Erin Evans
Healthcare Assistant (progressing to Nursing) · Cardiff, Wales
Functional Skills Maths – Level 2
“Great experience – very easy to navigate your learning and complete a qualification. I never felt lost or unsupported, and passing meant I could finally move forward with the plans I'd been putting off for two years.”
The Challenge
Erin had been working as a Healthcare Assistant in a Cardiff NHS ward for two years and was preparing to apply for the Access to HE Nursing diploma as her route to a nursing degree. She had GCSE English at grade 5 but her GCSE Maths was a grade 3 – below the threshold required by the Access to HE programme she wanted to join. Rather than wait another academic year or attempt a full GCSE resit, she looked into the Functional Skills Level 2 Maths alternative, which her target Access to HE provider confirmed would meet the entry requirement.
Why learndirect
Erin needed to complete the Functional Skills Maths Level 2 in time for the Access to HE enrolment window – a timeline of roughly twelve weeks. She chose learndirect because the portal and the process were clear from the moment she enquired. “Everything was exactly where it should be,” she said. “The study materials, the practice tests, the booking information for the exam – it was all logical and well-organised.” Her tutor helped her identify the specific Maths areas that needed the most preparation (ratio and proportion, statistical calculations) and concentrated her limited revision time on those topics rather than reviewing everything equally.
The Outcome
Erin passed Functional Skills Maths Level 2 within ten weeks of enrolling and met the entry requirement for the Access to HE Nursing pathway – which she started the following month. “Two years of feeling stuck because of one grade, and ten weeks of focused study changed it,” she said. She is now progressing through her Access to HE Diploma with the goal of applying to Cardiff Metropolitan University for their BNurs programme. NHS Band 5 Registered Nurse starting salary in Wales is £29,970 – the outcome Erin is working towards.