# Functional Skills English Level 1 Practice Papers - Free Sources & Study Plan (2026)
By Sarah Mitchell, Head of Curriculum, Lift College Last updated: 27 August 2026
If you're preparing for Functional Skills English Level 1, practice papers are the single most useful revision tool you have. This guide brings together every official free practice paper source, tells you what actually changed in the November 2025 NCFE reboot, and gives you an eight-week study plan you can adapt to your own timeline.
We're independent - Lift College doesn't currently offer standalone Level 1 English (most of our adult learners jump straight to Level 2), so nothing on this page is a sales pitch. Just the sources you need.
What is Functional Skills English Level 1?
Functional Skills English Level 1 is an Ofqual-regulated qualification equivalent to GCSE grades 1 to 3 (E to D on the old scale). It's designed for adults, apprentices and learners who need a maths or English qualification for work, further study or life admin.
The qualification has three components:
- Reading - a written exam (1 hour, 30 marks)
- Writing - a written exam (1 hour with Pearson Edexcel, or slightly longer with other boards)
- Speaking, Listening and Communicating - an internally assessed task, not a written exam. Your tutor observes you completing a discussion or presentation task during your course
You have to pass all three components separately to achieve the full qualification. If you fail one, you can usually resit just that component rather than the whole thing.
Do you actually need Level 1? For most jobs, apprenticeships above intermediate level, and every UK university degree, you'll need Level 2 English (or GCSE grade 4). Level 1 is a stepping stone. If you haven't sat a formal English exam in a decade or more, or if a specific employer has said Level 1 is the minimum requirement, Level 1 makes sense. Otherwise, going straight to Level 2 saves you time and money. Our functional skills faculty page explains where each level fits.
What changed with the November 2025 NCFE assessments
NCFE (the awarding body used by many further education colleges and adult learning providers) released a major update to its Functional Skills English assessments in autumn 2025. If your course provider uses NCFE, this affects you.
The changes, per NCFE's own announcement:
- New-style Reading and Writing practice papers at Level 1 went live on 14 November 2025
- Level 1 Writing duration extended by 10 minutes (the paper is now longer than the previous version)
- Reading questions now include more variety in question types
- Comparison skills assessment redesigned at Level 1 - this is the biggest change and worth practising specifically
- Number of marks stayed the same on all English assessments
- Results release process unchanged
If you're using older practice papers you found on a third-party site, they may not reflect the new format. Always download the most recent papers directly from NCFE if that's your awarding body.
Official practice papers by awarding body
Every UK awarding body publishes at least some free practice material. Here's where to find each one - all links go to the awarding body's own website.
NCFE
NCFE runs the largest cohort of Functional Skills learners in England. Its resources are open access.
- Qualification page: NCFE Level 1 Functional Skills Qualification in English (qualification number 603/5058/1)
- Online practice assessments: NCFE practice assessments for Functional Skills English and Maths
- What you get: Sample assessment materials at each level, mark schemes, plus new-style practice papers released 14 November 2025
Pearson Edexcel
Pearson uses the Edexcel brand for its Functional Skills qualifications. Its practice bank is one of the largest.
- Qualification and resources: Edexcel Functional Skills English resources
- ExamWizard: Pearson's practice question bank - free tool with past questions organised by topic
- Format: Reading (30 marks, 1 hour) + Writing (36 marks, 1 hour) = 66 marks total, 2 hours
City & Guilds
City & Guilds runs Functional Skills as qualification code 4748.
- Qualification page: City & Guilds 4748 Functional Skills
- What you get: Sample assessment materials, specifications and past materials via SmartScreen (some content requires a centre login)
TQUK
Training Qualifications UK (TQUK) is a smaller but growing awarding body. Lift College uses TQUK for our Level 2 English (though not Level 1).
- Awarding body site: tquk.org qualifications - search for "Functional Skills English Level 1"
- Format: TQUK's Level 1 Writing paper is worth 54 marks (versus Pearson's 36), so allow extra time when practising
Open Awards and NOCN
Both bodies publish sample papers on their qualification pages:
- Open Awards: search openawards.org.uk for the Level 1 English specification
- NOCN: search nocn.org.uk - NOCN publishes past papers under its centre resources area
AQA
- AQA Functional Skills: aqa.org.uk Functional Skills English - specimen papers and mark schemes available for download
Which awarding body's papers should you use?
If your course provider is using a specific awarding body, use that body's papers first. The question style, mark scheme and specific format vary slightly, and you want to practice on the paper you'll actually sit.
