How ITT providers assure your fundamental English & maths

If you’ve been researching teacher training requirements in England, you may have come across references to the old “QTS Skills Tests” — and found that they no longer exist. That’s correct: the QTS Professional Skills Tests in literacy and numeracy were abolished in April 2020 and have not been reinstated.

What replaced them is a provider-led assurance model. Understanding how it works — and what it means for you as an applicant — will help you navigate the process with much less confusion.

The legal basis: what the DfE actually requires

England’s ITT criteria (criterion C1.1, 2025/26) place a clear duty on accredited ITT providers:

Providers must ensure that all trainees have met the standard of “fundamental English and maths” equivalent to GCSE grade 4 before the end of their course. For primary programmes (ages 3–11), the same standard is required in science.

A few things are worth unpacking there:

• “Before the end of their course” — not necessarily before entry. Some providers assure skills before they accept you; others allow trainees to achieve the standard during the programme. In practice, most providers want to see it at entry to reduce risk.
• “Equivalent to GCSE grade 4” — the standard is what matters, not the specific qualification. A GCSE grade 4 is the obvious and simplest evidence, but it’s not the only possible evidence.
• The duty is on the provider — they must be able to demonstrate to their accreditor (currently the DfE and Ofsted) that they’ve checked this for every trainee. That’s why they take it seriously.

So how do providers actually assess this?

Because there’s no prescribed national method, providers have developed a range of approaches. The most common are:

1. Accepting existing qualifications

This is by far the most straightforward path. If you hold a GCSE grade 4 or higher in English Language and maths (and, for primary, in a science subject), most providers will accept those certificates as sufficient evidence of the standard. You provide your qualification certificates; the provider keeps a record.

Many providers also accept A-levels, degrees and other qualifications as evidence, on the basis that these presuppose an adequate English and maths foundation. Whether and how they do this varies by provider.

2. Administering an equivalence test

For applicants who don’t hold the required GCSEs, many providers run their own equivalence tests. These are entirely provider-designed and provider-administered. There is no standardised national equivalence test — each provider’s version is its own.

Equivalence tests vary widely in format, length and difficulty. Some providers use multiple-choice questions; others use short-answer formats; some test on paper, others online. The common thread is that they assess the GCSE grade-4 standard in English and/or maths (and sometimes science for primary).

3. Reviewing other evidence

Some providers accept other forms of evidence — a portfolio of professional work demonstrating literacy and numeracy, vocational qualifications at Level 2, international qualifications assessed as broadly equivalent, or Functional Skills Level 2. What’s accepted varies significantly between providers and programmes, so it always needs to be confirmed directly.

4. Screening during the application process

A number of providers — particularly those using school-led routes like School Direct and School-Centred ITT (SCITT) — include literacy and numeracy screening at the interview stage. This might be a short task, a written exercise, or a brief assessment that forms part of the selection day rather than a standalone test.

When does assurance happen — before or during the programme?

The DfE requirement says “before the end of the course” — but in practice, most providers prefer to confirm the standard at or before entry. Admitting a trainee who turns out not to meet the standard partway through a programme creates problems for everyone.

However, some providers — particularly those working with candidates who are strong on other criteria but lack a qualifying GCSE — do accept trainees conditionally and support them to achieve the standard during the programme (for example, by completing a Functional Skills qualification alongside their ITT). If your situation is unusual, it’s always worth asking directly rather than assuming.

What does this mean for me as an applicant?

The practical implications are these:

1. If you have GCSE grade 4+ in English Language and maths, you’re likely to satisfy most providers’ requirements straightforwardly. Keep your certificates accessible.
2. If you’re missing one or both, contact your target providers and ask: “What routes do you accept for demonstrating the fundamental English/maths standard if I don’t hold a GCSE grade 4?” The range of options varies — some providers are flexible, others are not.
3. Don’t assume silence means rejection. Many providers haven’t made their equivalence process prominent in public-facing materials, because most applicants do hold the required GCSEs. The process often exists and works well — it just requires you to ask.
4. Prepare regardless of route. Whether you’re sitting a provider’s equivalence test, doing a GCSE resit, or presenting alternative qualifications, the underlying skill standard is the same. Being genuinely confident at GCSE grade-4 level in English and maths — not just technically qualifying — will serve you throughout training and beyond.

Is there any chance the central test comes back?

The QTS Professional Skills Tests were abolished following concerns about their effect on teacher supply — they were seen as a barrier that didn’t predict teaching quality, at a time when England needed more teachers entering the profession. There is currently no indication that a central test will be reinstated, though the regulatory landscape does evolve, and providers’ own assurance practices will continue to be scrutinised by Ofsted and the DfE.

Getting ready — wherever you are now

The assurance model puts responsibility on the provider — but that means you still need to demonstrate the standard to them. Whatever form their assurance process takes, you want to go into it from a position of genuine readiness rather than hoping for the best.

Our free UK diagnostic gives you a 10-minute snapshot of your current English and maths skills, with an instant score and a topic-level breakdown. That’s the clearest starting point: know where you stand, then prepare efficiently for whatever your provider requires.

Take the free UK diagnostic →

— The people of SN Academy