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Functional Skills Reading

This page gives a basic summary of the skills you must demonstrate for the Reading component of the English Functional Skills qualification.

Please note these are not full explanations, just basic guidance to help students understand the level of skills required.  For the full explanation you should see the QCA Functional Skills standards (PDF) although please note this is not really written for students. Please speak to your teacher for a fuller explanation.

Entry Level


Independently read and understand straightforward texts for a purpose, including:

  • understand short texts on familiar topics and experiences
  • read and understand simple, regular words
  • understand the main events of chronological and instructional texts
  • read and understand simple instructions and directions
  • read and understand high frequency words and words with common spelling patterns
  • use knowledge of alphabetical order to locate information
  • understand the main points of texts (including diagrams or graphical representations). Written texts are ofmore than one paragraph at this level
  • obtain specific information through detailed reading
  • scan texts and use organisational features to locate information (for example contents, index, menus)
  • use strategies to read and understand texts in different formats (for example web page, application form)

in texts that inform, instruct, describe and narrate, on paper and on screen.

Level 1


Read and understand a range of texts, including:

  • identify the main points and ideas and how they are presented in different texts
  • understand texts in detail
  • read and understand texts and take appropriate action

in a range of texts including reports, instructional, explanatory and persuasive texts, on paper and on screen.

Level 2


Compare, select, read and understand texts and use them to gather information, ideas, arguments and opinions, including:

  • select and use different types of texts to obtain relevant information
  • read and summarise succinctly information/ideas from different sources
  • identify the purposes of texts and comment on how effectively meaning is conveyed
  • detect point of view, implicit meaning and/or bias
  • read and actively respond to different texts (for example, reply to each point in a letter of complaint)
in a wide range of texts for different purposes, on paper and on screen.

Please note in places we have copied directly from the standards.  This is necessary to prevent ambiguity and we acknowledge the copyright of the QCA