What is Functional skills Plus (FS+)
FS+ is a bespoke service provided to approved centres who may be unable to delivery Functional Skills Level 1 and 2 examinations in the normal way due to extenuating circumstances. It is not available to all centres.
FS+ delivers a fast, streamlined exam service designed to elevate the way your centre operates. By transforming core processes, FS+ dramatically reduces manual administrative workload and removes the need to manage physical exam stock. This eliminates security risks and enhances regulatory compliance – giving your centre a smarter, safer and more efficient way to run Functional Skills exams.
Please see a breakdown of the FS Plus SLA, signed by your centre when submitting the FS+ Confirmation form:
Centres are responsible for the secure and safe administration of examinations. This includes:
- Ordering examinations via Walled Garden following the correct process
- secure receipt and storage of physical assessment materials,
- assessment administration and examination invigilation according to relevant guidance.
Step-by-step guide to delivering exams via FS+
The below video and presentation explain the end-to-end process for FS+ exams delivery; from ordering question papers and conducting exams, to returning your scripts to City & Guilds securely and on-time.
It is important all candidates are registered for Functional Skills before the exams are conducted via the Pre-supply service. Candidates must be registered via Walled Garden, our secure administration platform.
How to register learners via Walled Garden (PDF)
Visit the Walled Garden support page for more information on registering learners and for booking exams and assessments not delivered via Pre-supply.
Walled Garden support
Registration and Booking via Walled Garden
Centres use Walled Garden to register and book candidates onto Functional Skills examinations.
The bitesize videos below explain the administration process for registering learners and booking examinations through Walled Garden. These are the initial steps required before delivering.
Once centres have registered candidates, they can proceed with booking learners onto FS examinations, following the FS+ process.
For the FS+ service, centre bookings are processed and dispatched immediately. However, the system requires centres to select a date that is at least 14 days in the future. Once a booking has been submitted in Walled Garden, it will be actioned promptly upon receipt, irrespective of the future date selected.
- Orders placed before 1pm will be dispatched same day and should be delivered to centres within 24-48 hours of the booking
- Orders placed after 1pm will be dispatched the next day and will be delivered to centres within 48 hours of the booking
- Centre can conduct exams as soon as they receive them, and up to 5 days after the original booking, as long as the exams are held securely.
Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ)
The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) sets out the common regulations that apply to schools and colleges entering learners for qualifications.
These regulations outline the standard requirements for externally marked examinations and assessments. For certain qualifications, some requirements may differ; therefore, centres should refer to the relevant qualification handbooks and assessment guides for specific details.
JCQ Exams Office
JCQ Instructions for conducting examinations
It is your centre staff’s responsibility to ensure that all details required on examination documents are completed in full and that the information provided is correct. Incomplete or inaccurate data, or incorrectly completed forms, will inevitably cause a delay in processing and may affect the issue of results. Please ensure examination scripts and other material are kept secure at all stages of the examination process.
- Once the exam has finished, please ensure all Present candidates’ exam scripts / and their Invigilation Certificates (IC) are packaged together and placed inside the grey City & Guilds plastic envelope. Do not mix IC and scripts from different assessments.
- The correct UK return label must be placed in the centre of the grey plastic envelope.
- Please ONLY return the grey envelope to the address provided and nowhere else.
- The grey plastic envelope must be sealed when returned to C&G – Given the exam scripts are returned form sips and reconciled, we recommend they are tied so they don’t open and sealed by staff on land after everything has been checked.
- The centre number, assessment number and number of scripts (of present candidates only) must be clearly written in the box on the top left.
Please note: there is no pre-paid postage label supplied: it is the responsibility of the centre to pay and track delivery via a courier.-in red or box.