Key Facts
| Pearson ESOL Skills for Life accreditation and funding end | September 2027 |
|---|
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
ESOL Level 1 is the Skills for Life level for adults who manage everyday English and are building towards confident use at work and in study, and the national notional mapping places it at CEFR B2, with ESOL Level 2 at C1. That mapping is an approximate guide, because a published linking study of Level 1 writing papers placed them at B1+ to low B2. Each level has separate awards in reading, writing, and speaking and listening from Trinity College London, Pearson and City & Guilds.
Passing all three awards at one level gives a certificate covering all modes, and each award can also be taken on its own. Level 2 appears on the official list of qualification levels beside GCSE grades 9 to 4, although ESOL papers are written for adults learning English as an additional language and GCSE English is designed for first-language users. Trinity reading papers are marked against an answer key, while writing and speaking and listening are marked by trained examiners using published criteria.
What can a learner do at ESOL Level 1 and Level 2?
At Level 1 learners read, listen, speak and write about straightforward topics for a stated purpose and audience, and at Level 2 they handle longer, more complex and more critical material. In reading, Level 1 covers continuous descriptive, explanatory and persuasive texts, recognising how language features instruct, describe and persuade, and inferring meaning. Level 2 adds texts of varying length, detail and complexity, with information, ideas and opinions identified, evaluated and compared. Trinity describes Level 1 reading as analytical and selective, and Level 2 as integrated and critical.
In speaking and listening, a Level 1 learner listens to other people, adapts responses to the listener's needs when conveying information, ideas and opinions, and reaches a shared understanding about different topics. A Level 2 learner makes clear and effective contributions that take account of listener needs, medium, purpose and situation, and reaches a shared agreement on outcomes. The City & Guilds Level 2 unit adds responding to criticism, criticising constructively and supporting opinions and arguments with evidence.
In writing, Level 1 means conveying information, ideas and opinions with length, format, style, vocabulary and grammar suited to the purpose and audience. Level 2 asks for the same to be done effectively, and the City & Guilds unit adds formal and informal language, complex sentences, consistent tense, subject-verb agreement, and proof-reading and revising for accuracy and meaning. Its Level 1 unit expects planning and drafting, paragraphs where appropriate and complete sentences.
How do ESOL Level 1 and Level 2 compare with CEFR B2, C1 and GCSE?
The national notional mapping places Skills for Life Level 1 at CEFR B2 and Level 2 at C1, with Entry 3 at B1. That mapping set the standards frameworks side by side and did not examine individual papers, so a pass at a given level may sit a little above or below its CEFR label. A linking study of writing papers placed Level 1 at B1+ to low B2, and Skills for Life qualifications are not required to be mapped to the CEFR.
Level 2 ESOL is listed as a Level 2 qualification alongside GCSE grades 9 to 4, and Level 1 ESOL is listed as a Level 1 qualification alongside GCSE grades 3 to 1. The lists place qualifications at the same level in the framework. GCSE English is designed for learners whose first language is English, so the two serve different needs.
Because the CEFR label is approximate, a university, employer or Home Office route that asks for a CEFR level or a named test should be checked for the qualifications it names before a Skills for Life paper is booked.
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Enquire about this tutorWhich Skills for Life qualifications exist at Level 1 and Level 2?
Trinity College London, Pearson and City & Guilds each offer Level 1 and Level 2 ESOL Skills for Life awards in reading, writing, and speaking and listening. Trinity's three units each lead to a standalone award, and passing all three at one level gives an all modes certificate. Pearson's awards are based on the Adult ESOL Core Curriculum and the National Standards for Adult Literacy, and its Level 1 Certificate totals 270 guided learning hours, made up of Speaking and Listening at 120, Reading at 60 and Writing at 90.
Pearson sets the paper-based reading and writing tests and the speaking and listening tasks, the centre assesses them, and a Pearson Standards Verifier samples assessment to check standards. Pearson also publishes marking guidance and top tips for learners on its qualification page.
City & Guilds offers Level 1 and Level 2 Awards under code 4692, with 60 guided learning hours for reading, 90 for writing and 120 for speaking and listening. Reading is an externally assessed one hour multiple choice test of 40 questions at 1 mark each, available on paper or onscreen, with a pass range of 24 to 27 at Level 1 and 25 to 29 at Level 2 depending on the version. Writing and speaking and listening are internally assessed through unseen, timed, supervised assignments set by City & Guilds.
What do the reading, writing and speaking and listening assessments involve?
Trinity assesses Level 1 and Level 2 reading with a 60 minute controlled exam of 30 questions in 3 tasks, writing with a 110 minute controlled exam of 3 tasks, and speaking and listening with an examiner conversation of 3 tasks plus a group discussion. At Level 1 reading, Task 1 is a visual text such as a review with images (questions 1 to 10), Task 2 is a single text (11 to 20) and Task 3 is a set of several short texts (21 to 30). Question types include the writer's opinion, the best first sentence for each paragraph, matching texts to purposes, true, false or not given statements, and words with the same meaning. Scanning is assessed only in Task 1.
