WCA Activity 11: Learning Tasks
Activity 11, learning tasks, is one of the 17 activities the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) uses to decide whether you have Limited Capability for Work. It is a mental, cognitive and intellectual function activity in Part 2 of Schedule 2, and it measures one specific thing: your ability to learn how to do something new and then repeat it reliably. This guide explains exactly what the descriptors say, how the points work, which conditions tend to score here, and how to describe learning problems so an assessor scores them fairly.
The short version: if you cannot learn even a simple task such as setting an alarm clock you score 15 points, enough on its own for Limited Capability for Work. If you can learn simple things but nothing more complex you score 9 points, and if you can learn moderately complex things but nothing beyond that you score 6 points - both of which combine with other activities towards the 15-point threshold.
What Activity 11 actually measures
This activity is about learning, not about whether you already know how to do a task. Most adults can already set an alarm clock or run a washing machine; the assessment is asking whether, if those tasks were new to you, you could learn them and then carry them out without being shown again every time. That depends on memory, attention, processing speed and the ability to follow a sequence of steps.
The law uses two benchmark tasks to anchor the levels:
- A simple task - the example given is setting an alarm clock. A short, low-step task.
- A moderately complex task - the example given is the steps involved in operating a washing machine. A longer sequence with several steps in order.
The key word throughout is "learn". This is different from being slow, or needing to concentrate hard. The question is whether the learning sticks well enough for you to do the task again on your own.
The exact descriptors and points
These are the descriptors as written in Schedule 2 of the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2013. The point values are fixed in law - they are not estimates.
| Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|
| (a) Cannot learn how to complete a simple task, such as setting an alarm clock | 15 |
| (b) Cannot learn anything beyond a simple task, such as setting an alarm clock | 9 |
| (c) Cannot learn anything beyond a moderately complex task, such as the steps involved in operating a washing machine | 6 |
| (d) None of the above applies | 0 |
In plain English:
- 15 points if you cannot learn even a simple task. This alone meets the threshold for Limited Capability for Work.
- 9 points if you can learn simple tasks but cannot learn anything more involved than that.
- 6 points if you can learn moderately complex tasks but cannot learn anything beyond that level.
- 0 points if you can learn complex tasks normally.
A worked example: how a real difficulty maps to points
Points make sense when you see how a real situation becomes a specific descriptor. Here is a composite example built from the kind of facts an assessor weighs. None of the figures are invented - they are the descriptor points in Schedule 2.
Imagine someone recovering from a stroke that affected memory and processing. They can still manage well-rehearsed routines, but anything new is a struggle. Shown how to use a new microwave, they need the steps written down and still get the order wrong; after a week they cannot do it without the note. They could eventually learn to set a simple alarm, but a multi-step appliance defeats them.
- Activity 11: they can learn a simple task but cannot reliably learn anything beyond it, which matches descriptor (b) - 9 points.
- Activity 13 (initiating and completing personal actions): if they also cannot reliably start and finish a sequence of actions because of the same cognitive problem, that can add further points on a separate activity.
- Activity 12 (awareness of everyday hazards): if reduced awareness means they sometimes need supervision to stay safe, that can add 6 to 15 more points.
On its own the 9 points from Activity 11 do not reach 15, but combined with points from these other activities the person comfortably crosses the threshold for Limited Capability for Work. See how points stack in how many points you need for ESA.
The reliability test applied to learning
The single most important idea in the WCA is that you must be able to do an activity reliably, repeatedly, in a reasonable time, and for the majority of the time. For learning, this matters more than almost anywhere else, because people can often manage a task once, with help and full concentration, and then assume that counts. It does not.
- Reliably. If you can do the task today only because someone walked you through it, but cannot repeat it unaided next week, you have not really learned it. Reliable learning means it sticks.
- Repeatedly. Learning that fades after one attempt, or has to be re-taught each time, is not learning that would survive a real job.
- In a reasonable time. If a task takes you many times longer to learn than it should, that itself can mean you cannot learn it in any practical sense.
- For the majority of the time. On a foggy day, an overwhelmed day or a fatigued day, the learning may not happen at all. If those days are more than half, that is your baseline.
When you write your form, attach this test to each example. Do not just say "my memory is bad". Say "I was shown how to do X four times and still cannot do it on my own a few days later". That is the language the assessment understands.
Which conditions commonly score on Activity 11
Any condition that affects memory, attention, processing speed or the ability to follow a sequence can score here. Common examples include:
- Learning disabilities and autism, where new tasks and routines can be genuinely hard to acquire. See also ESA for learning disabilities.
- Dementia and other progressive cognitive conditions. See ESA for dementia.
- Stroke and acquired brain injury affecting memory and new learning. See ESA for stroke.
