Comparison

The Learning College vs Functional Skills

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

The Learning College

Features
Read full description

The UK's Leading specialist in education qualification brings the official app with ease of access to learning material like watching videos, assignments, quiz, followup, chat and much more.

About

Functional Skills

Prepare for UK Functional Skills Maths and English exams with practice questions, mock tests, and AI-powered feedback. Track your progress, review topics, and build confidence for exams, apprenticeships, or college courses.

Highlights
  • Exam-style practice questions
  • AI-powered marking and feedback
  • Mock test mode
  • Built-in study handbook
  • Personal progress tracking
  • Level 1 and Level 2 support
Read full description

Functional Skills Exam Prep helps UK learners prepare for Functional Skills Maths and English with exam-style practice, mock tests, clear explanations and focused revision for Level 1 and Level 2. Build confidence for your Functional Skills exam, job application, apprenticeship, college course or retake with a study route that keeps practice, progress and feedback in one place. Study Functional Skills Maths and English: - Maths Level 1 and Level 2 - English Level 1 and Level 2 - Reading, writing, speaking and listening - Spelling, punctuation and grammar - Number, measures, shape, space and data Practise with exam-style questions: Work through thousands of questions across multiple formats, including multiple choice, fill in the blanks, ordering, matching, tables, drag and drop, working out, reading tasks, listening tasks, speaking tasks and long-form writing. AI-powered marking and feedback: Submit selected writing, reading, listening, speaking and working-out answers for marking support. Get feedback that helps you understand what went well, where marks were lost and what to improve next. Mock tests and exam readiness: Use mock test mode to practise under exam-style conditions. Track your results, review previous answers and see an exam readiness score so you know where to focus your next session. Study handbook: Use the built-in handbook for short revision pages, worked examples, diagrams and topic guidance. It is designed for quick revision before practice, mock tests and exam day. Personal progress: Keep track of completed questions, topics to review, weakest areas, daily recommendations, achievements and leaderboard scores. Study reminders help you stay consistent without losing your place. Built for UK learners: Functional Skills Exam Prep is made for learners preparing for UK Functional Skills qualifications in Maths and English. It supports adults, apprentices, job seekers, college learners and anyone returning to study. Important notes: AI feedback is for practice support and does not replace an official assessment or exam result. Some content and advanced features may require premium access. Terms of Use: https://alphabeat.co.uk/terms-and-conditions Privacy Policy: https://alphabeat.co.uk/privacy-policy

Screenshots

The Learning College4 screens
Functional Skills4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Learning College at none against Functional Skills's 3. The Learning College also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Functional Skills's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 9 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Functional Skills sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. The Learning College asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Learning College ships an update every 9 months, Functional Skills every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 5 level
The Learning College versus Functional Skills: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Learning CollegeFunctional Skills
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviewsโ€”0.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 4 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
Monetizationโ€”Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 โ€” better15.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size77 MB182 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperAward Learning Services LtdAlpha Beat Limited

In-app purchases

None

The Learning College

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Functional Skills

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Quarterly3 Days trial$19.993 Months
One-time1
  • Lifetime access$34.99

Questions

Is The Learning College free?
The Learning College is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Functional Skills free?
Functional Skills is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do The Learning College or Functional Skills have ads?
Neither The Learning College nor Functional Skills shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Learning College or Functional Skills?
The Learning College ships an update every 9 months, and Functional Skills every 4 days. Most recently, The Learning College was updated on October 27, 2026 and Functional Skills on October 31, 2026.

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