If you don't yet have a course provider, or you're self-studying:
- NCFE and Pearson Edexcel have the largest cohorts and the most publicly available material - start there
- Complete at least one full paper from a different awarding body so you don't get too tied to one style of question
Eight-week revision plan
This plan assumes you're working around a job or family responsibilities and can commit around 5 to 7 hours a week. Compress or stretch it to fit your exam date.
Weeks 1-2: Diagnostic and foundations
- Week 1: Sit one complete Reading paper and one complete Writing paper from your awarding body under timed conditions. Don't revise first - this is your diagnostic. Mark yourself honestly against the mark scheme. Note which question types you got wrong.
- Week 2: Work through the skills you missed. For Reading, that's usually inference, comparison, or language analysis. For Writing, it's usually structure, spelling/punctuation/grammar (SPaG), or matching your tone to the task.
Weeks 3-4: Question-type deep dives
- Week 3 - Reading: Focus on the specific NCFE 2025 comparison skills changes if your board is NCFE. Practise comparing two texts on similar topics. Do at least 20 short-answer Reading questions from any awarding body.
- Week 4 - Writing: Practise both task types. Task 1 is usually a longer piece (letter, article, report - around 250 words). Task 2 is a shorter functional piece (email, memo, notice - around 100-150 words). Do at least four of each.
Weeks 5-6: Timed practice
- Week 5: One full Reading paper timed. Mark it. One full Writing paper timed. Mark it. Compare to your Week 1 diagnostic - you should see clear improvement.
- Week 6: Do a second full mock from a different awarding body so you're not just learning one style. Mark it. Focus revision on your remaining weakest area.
Week 7: Speaking, Listening and Communicating
Your tutor will assess this during your course, but preparation matters. You'll usually be asked to take part in a group discussion or give a short presentation. Practise:
- Speaking clearly for one to two minutes on a familiar topic
- Listening to others without interrupting, then responding to what they've said
- Asking follow-up questions rather than just agreeing
Ask your tutor for the specific task format used by your provider so you can practise it directly.
Week 8: Final mock and rest
- Days 1-3: One final timed mock from your awarding body. Mark it. Do targeted revision on any remaining weak areas.
- Days 4-6: Light revision only - review your notes, redo the questions you got wrong on the final mock.
- Day 7 (day before exam): Rest. Reread the exam instructions and mark scheme so you know exactly what the examiner is looking for. Sleep well.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Reading the question wrong. Every year, thousands of learners lose marks by not spotting words like "compare", "explain" or "identify" - each requires a different type of answer. Highlight the command word in every question.
- Ignoring the mark scheme. If a question is worth 6 marks, the examiner wants six distinct points, not one long paragraph. Marks per question tell you how much to write.
- Neglecting SPaG in the Writing paper. Spelling, punctuation and grammar are separately assessed and can be the difference between a pass and a fail. Proofread every answer.
- Only practising one board's papers. This is fine if you know which board you're sitting with, but if you're using free online resources, you may be revising for the wrong format entirely.
- Skipping Speaking, Listening and Communicating. Because it's not a written exam, learners often forget it exists - then find out too late that they failed the overall qualification because they weren't ready for the SLC task.
What if you need Level 2 or a GCSE instead?
If you've read this far and realised you actually need something above Level 1, here's what to look at:
- Functional Skills English Level 2 is GCSE grade 4 equivalent and is what most employers, apprenticeships and university access courses actually require. Lift College offers Functional Skills English Level 2 via TQUK, taught fully online with remote invigilated exams.
- GCSE English Language is the traditional route and is what all universities recognise. If you have time and want the full qualification, Lift's GCSE English retake for adults via AQA covers it.
- Which one is right for you? Employers usually accept either. Universities always accept GCSE and usually accept Functional Skills Level 2 - but check the specific course you want to apply to. Functional Skills is faster (4-12 weeks) and more focused on real-world English. GCSE takes longer (typically 6-9 months) and covers literature analysis as well as language.
Read our full guide to Functional Skills vs GCSE English for a side-by-side comparison, or contact our team for a personalised recommendation based on where you're heading.
Sources
- NCFE Level 1 Functional Skills Qualification in English (603/5058/1)
- NCFE - Functional Skills improvements (Nov 2025)
- NCFE online practice assessments
- Pearson Edexcel Functional Skills English resources
- Pearson ExamWizard for Functional Skills
- City & Guilds 4748 Functional Skills
- AQA Functional Skills English