The document provides guidance on taking the Pearson Edexcel Functional Skills English Level 2 Reading exam, which lasts 75 minutes and contains 15 questions. It summarizes the structure of the exam, the skills being tested in each question, and tips for answering each question successfully. Time estimates are provided for answering each question, totaling 65 minutes, with 10 minutes remaining for checking answers. The document stresses managing time effectively and answering all questions to maximize the overall score.

1. Pearson Edexcel Functional Skills English
Level 2
Reading Exam Recap

2. What you need to know
The exam lasts for 75 minutes.
There is a total of 15 questions:
• Questions 1-4 are based on Text A
• Questions 5-8 are based on Text B
• Questions 9-11 are based on Text C
• Questions 12-13 are based on Text A and Text C
• Question 14 is based on Text A and Text B
• Question 15 is based on all three texts.
You will need a dictionary to answer Question 12 — it must be a printed dictionary, not
an electronic or online version. Mobile phones must be switched off and out of reach for
the duration of the exam.
You are not assessed on your writing skills — there is no need to write in complete
sentences.

3. What you need to know
The pass mark is 21/35.
The exam is monitored by a Pearson Edexcel invigilator. If you are going to use a blank
sheet of paper for making notes during the exam, show this to the invigilator before the
exam begins. Also, show the invigilator the printed dictionary you will be using for
answering Question 12.

4. What you need to know
Five of the questions are multiple choice — this means they are fixed response: you are
given four or five possible options from which to select the correct answer or answers.
The remaining ten questions are open response — this means you have to write your
answer. This will be either writing direct quotations from the text or writing the answer in your
own words.

5. What follows is a run-through of the exam questions, with information on the
skill being tested, recommended timings, and tips on how best to answer
each question...

6. Identify specific details (open response)
Use keywords in the question to
help you quickly find the details you
need for the answers.
Scan Text A to locate the details
relevant to the keywords.
You only need to give exact words
or phrases from the text — no
need to write an introduction to
your answers or put them into your
own words.
Timing for answer: 3 mins

7. Identify style of writing (fixed response)
You are given four possible
options from which to choose the
correct answer.
In trying to work out the writer’s
style in Text A, look for clues in
the language used:
•Is it formal or informal?
•Does the writer use humour?
•Does the writer use
words/phrases that convey a
positive attitude?
•Does the writer use
words/phrases that convey a
negative attitude?
Timing for answer: 3 mins

8. Timing for answer: 2 mins
Identify levels of formality (fixed response)
You don’t need to refer to the
text to answer this question.
You will be asked to identify
examples of either informal or
formal language.

9. Timing for answer: 3 mins
Identify relevant information (open response)
Use keywords in the subheadings
to help you quickly find the
relevant paragraph number.

10. Timing for answer: 5 mins
Identify implicit and inferred meaning in
texts (open response)
Scan Text B to find the
quotations and read the paragraph
in which they appear.
Use context clues to help you
make an educated guess what each
quotation is suggesting about the
topic.
Remember that you are being
asked for the implicit or inferred
meaning — don’t make the mistake
of giving a literal meaning of the
quotations!

11. Timing for answer: 5 mins
Distinguish between fact and opinion (fixed
response)
You will be asked to identify an
example of either fact or opinion.
Using keywords in the
statements, scan Text B to find
each statement.
Use words or phrases that
surround the statement to give you
clues as to whether or not it can be
proved. If not, then it is most likely
to be an opinion.

12. Timing for answer: 3 mins
Understand organisational features and use
them to locate relevant information (open
response)
The answer to 7(a) will be
presented using an organisational
feature (e.g. bullet point, table,
footnote, text box).
Once you have found the answer
to 7(a), write the name of the
organisational feature that has
been used as your answer to 7(b).

13. Timing for answer: 5 mins
Follow an argument, identifying different
points of view (open response)
Read both parts of the question
very carefully.
Use keywords to help you locate
the relevant details in Text B (e.g.
examples of email fraud, avoid
email fraud).
You can either paraphrase the
answer (i.e. put it into your own
words) or use actual quotations
(this is the easiest and quickest
option).

14. Timing for answer: 5 mins
Identify implicit and inferred meaning in
texts (open response)
Read the question carefully to
fully understand the topic.
It may ask you to identify two
quotations that show or suggest
something relating to the topic.
Because you are being asked to
identify quotations, you must write
the answer using opening and
closing quotation marks “...”
There is no need to add any words
of your own to the answers (e.g.
This quotation shows that... or This
quotation suggests that...)

15. Timing for answer: 5 mins
Identify textual features (open response)
Text C will usually contain several
different examples of language
features.
A good tip is to look for the most
obvious or the ones you feel most
confident in identifying (e.g. direct
address, first person, repetition,
numbers/figures/statistics).
For the examples, use direct
quotation inside quotation marks.

16. Timing for answer: 3 mins
Identifying bias (fixed response)
There is no need to refer to the
text to answer this question. All
the evidence you need is contained
in the four examples you are given.
You will be asked to find a
quotation that conveys either a
positive or negative view.
If the quotation includes positive
words, it will most likely convey a
positive view.
If it includes negative words, it
will most likely convey a negative
view.

17. Timing for answer: 5 mins
Identify the meaning of words (open
response)
You will need a printed dictionary
to answer this question. Make sure
that it is a dictionary that gives
examples of synonyms for words.
Look up the word you have been
asked to find an alternative
meaning for.
Choose another word that has
the same meaning in the context of
the quotation (e.g. “gullible” could
be replaced with “easily deceived”
but not with “stupid” or “idiotic”.

18. Timing for answer: 10 mins
Compare information, ideas and opinions
in different texts
This is the highest marked
question in the exam - worth 6
marks.
Make sure you stay focused on
the topic you are given.
Skim Text A to find two ideas
and supporting quotations that are
relevant to the topic. Make a note
of them.
Then skim Text C to find two
ideas and supporting quotations
that are similar to those you found
in Text A.

19. Timing for answer: 5 mins
Compare use of language in different texts
(fixed response)
You are given four different
examples of language use in Text A
and Text B. Only one is correct.
Text A might contain one of the
examples of language use, but not
Text B or vice versa.
You have to be certain that both
texts include the same language
feature.

20. Timing for answer: 5 mins
Identify specific details (open response)
The final question requires you to
work with all three texts.
Make sure you fully understand
the topic for the evidence you
need to give (e.g. scams are an
increasing problem).
Scan each of the texts in turn to
locate the evidence that is relevant
to the topic.
Use direct quotation for your
answers, enclosed in quotation
marks.

21. Time management
It is important to your success in the exam that you use the 75 minutes you have wisely
and effectively.
The timings that I have provided for each question assume that you have the necessary
knowledge of how to answer the questions.
The PowerPoint presentations that accompany the tutor support classes for the Level 2
reading exam contain all the essential information you need in order to answer the questions
confidently.
It is a good idea to time yourself while completing a mock exam.
Finally, do your best to answer all of the questions. If you leave any of the questions
unanswered, it will have an adverse effect on your final overall score.

22. Timings
The timings provided total 65 minutes.
Use the remaining 10 minutes of the exam to double-check your answers.
If you need to change your answer to one of the multiple choice questions:
Use the strike-through facility or manually draw a line through the box
using the Lines facility.

23. Timings
If you need to change one of your written answers use the following procedure...

24. Incorrect answer to 12 (b) Use the strike-through facility to cancel the incorrect answer and then write
the correct answer beside it.
Strike-through facility