The information on this page explains what you will need to understand to be at Level 2 in Functional Skills for Mathematics.
- Read, write, order and compare positive and negative numbers of any size
- Carry out calculations with numbers up to one million including strategies to check answers including estimation and approximation
- Evaluate expressions and make substitutions in given formulae in words and symbols
- Identify and know the equivalence between fractions, decimals and percentages
- Work out percentages of amounts and express one amount as a percentage of another
- Calculate percentage change (any size increase and decrease), and original value after percentage change
- Order, add, subtract and compare amounts or quantities using proper and improper fractions and mixed numbers
- Express one number as a fraction of another
- Order, approximate and compare decimals
- Add, subtract, multiply and divide decimals up to three decimal places
- Understand and calculate using ratios, direct proportion and inverse proportion
- Follow the order of precedence of operators, including indices
- Calculate amounts of money, compound interest, percentage increases, decreases and discounts including tax and simple budgeting
- Convert between metric and imperial units of length, weight and capacity using a) a conversion factor and b) a conversion graph
- Calculate using compound measures including speed, density and rates of pay
- Calculate perimeters and areas of 2-D shapes including triangles and circles and composite shapes including non-rectangular shapes (formulae given except for triangles and circles)
- Use formulae to find volumes and surface areas of 3-D shapes including cylinders (formulae to be given for 3-D shapes other than cylinders)
- Calculate actual dimensions from scale drawings and create a scale diagram given actual measurements
- Use coordinates in 2-D, positive and negative, to specify the positions of points
- Understand and use common 2-D representations of 3-D objects
- Draw 3-D shapes to include plans and elevations
- Calculate values of angles and/or coordinates with 2-D and 3-D shapes
- Calculate the median and mode of a set of quantities
- Estimate the mean of a grouped frequency distribution from discrete data
- Use the mean, median, mode and range to compare two sets of data
- Work out the probability of combined events including the use of diagrams and tables, including two-way tables
- Express probabilities as fractions, decimals and percentages
- Draw and interpret scatter diagrams and recognise positive and negative correlation
In addition, at Level 2, you should also be able to:
- Read, understand, and use mathematical information and mathematical terms
- Address individual problems as described above
- Use knowledge and understanding to a required level of accuracy
- Identify suitable operations and calculations to generate results
- Analyse and interpret answers in the context of the original problem
- Check the sense and reasonableness of answers
- Present and explain results clearly and accurately demonstrating reasoning to support the process and show consistency with the evidence presented