The Level 1 writing sample asks for a form of about 150 words, an email of about 150 words and a report of about 250 words, with a box for planning and a requirement to plan at least one task. The marking criteria cover planning text for a purpose, content appropriate to purpose, language suited to the task, logical sequence, grammar, punctuation, spelling and, for the form, completing open and closed responses.
Speaking and listening at Level 1 is a conversation with an examiner of 3 tasks lasting 10 minutes, plus a group discussion with an examiner of 1 task lasting up to 7 minutes. At Level 2 the conversation lasts 14 minutes and the group discussion up to 8 minutes. Trained examiners mark writing and speaking and listening with criteria specific to each level, applied alongside generic performance descriptors.
Trinity awards a module when a candidate reaches at least its pass mark, and awards the overall certificate when all modules are passed at the same level.
| Level | Reading maximum | Reading pass | Writing maximum | Writing pass | Speaking and Listening maximum | Speaking and Listening pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 30 | 20 | 72 | 48 | 52 | 35 |
| Level 2 | 30 | 20 | 76 | 50 | 56 | 37 |
Where can ESOL Level 1 and Level 2 lead?
Level 1 and Level 2 ESOL awards lead to the next ESOL level, to Functional Skills English and GCSE English, and towards employment. Pearson states that learners can progress to the next level of its awards, to Functional Skills English units or, for 16 to 19 year olds, to GCSE English or other English qualifications, and can use their achievement to support employment aims. City & Guilds lists further English qualifications such as Functional Skills, Essential Skills Communication or GCSE, and other City & Guilds qualifications in a vocational area or for employability.
GCSE English is designed for learners whose first language is English, so moving on to it, or to Functional Skills English, usually suits a learner whose course, apprenticeship or employer asks for those named qualifications. Trinity's Level 1 reading guidance links the level to participation, evaluation, and workplace and college communication, which are the settings where the next course or job tends to ask for these skills.
How should learners prepare for the exams?
Preparation works best when each skill is practised against the way it is marked, starting with reading because an answer key makes it quick to check. Practise the three Trinity task shapes in turn, a visual text, a single text and several short texts, and after each practice set record whether each wrong answer came from gist, scanning, detail, inference, evaluation or vocabulary in context. Trinity suggests practice texts with opinion and evaluation, such as online reviews, GOV.UK guidance, workplace emails, news features and community consultation pages. Thirty questions in 60 minutes allows about two minutes each. For Level 2, add arguments where you must identify the writer's point of view and read critically.
For writing, work through a form, an email and a report at the sample word counts, using the planning box each time. Then mark each piece against the published criteria one at a time: purpose, register, sequence, grammar, punctuation, spelling and form completion. Level 2 practice adds complex sentences, consistent tense and a final proof-read to revise for accuracy and meaning. Keep the 110 minute paper in mind and practise whole papers under timed conditions once individual tasks feel secure.
For speaking and listening, record yourself and check the recording against the descriptors: adapting to the listener, checking understanding with verbal prompts, taking turns, using phrases for interruption and change of topic, and supporting opinions with evidence. Group discussion practice with another learner helps with making relevant contributions and moving a discussion forward. Trinity publishes sample prompts, a sample examiner plan and preparation tips for Level 1 speaking and listening.
A workable order is reading first, writing second and speaking and listening third, with the specification from your awarding body open so every criterion you practise is one the markers will use.
Related guides
- What is ESOL?
- ESOL levels, Entry 1 to Level 2
- ESOL Entry 1, 2 and 3
- ESOL courses and free places in England
- Functional Skills English Level 2
- Functional Skills English Level 1
- CEFR levels explained for employers
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Frequently asked questions
- Can learners take one skill at a time?
- Yes, because each Trinity unit leads to a standalone award, and Pearson and City & Guilds also offer separate awards for reading, writing, and speaking and listening. A module certificate needs at least the pass mark in that module, and the overall Skills for Life certificate needs every module passed at the same level. A learner whose reading is secure can therefore certificate it while writing or speaking develops.
- Is there a separate listening paper?
- Trinity assesses listening inside the Speaking and Listening module, which sits beside Reading and Writing as the three modules. City & Guilds names its unit Speaking and listening to obtain and convey information, and its Level 1 outcomes include obtaining information from oral communication by listening. Practice therefore covers following explanations and responding to what others say as well as producing speech.
- Does a learner need a certain mark on every criterion?
- Trinity states that candidates do not need more than 2 marks on every assessment criterion to pass a module. Scoring 2 on every criterion shows each as achieved, yet the module is passed only when the total reaches the pass mark. This means a weak area can be balanced by stronger criteria elsewhere, so the total deserves as much attention as the individual criteria.
- Which awarding body is the best choice for a given learner?
- The centre that registers you often works with one awarding body, so ask which one it uses and check that your course, university or employer names it. Formats differ: Trinity uses controlled exams with an examiner for speaking, Pearson sets tests and tasks that the centre assesses, and City & Guilds tests reading externally while the centre assesses writing and speaking and listening assignments.
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