Christmas office closure: We’re closing for the Christmas break from 5pm on Monday 23 December 2024 until 8:30am on Thursday 2 January 2025. Learn more.
Key dates information
Introduction of new assessments into the paper bank (Functional Skills)
To support your planning, on this page you can find our schedule for introducing new assessment papers.
At the start of last year, we provided you with the dates when we introduced new assessment papers up until the end of 2024. We have now published our new paper introductions for the remainder of the 2024-2025 academic session.
Why is the new onscreen introduction in May 2025 ‘under review’?
As we continually evolve our processes to provide the best possible service, we’re exploring options to avoid new onscreen and remote invigilation paper introductions clashing with apprenticeship deadlines at the end of July 2025.
Sharing the dates for the full academic year means that you can plan and be aware of when a new assessment paper will be introduced.
We hope to provide updates on the 2025 onscreen and remote invigilation introduction soon and we would advise that you plan as if the introduction was going ahead unless we advise otherwise.
Search our full range of qualifications
Search qualificationsFunctional Skills Mathematics & English
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Functional Skills Mathematics & English |
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Delivery mode |
Assessment date to and from |
Results Available |
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Paper-based |
18/02/2025 – 31/03/2025 |
07/04/2025 |
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On-screen & RI (Under review) |
19/05/2025 – 30/06/2025 |
07/07/2025 |
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Paper-based |
27/05/2025 – 07/07/2025 |
14/07/2025 |
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Digital Functional Skills |
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Delivery mode |
Assessment date to and from |
Results Available |
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On-screen & RI |
03/03/2025 – 10/04/2025 |
17/04/2025 |
NCFE Functional Skills paper-based bookings over the festive break
With the festive period fast approaching, we’d like to inform our Functional Skills customers of the last date on which learners can sit paper-based bookings before the Christmas break along with the first date learners can sit in the new year:
- last assessment date (Paper-based) – 19 December 2024
- first assessment date (Paper-based) – 8 January 2025.
To ensure assessment papers are safely transported and securely stored in line with the Instructions for conducting Functional Skills assessments (English and Mathematics) please do not send any assessment papers back to NCFE after sending back papers from the last assessment date of Thursday 19 December 2024.
No assessment papers should be posted back to NCFE between Friday 20 December 2024 and Wednesday 01 January 2025
NCFE Functional Skills paper-based results release timescales over the festive break
All paper-based assessments will be released in in line with the timescales below:
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Date paper is received by NCFE |
Results available in the Portal |
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16/12/2024 |
23/12/2024 |
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17/12/2024 |
24/12/2024 |
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18/12/2024 |
02/01/2025 |
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19/12/2024 |
03/01/2025 |
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20/12/2024 |
06/01/2025 |
NCFE Functional Skills onscreen and remote invigilation results release timescales over the festive break
All onscreen and remote invigilation assessments will be released in in line with the timescales below:
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Completed date in Surpass |
Results available in the Portal |
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17/12/2024 |
24/12/2024 |
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18/12/2024 |
02/01/2025 |
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19/12/2024 |
03/01/2025 |
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20/12/2024 |
06/01/2025 |
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21/12/2024 – 23/12/2024 |
07/01/2025 |
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24/12/2024 – 01/01/2025 |
08/01/2025 |
Answers to your queries
Why do we introduce new papers into the live assessment bank?
It’s a regulatory requirement with our regulator Ofqual that assessment papers are regularly introduced and retired to ensure consistency and confidentiality of assessments.
Why does the 6-day turnaround need to be paused when a new paper is released?
- When new papers are introduced, there’s a standardisation and validation process referred to as awarding, which is the process all awarding organisations use to establish pass boundaries.
- During the awarding process, the standard 6-day result turnaround is paused to gather sufficient live learner data which is scrutinised by an awarding committee including Subject Chairs and Chief Examiners. This enables NCFE to establish consistent and reliable pass marks based on live learner performance.
- New paper introductions and associated results release will never exceed a maximum of 35 working days, which only applies if a learner sits an assessment on the first day that the new papers are live, thereafter the maximum timeframe reduces day by day.
Why does the timeframe need to be as long as a maximum 35 working days?
- From the new papers going live there needs to be a process of building up live learner sits which last approximately 14 days.
- Examiners will attend a standardisation event led by the Chief Examiner where live learner responses are discussed and standardised with mark schemes being finalised prior to marking taking place.
- We ensure examiners are marking consistently and reliably following standardisation by enacting a stringent sampling plan.
- Examiners who have successfully completed sampling are provided with their allocations and marking commences.
- Awarding process is instigated, and pass marks or grade boundary ranges are applied.
- Our Assessment Delivery team conducts quality assurance checks and subsequently releases results.
What are grade boundaries?
- Grade boundaries occur following awarding where analysis of learner assessments is unable to set a definitive pass mark, and the awarding committee needs to see further scripts at potential pass / fail marks to determine the pass mark for any specific papers.
- When we introduce onscreen and remote invigilation papers, we introduce three sets at each level (Level 1 and Level 2), and all these papers need to have a pass mark agreed.
Further information around grade boundaries and pass marks for live papers can be found in this document and on the qualification pages on our website > Assessment Materials > External assessment guidance.