Guidance on the choice of Awarding Body for Functional Skills maths assessment
Awarding Body
City and Guilds (including Entry level)
Type of assessment
Internally marked papers,
subject to external
moderation
AQA (Assessment and Qualifications
Alliance)
data sheet provided before
exam; two papers –
competency (available on line)
and functionality; externally
marked
One paper 1hr 15mins;
Externally marked – results
available on-line
Edexcel
Asdan (including Entry Level)
OCR
WJEC (Wales)
Open College Network (including
Entry Level)
EDI (Education Development
International)
National Open College Network
(NOCN) (including Entry Level)
pg. 1
Task based, internally marked
for E1 & E2, external for E3, L1
& L2, subject to external
moderation
Test paper 1hr 15 mins;
Marked externally
L1 and L2 papers 1 ½ hrs long;
externally marked
Only developing entry level
maths; 1-3hrs duration;
internally marked
Little info on-line
No information available online
General observations
Scanning skills reqd; trialling
entry level; pilot centres being
encouraged to write their own
assessments
calculator and non-calculator;
working with C&G in Diploma
developments
Most similar to GCSE; calculator
permitted
Tasks can be taken during the
assessment window, prerelease material used.
Calculators can be used.
Calculator permitted
Calculator permitted; two
assessment windows only
Use of calculators throughout
Trials taking place
on taped
assessment
Cost
£5 per functional skill
Teacher resource
pack developed
Cost of half a GCSE.
Extensive
teaching
resources
available on-line
Chief examiners
report available
on the Asdan
website
Podcast available
£12.50 each full
assessment
£10 per functional skill
£10.50 per assessment
Not given
NCFE
VTCT (Vocational Training Charitable
Trust)
General information points
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Nothing available yet on the
website for maths – only
English
No information available online
There are 11 awarding bodies trialling functional skills – 4 at present are working with entry level
Whilst the Functional Skill Support Programme exists to support the teaching and learning of functional skills, the delivery institution is to
determine which awarding body to use.
The table shows a breakdown of the offer at the time of writing – January 2009. This will be subject to change as the pilot proceeds.
The breakdown focuses upon the following areas for consideration: cost, length of assessment, marking issues, guidance available, perceived
benefits & issues.
The views herein are not representative of any organisation, are based solely upon research on the different awarding body websites and should
only be used as a guide. It is up to you to determine which awarding body adopt.
QCA Centre Evaluation Events March 2009
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2nd
3rd
4th
5th
9th
12th
16th
17th
19th
20th
23rd
Coventry
Nottingham
Birmingham
Bristol
Ipswich
Leeds
Newcastle
Manchester
London
Gatwick
London
Current issues
 The functional skills pilot is the largest ever undertaken by QCA
pg. 2
 QCA are now piloting the use of the Unique Learner Number (ULN)
 A number of Centres on the pilot are dormant in functional skills activity. These are now being excluded from the pilot, freeing up spaces for others.
 8 sector skills councils will accept either key or functional skills within certain frameworks – check with your awarding body or the National
Assessment Agency website
 Current assessment is now considering on-line and on-demand assessment within the specific Skills for Life pilot study.
 Readability is an issue on some assessment material for maths and ICT. The assessment material should be no more than a level below the level of
the functional skill but in some cases this is still inaccessible for some learners. Some awarding bodies are considering taped material to support.
Others are using pre-release materials to help learners prepare.
 Funding remains an issue. In some cases where centres switch from key to functional skills there could be a large increase in costs – trebling in
some instances.
 Each awarding body offers support, newsletters and training events; they want your business – it will be a very competitive market.
 Consider the Wider Key Skills within Diplomas – as a way of evidencing the personal learning and thinking skills.
 If you are a college consider which Awarding Body your local schools are going with; it may benefit your learners to go with a form of assessment
they are already familiar with.
Other areas of support
Pre-16 Pilot Centres
Centres offering functional skills pre-16 should click on http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/secondary/keystage4/iss/ks4_fssp/ for an extensive range of NS
support materials.
Post-16 Pilot Centres
Centres offering functional skills post-16 should access the QIA functional skills support programme at http://excellence.qia.org.uk/page.aspx?o=159670
Resources for Problem Solving approaches
http://nrich.maths.org/public/
http://www.atm.org.uk/buyonline/ inexpensive, excellent resources for problem solving and using thinking skills – some free resources
http://www.ncetm.org.uk the very best place for support in all settings of maths
http://www.bowlandmaths.org.uk/index.htm imaginative free resources, primarily for schools, but useful for all contexts
pg. 3
pg. 4