A letter of application is the writing task with the most real-world value – and one of the hardest to do well, because it must be formal, specific and persuasive about yourself all at once. This free pack gives you a job application and a volunteer application in exam layout, the grids explained, and a model letter annotated to show how each paragraph earns its place.
Free to download, print and share for personal or classroom use. Answers included.
What’s in this worksheet
- Know-the-format box for this text type
- Task 1 in Pearson exam layout (Information box, bullet points, word count, marks)
- Task 2 in Highfield exam layout (notes stimulus)
- Planning grid and lined answer space for both tasks
- Plain-English version of the official marking grids
- Indicative content list for Task 1
- 285-word model answer with examiner notes
Common mistakes on this topic
From our tutors’ marking and the most recent examiner reports – check your work against these:
- Listing qualities with no evidence: ‘I am hard-working, reliable and friendly.’ Anyone can write that; prove it.
- Ignoring the advert. If it asks for someone calm when busy, say when you have been exactly that.
- Writing about what the job would do for you (‘I need the money’, ‘the hours suit me’) rather than what you would bring.
- Forgetting to ask for an interview or to give availability – the third bullet is often the easiest mark to drop.
How to use it
- Read the ‘Know the format’ box, then do Task 1 under exam conditions – 5 minutes planning, the rest writing, timed as the task box says.
- Mark yourself against the grid and the indicative content list. Be honest about which band each strand lands in.
- Read the model answer and its notes, then rewrite your weakest paragraph. Do Task 2 a few days later without looking at the model.
Related free resources
- Informal Letter or Email – Exam-Style Writing Tasks (Functional Skills Level 2)
- Formal Letter – Exam-Style Writing Tasks (Functional Skills Level 2)
- Plan a Functional Skills Writing Task in 5 Minutes – Free Planning Sheet
- All free Functional Skills English Level 2 resources
Frequently asked questions
What should a letter of application include?
Which job and where you saw it; your relevant experience and skills matched to the advert; your personal qualities with evidence; why you want to work for that organisation; your availability; and a request for an interview – in that order, one paragraph each.
How do I show qualities without just listing them?
Attach an example to each one: ‘I am reliable – in two years I have not missed a shift.’ The example is what the examiner counts as detail; the adjective on its own is not.
Is a letter of application formal?
Yes, fully formal: addresses, date, ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ or the named person, no contractions, ‘Yours faithfully’ or ‘Yours sincerely’. Confident and courteous, never chatty or boastful.
Want a tutor to mark your work? Not sure where you stand? Take the free 15-minute mini mock test. Ready to get qualified? Our live 10-week Functional Skills Level 2 English course runs in small groups with a mock exam included, and the 5-day revision course is there if your exam is close.