English and maths requirements in apprenticeships
Qualifications accepted as meeting the minimum English and maths requirements for apprenticeships.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
Apprentices aged 16 to 18 at the start of their training are required to achieve English and maths qualifications to complete their apprenticeship, if they do not already hold suitable equivalent qualifications. Apprentices who do not already hold a suitable equivalent qualification in either English or maths or both subjects are funded to achieve up to an approved level 2 qualification in these subjects.
Apprentices aged 19+ at the start of their training can also be funded to study up to an approved level 2 qualification in English or maths or both, if they do not already hold suitable equivalent qualifications and their employer agrees that this should be part of their training plan.
Further information is set out in the apprenticeship funding rules.
This guidance sets out which qualifications or evidence are accepted as a suitable equivalent qualification. The requirements for English and maths are set out in the apprenticeship funding rules. Apprentices who already hold suitable equivalent qualifications are not eligible for this funding under the apprenticeship funding rules.
Updates to this page
-
Made a correction in 'English qualifications for apprenticeships', section 'English in apprenticeships at level 3 to 7 - Qualifications from England': Qualification type Functional skills corrected to 'level 2'.
Update history
2025-09-05 09:47
Made corrections to the ‘English qualifications for apprenticeships’, section ‘English in apprenticeships at level 3 to 7, Qualifications from England’: Qualification type: British sign language corrected to ‘level 2’; Key skills corrected to ‘level 2’; Basic skills certificate corrected to ‘level 2’.Made corrections to the ‘Maths qualifications for apprenticeships’, section ‘Maths in apprenticeships at level 3 to 7, Qualifications from England’: Qualification type: Key skills corrected to ‘level 2’; Basic skills certificate corrected to ‘level 2’.
2025-08-04 09:02
Made a correction in ‘English qualifications for apprenticeships’, section ‘English in apprenticeships at level 3 to 7 – Qualifications from England’: Qualification type Functional skills corrected to ‘level 2’.
2025-07-31 15:23
Added ‘English and maths requirements in apprenticeship standards at level 2 and above’, ‘Accepted English qualifications for apprenticeships’ and ‘Accepted maths qualifications for apprenticeships’.
2022-10-14 12:40
Updated ‘Apprenticeship standards: list of acceptable qualifications for English and maths requirements’.
2022-06-17 10:00
Added an updated version of ‘Apprenticeship standards: list of acceptable qualifications for English and maths requirements’.