ESOL Skills for Life: Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to our ESOL Skills for Life FAQs, designed to support centres, tutors, and learners in understanding how ESB International’s ESOL Skills for Life qualifications are delivered.
Whether you’re booking assessments, preparing learners, supporting neurodiverse candidates or those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), planning the assessment day, or navigating post-assessment steps, this section provides clear guidance and practical information.
Explore answers to common questions to ensure a smooth and successful experience with ESB’s ESOL Skills for Life qualifications. If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, our team is here to help—please don’t hesitate to contact us for further support.
Booking Assessments
1. What is the minimum advanced booking period?
The minimum advanced booking period is 28 days for ESOL SfL Speaking and Listening assessments and 2 days for Reading and Writing assessments.
2. Can I amend my booking if circumstances have changed since I made it?
We pride ourselves on our flexibility at ESB and recognise that there may be the need to make alterations even after the learners’ names and details have been uploaded to My ESB. Centres are able to modify the following to their existing booking: the qualification(s), date/time, number of sessions and number of learners. Please be aware that charges may apply depending at what time the amendments are made (to find out more, visit our prices page) and that substantial amendments that require reassignment of assessors may not be possible. Please note that assessors have no authority to sanction changes and cannot enter learners on the day of the assessment, or change the level at which they have been entered.
3. Does a member of my staff need to be in attendance for the assessment?
A centre-approved adult must be present for an assessment with learners under the age of 18 or with vulnerable adults. Please refer to our Safeguarding information referring to working with children, young people and vulnerable adults to verify the instances when an approved adult is required. This information is also in your Centre Handbook.
4. Do my learners need to show ID if they are over 18? Who checks this at ESB?
It is the centre’s responsibility to check that each learner over the age of 18 presents photo ID on the day of the assessment, ensuring that the learners for each assessment are those who have been registered on MyESB. It is not the assessor’s responsibility to check learners’ ID. Acceptable forms of identification include a passport or other photo ID issued by a government or local authority, a photo driving licence or a UK Armed Forces photo ID card. Learners who fail to provide ID should not be prevented from sitting their assessment, but they will not be resulted until valid ID is confirmed by your centre.
5. We have learners who cover their faces. Do they have to uncover for the Speaking & Listening assessment?
No. It is the centre’s responsibility to ensure the learner’s identity and the assessment will take place as normal.
6. Do I need to import my learners’ details onto the MyESB booking hub prior to the assessment?
Centres must import their learner details onto MyESB prior to the assessment date. It is important to enter all learner names as they should appear on the certificate. Failure to do this correctly may incur a charge after certification.
7. Do my learners need their Unique Learner Numbers (LRN)?
All learners entered for an assessment at a state-funded school/college in England need a Unique Learning Number (ULN). The ULN is a 10-digit number unique to every learner and can be obtained by schools/colleges from the Learning Records Service (LRS). ULNs are not mandatory for private learners or students who are under the age of 14, attend schools/colleges outside of England or attend non-state funded (independent) schools or colleges. For more information, please visit the LRS and Department for Education (DfE) website.
Neurodiverse learners and those with special educational needs and disabilities
1. How do I apply a Reasonable Adjustment for my learners?
If you would like to apply for a Reasonable Adjustment for your learner/learners, please select the Reasonable Adjustment when you register your learners on My ESB. There is information about the accommodations that are available, a matrix so you can identify adjustments to support your learners and guidance documents on the Reasonable Adjustments area of the website. If you have any queries regarding the reasonable adjustments application, please email product@esbuk.org.
2. What evidence do we need to apply for a Reasonable Adjustment?
Examples of evidence are a relevant diagnostic report, a Cognassist Diversity Assessment Report, a statement of learning needs or medical condition from appropriately qualified personnel. We also take into account the learner’s normal way of working and statements from your support staff. Reasonable Adjustments are specific to the learner, and we encourage tutors to work with us to implement the best and fairest accommodation, so email product@esbuk.org to discuss any individual applications.
3. When should we apply for a Reasonable Adjustment?
As soon as you know your learner may require an accommodation in class and in the assessments, contact us to discuss the options and to ensure that your learner can prepare for the assessments accordingly, e.g. using modified papers.
Preparing for your assessment
1. What is the pass mark?
There is not a pass mark, but learners have to achieve every assessment criterion, depending on the level and the skill. The details are in the Specifications for the Award.
2. Are there any Sample Papers?
There are samples available for each level. There are some Reading and Writing papers that are only available to tutors at ESB centres, with a password that is available from product@esbuk.org.
