of GCSEs, with a level 2 functional skills qualification recognised as a direct equivalent to a GCSE grade C and above.
It’s often course-dependent, so we advise that you check with your intended university or future provider that they are happy to accept Functional Skills courses, just to be sure.

Question 26

Are key skills the same as functional skills?

Accepted Answer

Key skills and functional skills refer to the same set of qualifications. While they are often used interchangeably, today “key skills” are officially known as “functional skills”. Functional skills were first introduced in 2010 and formerly replaced key skills in 2012.

Question 27

What comes under functional skills / core skills?

Accepted Answer

Functional skills courses cover either Maths, English or ICT. You can also invest in bundles such as maths and English combined. All subjects are separated into two levels, although you don’t have to take a level 1 course to progress onto level 2.

Question 28

What is Functional Skills Level 1 equivalent to?

Accepted Answer

All Level 1 Functional Skills courses are equivalent to a GCSE English grade 1 to 3 (previously D to G).
Level 2 Functional Skills are equivalent to a GCSE grade 4 (previously grade C).

Question 29

Should I enrol on a Level 1 or Level 2 Functional Skills course?

Accepted Answer

This is entirely up to you. If you already have some knowledge in your chosen area of study, you may wish to start with Level 2. If you’d prefer to begin with the basics, then you may choose to start with a Level 1 Functional Skills course.

Question 30

What is a functional skills qualification?

Accepted Answer

Functional skills teach students specific competencies that can be attributed to daily life. Although level 2 functional skills qualifications are given the same merit as a GCSE course, it can be argued that these are even more important, as they don’t operate on theoretical knowledge but on ways to navigate real-world situations.

Question 31

Where will I take my exams?

Accepted Answer

Depending on the course you may need to physically attend and complete an exam. Specific information about this will be available in MyOxbridge. To make attending an exam centre easier, we would advise finding your closest test centre.
As an Oxbridge student, you will get a guaranteed exam space at one of our partnership centres across the UK. You will also have the option to find your own exam centre if you would prefer and register as a private candidate. If you choose this option, bear in mind that fees vary across the country, so we recommend enquiring prior to booking.

Question 32

Can I purchase just the exam?

Accepted Answer

At Oxbridge, we believe the combination of our unique support and bespoke learning platform, MyOxbridge allows our students to achieve high pass rates. For this reason, we do not offer exams on their own.

Question 33

Do functional skills expire?

Accepted Answer

The simple answer: No! Once you obtain your functional skills qualifications, you have them for life.

Question 34

When do the courses start?

Accepted Answer

Because this isn’t traditional classroom learning, simply put, you call the shots! When you enrol on a course, you’ll be given a timeframe throughout which you’ll have access to your tutor support and our online platform. The rest is up to you, which allows you to study in your own time, at your own pace.

Question 35

When do I receive my course materials?

Accepted Answer

As soon as you’re enrolled, we will get your course material ready. If you’re studying online, you’ll receive your login to our online learning portal, MyOxbridge, within 48 hours. For some courses, you’ll also have the option to receive a printed copy of your course materials in the post. If you’ve chosen this option, we’ll aim to get this delivered to your door within 10 working days.

Question 36

Can I extend the time on the course?

Accepted Answer

We can always give you more time by extending your course duration by 3 or 6 months. This will be an additional charge of £145 for 3 months and £245 for 6 months. Please contact the college directly to arrange a course extension.

Question 37

What if I want to cancel my course?

Accepted Answer

No stress, we offer a fourteen-day, money-back guarantee. If you wish to cancel your course you will need to email our cancellations team at cancellations@oxbridgehomelearning.uk within 14 days, along with a reason for cancelling, and we will provide you with a full refund.

Question 38

Can you go to university with functional skills?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Most universities will accept functional skills level 2 qualifications.

Question 39

Can you do functional skills online?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can do functional skills online with Oxbridge. We offer maths and English bundles which are ideal for those looking to gain both qualifications.

Question 40

What is an awarding body?

Accepted Answer

An awarding body is a professional organisation that sets the standards of education for different course subjects. They decide on the acceptable standard of work required by learners to achieve certification. At Oxbridge, we have regular external visits from each of the awarding bodies to ensure that we are meeting their criteria as an education provider; this allows us to continue offering their accredited and official qualifications.

Question 41

When will an awarding body send my qualification?

Accepted Answer

Before an awarding body can issue your new certificate, you must successfully complete your studies and pass an assessment and validation process. Simply, your tutor will mark all your work, which will be sent out to an external moderator. The moderator is someone who checks your work against the learning outcomes of your course, pre-set by the awarding body. Outcomes help them identify what qualifications they’ll receive when they graduate. Every student worldwide goes through this process.
Once you’ve passed your assessment, we’ll get in touch with the relevant awarding body to send your certificate. Depending on the awarding body’s availability, this can take a couple of months. However, qualifications have been sent to graduates in as little as a week. Should you require your qualification, let’s say, for a job application, we can send out a confirmation letter. This letter will have your student number and the relevant awarding body to contact to evidence your success.
Learn more about our awarding bodies.

Question 42

What is an assessment?

Accepted Answer

An assessment is how we measure your learning and academic progress throughout the course. The grading of your assessment is determined by how well you have mastered certain target skills required for the task set. Assessments are extremely valuable for tutors as they indicate how much of the course material you have mastered, or if there is anything you have misunderstood. Using this information will allow your tutor to develop your learning plan to keep you on track for achieving a good overall result. Assessments can be in many formats such as multiple-choice questions, quizzes, observations, and witness statements.

Question 43

Are there any age limits?

Accepted Answer

We’re firm believers that education should be available to everyone, so we welcome students of all ages – in fact, our oldest student is 92! As a guide, our courses are generally designed for students who are above 16, with the exception of GCSEs and Functional Skills, which are created for learners aged 14 and over. You can find more specific age limitations on individual course pages.

Question 44

Are there any additional costs?

Accepted Answer

Additional costs may apply (but not exclusively) to courses which offer exams, additional equipment needed for practical days, lost certificates and course extension requests. Please contact us to find out more information.

Functional Skills courses

Find the right course for you or view all functional skills courses

Get started with one of our Functional Skills courses below

Digital Skills for Work Level 2

Functional Skills English Level 2

Functional Skills Maths Level 2

Functional Skills Maths Level 1

Functional Skills English Level 1

Functional Skills Complete Bundle | English + Maths | Levels 1 + 2

More about our Functional Skills courses

Frequently Asked Questions

Have more questions?

Want to get in touch?

Discover more on our blog

A Guide to Homeschooling

Kickstarting 2025: How to stick to your New Year’s resolutions

UCAS Application Deadlines: Apply on Time

Depression: Signs, Symptoms and How to Combat It

Creating Goals to Become Successful in 2025

Ultimate Guide To Access to Higher Education [23 – 24]

A-levels for adults, how to study A-levels as a mature student.

Qualifying as a teacher: The transition from DET to DiT

A-level Results Day 2024: what to expect

Three books that A-level Maths student should have

10 Tips for Creating a Routine When You’re Unemployed

The Complete Guide to Choosing GCSEs [2024 edition]