Functional Skills courses are government-funded and free-of-charge if you meet our eligibility requirements. These will be shared with you when you apply for the course.
With our professional team of expert tutors and high success rates, you will be fully equipped to develop your maths skills.
Uniquely flexible, this online course is designed to fit learning around your busy life, even if you are working full-time or caring for a family.
Functional Skills qualifications act as the building blocks to your future. They are available at two levels ,and are recognised by employers. Being highly fundamental, these can be used to progress onto other qualifications, like GCSEs.
Available Online Courses:
- Level 1 (Pre-GCSE)
- Level 2 (GCSE equivalent)
Are you wondering what the difference is between Functional Skills and GCSEs?
Both qualifications are suitable for anyone who does not have a GCSE Grade 4 (C) qualification and would like to update their skills.
If you have not studied for some time and want to improve your confidence, Functional Skills qualifications can be a useful starting point for GCSEs, because they involve fewer hours of study and can be completed quicker.
Available start dates and hours:
- March – June 2026
- April – July 2026
All courses run for 12 weeks and are delivered online. The exams are held at one of our test centres.
You have a choice of five centres to take your exams:
- Oxfordshire: City of Oxford College, Banbury and Bicester College
- Berkshire: Reading College, Bracknell and Wokingham College
- Surrey: Guildford College
Our courses take place in the daytime and in the evening and are designed to fit in with work or family commitments. Lessons are 3 hours long and are run weekly on set days and times so you can plan around your commitments.
What you'll learn
Improving your maths skills can give you the confidence to help you reach your individual goals, whether it be helping your children with their homework, progressing in your job role, or gaining further qualifications.
Functional Skills Maths qualifications focus on the practical application of maths in real-life situations.
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Functional Skills Level 1 – Topics |
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Week 01 |
Number: Introduction to FS, Numbers up to one million, Positive/negative numbers |
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Week 02 |
Number: Multiply and divide whole numbers and decimals by 10, 100, 1000.Formulae |
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Week 03 |
Number: Squares and BIDMAS |
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Week 04 |
Number: Fractions and Decimals |
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Week 05 |
Number: Percentages of quantities, Percentage change |
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Week 06 |
Number: Equivalences between common fractions, percentages and decimal |
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Week 07 |
Recap session & Ratio and Rounding |
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Week 08 |
Shape: Convert between units of length, weight, capacity, money and time, temperature |
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Week 09 |
Shape: Scale drawings, introduction to area, perimeter & volume |
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Week 10 |
Shape: 2-D shapes, Line symmetry and angles |
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Week 11 |
Shape: Plans, Elevations, Nets of simple 3-D shapes, Measuring angles |
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Week 12 |
Data: Tables, Pie charts, Bar charts and line graphs & Tally, Probability, Mean, Range |
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Functional Skills Level 2 – Topics |
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Week 01 |
Basic Numbers: Positive/negative numbers, Calculations of numbers up to one million |
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Week 02 |
Algebra: Expressions, Substitutions in given formulae, Fractions, Decimals and Percentages |
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Week 03 |
Numbers: Percentages of amounts, Percentage change and Reverse percentage |
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Week 04 |
Fractions: Order, add, subtract and compare, proper/improper fractions and mixed numbers |
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Week 05 |
Decimals: Order, approximate and compare, add, subtract, multiply and divide |
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Week 06 |
Ratios: Using ratios, direct/inverse proportion. Precedence of operators, including indices. |
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Week 07 |
Real life: Interest, Percentage change, Metric/imperial units of length, weight and capacity |
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Week 08 |
2-D shapes: Perimeters, Area, Compound measures, Speed, Density, and Rates of pay– |
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Week 09 |
3-D shapes: Volumes, Surface areas including cylinders, Scale drawings/diagram |
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Week 10 |
2-D shapes: Line symmetry, Size of angles |
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Week 11 |
Data: Median and mode of a set of quantities. Estimating the mean of a grouped frequency data. Recap 2D & 3D shapes |
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Week 12 |
Data: Mean, Median, Mode and Range, Probability of Combined events |
How you'll learn and be assessed
How you’ll learn
You will need access to a digital device, such as a computer, laptop or a tablet, as your lessons will be delivered via our Activate Learning Online platform (ALO) by one of our friendly, professional tutors.
You will be given access to Century Tech and other online resources on an award-winning learning platform that will support you in developing your skills at your own pace!
How long does it take?
All courses run for 12 weeks and are delivered online. Lessons last for 3 hours. Exams are held at our test centres and you will be asked to choose the most convenient location during the application and enrolment stage.
Our courses take place in the daytime and in the evening and are designed to fit in with work or family commitments.
How you’ll be assessed:
At the end of your course, you will take an accredited exam. Exams will take place at your closest Activate Learning college campus, which includes:
- Oxfordshire: City of Oxford College, Banbury and Bicester College
- Berkshire: Reading College, Bracknell and Wokingham College
- Surrey: Guildford College
Progression
Depending upon your starting level, you can progress to the next level of Functional Skills or GCSE Maths. Functional Skills Maths Level 2 can be used as a stepping stone to higher education.
Entry requirements
Before joining a Functional Skills Maths online course, you will need to take a short assessment so that we can ensure that you are on the right course to meet your needs.
Functional Skills courses are government-funded and free-of-charge if you meet our eligibility requirements. These will be shared with you when you apply for the course.