- ADHD, where attention and working memory make multi-step learning unreliable. See ESA for ADHD.
- The cognitive symptoms of ME/CFS and long COVID ("brain fog"), and the memory and concentration effects of severe depression or strong medication.
Evidence to gather
- A cognitive or neuropsychology report. Where one exists, a formal assessment of memory, processing speed and executive function is powerful evidence.
- A letter from your specialist, psychiatrist or GP confirming the diagnosis and its effect on learning and memory.
- An educational statement or EHC plan for learning disabilities or developmental conditions.
- A carer or family statement. Someone who lives with you can describe the tasks you have to be shown again and again, and what goes wrong when you try alone.
- Your own concrete examples. A short list of specific tasks you cannot learn, with how often you have been shown them, carries real weight.
Our ESA evidence checklist sets out how to assemble and submit all of this. Send copies, never originals.
Common mistakes
- Confusing "I can do it" with "I learned it". Doing a task once with help is not learning it. Describe what happens when the help is gone and time has passed.
- Describing tasks you already know. The assessment is about learning something new, so frame your examples around new tasks rather than habits you have had for years.
- Being vague. "Poor memory" tells an assessor little. A specific task, a number of attempts and a clear outcome tells them everything.
- Ignoring fluctuation. If brain fog or fatigue means learning fails on more than half your days, say so explicitly.
How Activity 11 combines towards the 15-point threshold
You meet Limited Capability for Work if you score 15 points in total across the 17 activities. Physical and mental scores are added together, so Activity 11 (a mental activity) can be combined with both other cognitive activities and physical ones. The conditions that affect learning very often affect several related activities at once - initiating and completing personal actions, coping with change, and awareness of everyday hazards - so points tend to come from a cluster rather than one activity alone.
The 15-point learning descriptor meets the threshold on its own. The 9-point and 6-point descriptors need company, but the company is usually there: a person who cannot learn a multi-step task often also struggles to start and finish one, or to cope with a change of routine. Where the overall picture is severe, a related Schedule 3 descriptor or the substantial-risk rule may place you in the Support Group (LCWRA on Universal Credit), which has no work-related requirements and a higher rate.
Official sources
This guide reflects the official Work Capability Assessment rules. For the source material, see:
- GOV.UK - Employment and Support Allowance
- GOV.UK - Health conditions, disability and Universal Credit
- The Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2013 (Schedule 2 - WCA descriptors)
- Citizens Advice - Employment and Support Allowance
Guidance only, not legal advice. The WCA is under reform, with changes from 2025 onwards - always check GOV.UK for the latest rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is WCA Activity 11?
Activity 11, learning tasks, is one of the 17 Work Capability Assessment activities. It is a mental and cognitive activity that scores how well you can learn to do something new. The benchmark tasks are setting an alarm clock (a simple task) and operating a washing machine (a moderately complex task). It scores between 6 and 15 points depending on the level of task you cannot learn.
How many points is Activity 11 worth?
Not being able to learn how to complete a simple task such as setting an alarm clock scores 15 points. Not being able to learn anything beyond a simple task scores 9 points. Not being able to learn anything beyond a moderately complex task such as operating a washing machine scores 6 points. If none of these applies you score 0.
Is Activity 11 about memory or about learning?
It is about learning, which depends on memory but is not the same thing. The question is whether you can take in and retain a new sequence of steps well enough to repeat it. Poor short-term memory, slowed processing, difficulty concentrating and needing constant prompts all reduce your ability to learn a task reliably.
Can Activity 11 alone meet the threshold?
Yes, if you cannot learn even a simple task such as setting an alarm clock, that scores 15 points and meets the Limited Capability for Work threshold on its own. The 9-point and 6-point descriptors do not meet the threshold alone, so they need to be combined with points from other activities.
Which conditions commonly score on Activity 11?
Learning disabilities, autism, dementia, acquired brain injury, stroke, the cognitive effects of conditions like ME/CFS and long COVID, severe depression and ADHD can all affect learning. So can the side effects of medication, including anti-epileptic and strong painkilling drugs that slow thinking and harm memory.
Does Activity 11 lead to the Support Group?
On its own the learning descriptors are not Schedule 3 descriptors, so Activity 11 by itself does not place you in the Support Group. However, its points combine with other activities to reach 15 for Limited Capability for Work, and a related Schedule 3 descriptor or the substantial-risk rule may bring the Support Group into reach.
How should I describe learning problems on the form?
Give concrete examples and explain reliability. Instead of saying your memory is poor, describe a specific task you cannot learn, how many times you have been shown it, and what goes wrong when you try alone. Apply the reliability test, that you must be able to do it repeatedly and the majority of the time, not just once on a good day with help.
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