5th November 26
If you're looking for Functional Skills Maths past papers, you're getting ready for your exam, and practice is the best thing you can do. This page shows you where to find sample papers, how the exam is structured, and how to revise so your practice pays off.
Where to find Functional Skills Maths past papers
Awarding organisations publish sample assessment materials and practice papers. TQUK, our awarding organisation, provides sample assessment materials on its website, as its maths factsheet explains. You can also check the TQUK knowledgebase for support materials.
Use papers from your own awarding organisation where you can. Formats and wording differ between them, so papers from elsewhere won't match your exam exactly.
How is the Functional Skills Maths paper structured?
The Functional Skills Maths paper is one assessment in two sections: section A without a calculator and section B with one. You take it online from home, and it's marked pass or fail.
Because the sections are different, practise them separately at first, then together. The non-calculator section is the one many learners leave until last, so give it your attention early.
Functional Skills Maths questions: what to expect
Functional Skills Maths questions use everyday situations, such as working out a discount, reading a chart or measuring a space. They cover using numbers, measure, shape and space, and handling data.
When you tackle Functional Skills Maths questions, read each one twice, work out what it's really asking, and show your working. Showing your working gives you the best chance of picking up marks even if your final answer is wrong.
Functional Skills Maths practice that works
Good Functional Skills Maths practice is regular and focused. TQUK sets 55 guided learning hours for each level of Functional Skills, so a steady plan works better than cramming.
- Do one paper under timed conditions to find your starting point.
- Mark it honestly, using the mark scheme.
- List the topics that cost you marks, then practise them.
- Try another paper to check it worked.
Functional Skills Maths revision plan
Your Functional Skills Maths revision doesn't need to be complicated:
- Start with the topics you find hardest, not the ones you enjoy.
- Mix number work, measure work and data work in each session, so nothing gets left behind.
- Finish with a mock exam, so you know what the real thing feels like.
Common mistakes to avoid
Rushing the non-calculator section, leaving out the units in an answer, and not reading the question twice are the mistakes that cost learners most. Check that your answer makes sense in the context of the question, for example whether a price or a distance looks realistic.
Why a mock exam helps more than papers alone
Functional Skills Maths past papers show you what you got wrong, but not why. On our courses you need 80% or more in your quizzes to reach a marked mock exam, and your tutor tells you what to work on. You can also add a mock exam or tutor time. See our mock exams and extra support.
Our guide to pass marks and grades explains how marking works. If you're starting at Level 1, see Level 1 Maths.
Ready for your exam?
If you've worked through Functional Skills Maths past papers and feel ready, you can book your exam on its own. Our Maths Exam can be taken at Level 1 or Level 2, and you'll need to allow at least four weeks' notice.
If you'd like to learn first, our Level 2 courses have no entry requirements. Take a look at Functional Skills Maths Level 2 Including Exams, and read about Functional Skills Maths for the full picture.
Download your Functional Skills brochure below or speak to a course adviser on 01202 006 464.
