Illustrative example
80 Before→100 After
What is the percentage increase?
Maths assessment
Identify your current numeracy level before working on specific learning gaps.
View guidanceBKSB Maths and English Test
The two stage format colleges and apprenticeship providers set, the levels it places you at, what the maths and English papers cover, and how the result decides what you study next.
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What is a BKSB test?
A BKSB test is an online English and maths assessment from bksb Ltd, whose name stands for Basic and Key Skills Builder. Colleges, training providers and employers set it, most often at the start of an apprenticeship or a course. There are two stages. The Initial Assessment adjusts to your answers and works out the level you are currently at, from Pre-Entry Level to Level 2, and the Diagnostic Assessment then takes you through that level in detail and shows how far you are from the next one. Both are interactive and self marking, and neither is a qualification in itself.
Which BKSB test you sit depends on the employer and the role: an entry-level position will not be given the same assessment as a graduate or managerial one.
How a BKSB test works
Four things to know before you sit one. Timings and difficulty vary with the level of the role.
- FormatTwo assessments, in that order
- The Initial Assessment comes first and places you. The Diagnostic Assessment follows at the level the first one set, and goes through that level topic by topic. Both are taken online, in English and in maths.
- PaceNo published time limit
- bksb publish no time limit for either assessment, and providers generally let you work at your own pace. Treat the sitting as untimed unless your college or employer says otherwise, and use the time on the questions you are unsure of.
- DifficultyIt moves to find your level
- The Initial Assessment adjusts as you answer, so the questions get harder while you are getting them right. That is the assessment working, not you failing. The Diagnostic is then pitched at the level you reached.
- ScoringA level, not a pass mark
- The result is a working level from Pre-Entry Level to Level 2, and the Diagnostic also shows the distance to the next level. bksb set no pass mark. The number that matters is whatever your course, apprenticeship or employer asks for, so ask them before you sit it.
BKSB: assessment names, formats and timings
Match the name in your invitation to the assessment below. Timings marked “approx.” are completion estimates; other published durations are limits for the named version.
| Assessment | What it measures | Questions | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functional Skills Initial Assessment | Your current working level in English and maths, from Pre-Entry Level to Level 2 | Not published | Approx. 15 to 20 min |
| Functional Skills Diagnostic Assessment | Strengths and gaps within the level you were placed at, from Entry Level 1 to Level 2 | Not published | Not published |
| Functional Skills Progress Checks | Whether the gaps the Diagnostic found have closed, part way through a course | Not published | Not published |
| Functional Skills Exam Practice | Practice for the functional skills exam itself, which is a separate qualification | Not published | Not published |
| Digital Skills Diagnostic Assessment | Digital Functional Skills and Essential Digital Skills | Not published | Not published |
| GCSE Assessments | English and maths at GCSE level, for learners on a GCSE route rather than functional skills | Not published | Not published |
Counts and timings vary by role level and by the version an employer licences. Check the instructions on the screen before you start. Facts checked 11 September 2026.
bksb is now Assessment & Learning from OneAdvanced. The initial assessment duration is an estimate; the provider selects the modules. Qualification exams are separate from these diagnostic assessments.
Official sources for assessment names and timings
What BKSB assessment formats look like
A visual guide to the skills and response formats covered on this page. Your invitation tells you which assessments to prepare for.
Illustrations by Practice Aptitude Tests · not official test screenshots
Illustrative example
All deliveries arrive before noon.
“A delivery arrives at 2 pm.”
English assessment
Work with reading and language questions as part of your initial or diagnostic assessment.
View guidancePractise with the full pack
One question tells you the style. A pack gives you the pace: timed and marked, with the working shown.
Unlock BKSB practice packs
£39 a year, or £29 a month. Cancel any time
Understanding practice scores
For assessments that use percentiles, a score is compared with a reference group. Employers choose their requirements; personality questionnaires describe preferences rather than a pass or fail.
What the two stages look like
The Initial Assessment places you. It adjusts as you answer, so the level moves up while you keep getting questions right, and it reports the level you are working at in English and in maths, anywhere from Pre-Entry Level to Level 2. It is interactive and self marking, so the result comes back at the end of the sitting rather than weeks later.
The Diagnostic Assessment then works through that level in detail. It reports your level again more precisely, shows how far you are from the next one, and points at the learning that closes the gap. Providers usually follow it with progress checks part way through the course.
Neither stage is a qualification. The qualification is functional skills, and BKSB is what a provider uses to decide which functional skills level you should be working at and to get you there.
What is on the BKSB maths test
Number first: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, then fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio, and reading numbers written as words. Above that come measure, shape and space, and handling data, which is where charts and tables appear. This is everyday applied maths rather than algebra.
Example question. Adam owns a selection of golf balls. Three eighths of the balls are green and the rest are white. What is the ratio of green to white balls?
a) 3:5 b) 3:8 c) 5:8 d) 8:5
The correct answer is a) 3:5. Three parts in eight are green, which leaves five parts white.
What is on the BKSB English test
Reading, spelling, punctuation and grammar. Comprehension is tested by giving you a passage and asking questions on it, which is as much about separating what the text states from what it implies as it is about reading speed. You are also asked to pick misspelled words out of a list and to answer questions on sentence structure and word choice.
Example question. Which is the correct word to complete the sentence? “The _______ workers were dirty and tired and expressed their displeasure to the boss.”
a) Happy b) Excited c) Disgruntled d) Optimistic
The correct answer is c) Disgruntled, which means angry or dissatisfied.
Who sets it
Further education colleges are the biggest users: bksb say 90% of colleges use their products. Training providers and employers running apprenticeships set it at the point of application or at induction, and it is also used in schools, in prisons and by the NHS. In Australia, bksb Australia has run since 2007 with TAFE Queensland, mapped to the Adult Core Skills Framework, which is why the assessment turns up in TAFE applications too.
BKSB is a trademark of its respective owner. Practice Aptitude Tests is not affiliated with BKSB and our practice tests are not endorsed by them.