Assessment material

Written with the 2025 spring equinox in mind (March 20 2025 at 0901) but I got struck down by a virus so it's a bit late! A set of Entry Level tasks - starting with E1-2 analogue clock/date/calendar type questions about the equinox and British summertime. Followed by a similar E2-E3 section. The final two sections (mostly E3) are about a garden centre and cover number, measures, money and rounding. Although the underpinning skills are all Entry Level some of the problem solving tasks are multi-step and would also be suitable for Level 1.

I created these slides to help learners write a review. It looks at the layout, vocabulary and descriptive words used in reviews. 

The slides include an example question and model answer from a past exam paper (Functional Skills Entry Level 3) 

There are supplementary slides to help complete the practice writing task called:  Restaurant Critic - using adjectives (submitted by Paul Burnett on 28 August 2018).

Editor's notes

This activity uses the prologue of The Secret History (Donna Tartt, 1992) to examine structure, language features and basic inference skills.

Editor's notes

Cleverly constructed questions and clear layout creates a super, very accessible and useful resource. :)

An ESOL E1-2 (Local Community) reading comprehension with related writing activities that links to ESOL E1 type assessments. This set of resources explores every day, local or community activities: in this case the local library or community hub. Use as a whole class resource and/or independent learning/homework. 

Finally, there is a list of suggestions for extension activities around using the library/hub in your local area.  

Editor's notes

The purpose of this resource is for learners to learn the vocabulary and phrases relating to using a pharmacy in the UK; practise listening for detail, reading and writing and roleplay scenarios. There are discussion points, flash cards and exercises.

Use as a teaching aid, as assessment material or homework etc.

Editor's notes

Read a formal letter (from a bank) and, in particular, take note of the layout. Then plan and write your own formal letter to the manager of a supermarket. 

Editor's notes

I've said this before about other writing resources from Angela but I reiterate here: it’s so important for learners to have realistic exemplar/model pieces of writing so they know what they’re aiming for (see Angela's page for resources in the same vein - articles, reports, speeches and leaflets). Also useful for ESOL.

Five scenarios and tasks designed to practice for the discussion part of the speaking exam (NCFE task 2; new spec). 

Topics include watching sport, fitness clubs, life skills, transferable work skills and alternative school provision (learning at home and in the community).

Is desired, the sheet can be cut up into 5 different tasks to use on different occasions / with different groups. 

Editor's note

Topic: Fitness and giving opinions on a Joe Wicks fitness app after watching a video clip.

Uses NCFE spec for task 1 in listening and speaking exam. Teacher created content following NCFE guidance documents. I hope it is accurate and welcome feedback in case this does not represent the criteria. 

Created for a student who needs a lot of support around speaking and listening. Can be adapted to much freer discussion with more cognitively able students. 

Editor's note

Based on two adapted newspaper articles (an article and a comments page), this bumper set of 22 reading questions covers all the L1 & L2 Functional Skills English reading content descriptors, using assessment-style questions. There are two texts and the paper is split into three sections. 

A bumper set of E1, E2 and E3 reading and writing resources. Can be used throughout leap year but probably best before or on February 29th! Based on a light hearted article from Metro newspaper there are two sets of reading tasks (one for E1-E2 and one for E2-E3), three writing composition tasks (E1, E2 and E3) and three sets of underpinning writing questions covering spelling, punctuation and alphabetical order at each Entry Level. Pretty much all Entry Level Content descriptors are covered.