The Future Skills Questionnaire (FSQ) is a tool to measure learners’ career-readiness. FSQ covers key aspects of knowledge, skills and attitudes that are important for successful transitions. To access FSQ, eligible education settings must connect a compatible Management Information System (MIS) to Compass+.
Future Skills Questionnaire
By delivering the Future Skills Questionnaire (FSQ) at key transition points, education settings can track learner development over time, identify areas requiring additional support, and evidence the impact of their careers programme.
Available through Compass+ for eligible settings with a compatible MIS connection, FSQ turns learner feedback into meaningful insights that drive continuous improvement. The questionnaire supports targeted interventions, programme evaluation, and identifying learners at risk of NEET. Learner responses also integrate into Compass+ individual learner profiles, aiding users in assessing and enhancing the impact of careers education in their setting.
The questions are mapped against the Gatsby Benchmarks, learning outcomes from the CDI framework and the Skills Builder framework for essential skills. You can visit the Compass+ Help Centre to find out more about how FSQ was developed.
FSQ offers five versions tailored to specific year groups, including SEND for all years, allowing education settings to assess the skills and knowledge of their learners at specific points of transition.
We recommend delivering FSQ to learners at each of these transition points, as responses can help to create a clear picture of learner development, support timely interventions, and provide evidence to inform impact evaluation, strategic decision-making and continuous improvement of your setting’s careers programme.
The five versions of FSQ are:
Starting Secondary (Year7) - Identify learners' baseline knowledge and insights to help build a careers programme that meets their needs.
Transition to KS3 (Years 8 and 9) - Support learners to understand their strengths, connect GCSE choices to future careers, and identify areas where they may need more support.
GCSE Years (Years 10 and 11) - Understand learners' career plans, knowledge of IAG, and readiness for post 16 transitions.
Post 16 Study (Years 12 and 13) - Support learners to make important post 18 transition choices.
SEND (can be used across all year groups) - Designed for learners with SEND, can be completed one-to-one with a member of staff as part of a careers conversation. The purpose of the questionnaire should be clearly explained to the learner, and they should be supported to understand and answer each question as independently as possible.
Support and Guidance
We have designed the FSQ 5 Steps to Success framework to help Compass+ users get the most value from the Future Skills Questionnaire. The FSQ framework provides a clear, practical approach to planning, delivering and acting on FSQ responses, ensuring learner feedback leads to meaningful outcomes.
By following the five steps, education settings can improve participation, gather high-quality insights, and use the findings to shape targeted careers provision. The framework also helps settings track learner development over time, evidence the impact of the careers programme, and support learners to make informed decisions at key transition points.
The FSQ 5 Steps to Success turns FSQ data into action, helping you better understand, support and prepare learners for their best next step.
Compass+ Help Centre : A full suite of guidance and resources to help you deliver the FSQ 5 steps to success effectively in your setting.
FSQ learner animation : The perfect introduction to FSQ for learners, parents and carers, and colleagues.
FSQ webinar: Register for our next FSQ webinar this term to see the FSQ 5 steps to success framework in action.