Our practice assessments are available as:

• Paper-based – Downloadable from the qualification information pages which you can find here. You will find them under ‘Assessment Materials’.
• Onscreen– ‘Practice tests’ are available to schedule via Surpass. A keycode is generated and it must be sat via SecureClient. 
• In-browser– Accessible using a weblink, via SurpassViewer. No need to schedule or use a keycode.

All content within the practice assessments is modelled on live assessments. Mark schemes for all practice papers are provided to allow centres to mark on completion. This allows you to identify learner’s strengths and weaknesses to ensure individualised skills plans can be made using the outcomes of the practice assessments.

NCFE recommend using the paper-based practice assessments as the best form for assessing a learner’s performance.

Our onscreen practice assessments provide learners with an opportunity to practice taking an NCFE Functional Skills assessment using our onscreen assessment platform.

For in-browsers practice assessments, we recommend using these to gain learner familiarity with the NCFE onscreen platform.

Note-If you wish to mark learner responses from an in-browser practice assessment, responses will need to be captured at the end of the sitting or screen-shots throughout to facilitate this. Any learner responses inputted into an in-browser assessment cannot be retrieved once the assessment has been closed.

You may also wish to consider our diagnostic skills assessment tools and resources to support your learner’s journey.

In-browser practice assessments

To view and use these assessments you will need to install the Surpass Viewer. To do this, click on one of the links below to start the assessment, and you will be taken to a page where you can 'Download and install the Surpass Viewer'. This is Step 1 of the process.

Once the Surpass Viewer is installed, click on the relevant assessment link below, and follow Step 2 of the process - clicking the link. This will take you to the sample assessment through the Surpass Viewer. 

Once the browser has opened, simply click “start exam” and the assessment will begin.

For maths assessments, learners can familiarise themselves with the onscreen tools outside of an assessment.

Click here for onscreen maths tools demo.

Qualification	Past paper / Sample	Mark scheme
Past paper L1 FS English Reading Practice	Past paper	Mark scheme
Past paper L1 FS English Reading SAM	SAM	SAM_MS
Past paper L1 FS English Writing Practice	Past paper	Mark scheme
Past paper L1 FS English Writing SAM	SAM	SAM_MS
Past paper L2 FS English Reading Practice	Past paper	Mark scheme
Past paper L2 FS English Reading SAM	SAM	SAM_MS
Past paper L2 FS English Writing Practice	Past paper	Mark scheme
Past paper L2 FS English Writing SAM	SAM	SAM_MS
Past paper L1 FS Maths P001253	P001253	P001253_MS
Past paper L1 FS Maths P001254	P001254	P001254_MS
Past paper L1 FS Maths P001267	P001267	P001267_MS
Past paper L1 FS Maths P001268	P001268	P001268_MS
Past paper L1 FS Maths SAM	SAM	SAM_MS
Past paper L2 FS Maths P001258	P001258	P001258_MS
Past paper L2 FS Maths P001259	P001259	P001259_MS
Past paper L2 FS Maths P001269	P001269	P001269_MS
Past paper L2 FS Maths P001270	P001270	P001270_MS
Past paper L2 FS Maths SAM	SAM	SAM_MS