Planning the assessment day
1. Should I contact the assessor before the assessment date?
A centre organiser or tutor should contact their assessor in advance of the assessment to confirm start time and to finalise details such as directions, parking etc. It is also advisable to liaise with the assessor to confirm the timetable for the day including any breaks. This is an opportunity for the organiser to clarify any questions they may have about the assessment and to provide any information the assessor may need to be aware of.
2. Speaking & Listening assessments are carried out in pairs. What if I have an odd number of learners?
You will need to timetable a ‘dummy’ or non-assessed learner to make up the pair. This should be a learner who has already taken their assessment at the same level or one level above. In the unlikely event that there is no ‘dummy’ available please speak to your assessor who will be able to work with you for the best solution. The non-assessed learner will complete the assessment as an assessed partner would, but does not need to complete the Listening task in Section 4.
3. How do we work out the timetable for the Speaking & Listening assessments?
Use the guided time for each assessment in the qualification specification and you can use the timing guidance document on the Plan your Assessment page on the website. Add up to 5 minutes between pairs to allow for learners to enter and leave the assessment room. Liaise with your assessor to arrange any break times.
4. Can the learners use a pen and paper during their Speaking & Listening assessment?
Yes. Centres should provide pen and paper for learners which they can use throughout the assessment, as necessary. Centres are advised to discourage learners from making excessive notes as this does affect their communicative / listening skills.
5. How many questions should the learners ask in Task 1 of their Speaking & Listening assessment?
There is not a set number of questions. It is very dependent on the complexity of the questions and the confidence in which candidates ask them. The assessor may prompt for additional questions if necessary or, equally, thank candidates for their questions and move on.
6. Do Level 1 and Level 2 learners need to use visual aids for their talk in Task 2?
No. This is not mandatory, but some learners like to use VAs as a prompt for the content. Also, effective use of VAs can add interest to a talk and help clarify points made.
7. Can learners use prompt cards for their prepared talk?
Learners may use bullet points or brief notes, but these must be shown to the assessor before the talk. It is more authentic and natural for the learners to use brief notes than to learn their talks by rote. Reciting from memory can negatively affect pronunciation and creates unnecessary stress for the learner.
8. Can Level 1 and Level 2 learners stand for their presentation?
If they feel more comfortable presenting in this way then this is perfectly acceptable. It is not necessary, however.
9. How will the assessor play the audio for the listening task in Section 4?
From September 2024, assessors will play the audio on their own devices, and centres do not need to provide a CD player or a means of playing sound files.
After the Assessment
1. How do I apply for a Special Consideration for my learners?
If you would like to apply for a Special Consideration for your learners, a Special Consideration Form can be downloaded from the Special Considerations area of the website.
2. Can a learner who missed their assessment through illness re-apply?
A centre can make an application on behalf of a learner who missed their assessment due to illness for re-entry within six months of the original assessment for half the normal fee of that assessment. The application must be made within 30 days of the original assessment date and include a medical certificate, along with the learner’s details, and be sent to our Customer Experience Team. Please refer to our Absence Through Illness Policy.
3. When will I receive my learners’ results?
You will receive your learners’ results 5 working days after the assessment date. However, during the peak period of 1st May – 31st August, this will be 10 working days for Reading and Writing assessments.
4. Can I appeal a learner’s / group of learners’ results?
If a centre is dissatisfied with results awarded to a learner/group of learners, they should raise an enquiry with our Customer Experience Team. The enquiry should never be made to the assessor directly and should be made within 15 working days of receiving their results. To find out how ESB International manages centre enquiries, please refer to our Enquiries, Complaints and Appeals Policy.
5. When will I receive my learners’ certificates?
All successful learners receive a certificate. Certificates will be dispatched to centres within 10 working days of results being issued. To allow for sampling and standardisation procedures, results cannot be regarded as final until confirmed by certification.
6. Can I request a replacement certificate for my learners?
A centre may request a replacement certificate for their learners if they have lost or damaged their certificate. Please refer to our Replacement Certificate Policy.
7. Can I apply for an over-arching Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life for my learners?
Yes. You can apply for a Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life if your learners have three Awards at the same level, or at different levels, either all from ESB International, or from ESB and another awarding organisation. This falls under our Recognition of Prior Learning policy and you can find the forms to apply for an individual learner or for a group of learners on the website here. Each Certificate costs £7.
8. Can learners use ESOL Skills for Life qualifications for visas in the UK?
No. The Home Office only recognises Secure English Language Tests (SELT) and no Skills for Life qualifications are on the approved list, because of funding rules and the requirements for SELT providers.