Guidance

Digital functional skills qualifications: subject content

Updated 12 September 2024

Applies to England

Introduction

This guidance sets out the:

• purpose of digital functional skills qualifications (FSQs)

• learning aims and outcomes of digital functional skills qualifications (FSQs)

• subject content of digital functional skills qualifications (FSQs) at:

  • entry level   
  • level 1

It provides the framework within which awarding organisations create the detail of their specifications, which must use the subject content and reflect the learning aims and outcomes set out at each level. The subject content for digital FSQs reflects the skills set out in the national standards for essential digital skills. Content at level 1 subsumes and builds on that at entry level, where relevant.

Purpose

Digital FSQs should provide:

• reliable evidence of a student’s achievements against content that is authentic and relevant to the workplace and real life

• assessment of a student’s knowledge and skills as well as their ability to apply these in different contexts

• a foundation for progression into employment or further education and developing skills for everyday life

Some entry level students with little or no prior experience of using a digital device or the internet may need support with turning on the device and using a mouse or keyboard before progressing on to the knowledge and skills set out in the subject content.

Students at entry level and level 1 are expected to be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills set out in the content when completing tasks and activities. They should also make connections between the skills areas. Awarding organisation specifications should encourage teachers to emphasise their interconnectedness – for example, that being safe and responsible on the internet is a consideration across all skills areas – and consider the use of online delivery.

Progression between the levels should be evident in terms of:

• the complexity of tasks and activities, and any related information

• the number of stages within tasks and activities

• the extent to which the requirement is set out for or is determined by the student

Entry level

Learning aims and outcomes

Digital FSQs enable students to safely initiate and participate in digital and online activities in the workplace and other real-life contexts.

At this level, digital FSQs enable students to:

• gain confidence and fluency in their use of digital knowledge and skills, developing a positive attitude towards the use of those skills

• develop an appreciation of the importance of digital skills in the workplace and in life generally

• demonstrate their knowledge and skills by applying these to complete tasks and activities

• provide a basis for further study, work and life

Subject content

There are 5 skills areas:

• using devices and handling information

• creating and editing

• communicating

• transacting

• being safe and responsible online

The scope of study for each skills area provides guidance to awarding organisations to indicate or elaborate on the intended breadth and depth of subject content statements. The examples provided (denoted by ‘such as…’) are illustrative and not exhaustive. As a minimum, students must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in all the specific assessment content (denoted by ‘including…’).

Using devices and handling information

Scope of study

‘Features of a device’ refers to examples such as the interface required (keyboard or touchscreen) or how a device functions (hand-held, wearable or wireless connectivity).

‘Uses of a device’ refers to examples such as making a phone or video call, or sending emails while away from a desk.

‘Applications’ refers to apps for desktop, laptop and mobile devices.

‘Applying system settings’ refers to examples such as changing screen brightness or speaker volume, or connecting to a wi-fi network at work or home.

‘Navigating online content’ refers to using menus, hyperlinks and browser navigation controls such as back and forward buttons or bookmarks.

‘Internet searches’ refers to a specific and clearly defined piece of information or content that might be required in a work or other real-life context.

Specific assessment content

Students should know:

• the main features and uses of different types of device (including desktop, laptop, mobile and smart devices)

• what an application is and the main types of application software (including email clients, web browsers, mobile device apps, security apps, word processors and presentation software)

• how to apply system settings (including those related to display, sound, wi-fi, time, language and accessibility)

• how to navigate online content to locate required information

• how to carry out searches on the internet (including for information, images and videos)

• how to use files to read and store information (including creating, opening, reading, editing and saving a file)

• how to use files and folders to organise and retrieve information (including local and remote storage)

• when there is a problem with a device or software, and the difference between system errors (including a device crashing or freezing, or a slow response) and user errors (including using the incorrect credentials or incorrectly connecting hardware)

• how to apply a solution to solve a simple technical problem (including restarting a device to address a system error, or correcting a user error)

Creating and editing

Scope of study

‘Using a suitable application’ refers to understanding terminology and concepts relating to documents and media, and associated applications, such as ‘word-processed’ or ‘presentation’, with an understanding of the purpose of different applications and of typical uses.

‘Combining different types of information for a given purpose’ refers to using text, graphics and images in a work or other real-life context, such as creating a poster or presentation for colleagues.

Specific assessment content

Students should know how to:

• use a suitable application to enter, edit and format text (including bold, underline, italics, font sizes and colours, text alignment, and bulleted and numbered lists)

• use a suitable application to enter, edit and format graphics (including position and size)

• combine different types of information (including text, graphics and images) for a given purpose

• capture digital media (including images and video) and view it in a suitable application

Communicating

Scope of study

‘Online communications’ refers to short, simple texts using email or other messaging applications.

‘Other digital content’ refers to graphics, images and videos.

‘Video call’ refers to a one-to-one communication via live video.

Specific assessment content

Students should know:

• how to create and edit details in a contacts list

• how to compose and reply to online communications comprising text and other digital content to individual and multiple recipients

• how to initiate and participate in a video call

• what is meant by a digital footprint, understand its implications and be aware of the range of activities (including social media activity, web searches and emails) that leave a digital footprint

Transacting

Scope of study

‘Online form’ refers to a single-page form used to enter information such as registering for or requesting a service, or making an online purchase.

‘Personal details’ refers to name, address, telephone number, email address and payment details.

‘Data validation’ refers to automatic computer checks to ensure that data, such as password requirements or key fields that cannot be left blank, is entered correctly.

‘Verification checks’ refers to a check carried out to ensure the user has entered their details accurately, such as following a link in an email received when setting up an online account.

Specific assessment content

Students should know how to:

• complete and submit an online form (including personal details) and comply with data validation

• comply with verification checks to complete an online transaction

Being safe and responsible online

Scope of study

‘Understanding the need to stay safe online’ refers to examples such as being aware of risks associated with clicking on unknown links or phishing emails, being aware of the evolving nature of such risks, and knowing that devices may be hacked, resulting in personal data being compromised or stolen.

‘Authentication methods to access devices’ refers to examples such as strong passwords, and fingerprint, facial or voice recognition.

‘Minimising the effects of physical stresses’ refers to examples such as using an adjustable chair, not being too close or too far away from the screen or device and the keyboard or mouse.

‘Benefits of using security software’ refers to examples such as preventing, detecting or removing viruses, malware and other threats.

Specific assessment content

Students should:

• understand the need to stay safe and respect others when using the internet and communicating online

• know simple methods to protect personal information and privacy online (including not sharing personal information and identifying safe URLs that begin with  ‘HTTPS’ when logging in)

• know how to set up and use security features (including authentication methods) to access devices and online services

• understand the benefits of using security software (including an anti-virus and firewall) to protect against online risks

• know of and know how to minimise the effects of physical stresses (including pain from poorly positioned equipment or bad posture, repetitive strain injury or eye strain) that may result from using devices

Level 1

Learning aims and outcomes

Digital FSQs will enable students to initiate and participate in digital and online activities safely in the workplace and in other real-life contexts.

At this level, digital FSQs should:

• enable students to increase their confidence and fluency in the use of their digital knowledge and skills, and develop a positive attitude towards using those skills

• enable students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills by applying these to complete tasks and activities

• introduce students to areas of life and work that may be new or unfamiliar, and tasks and activities they may encounter in the future

• enable students to develop an appreciation of the importance of digital skills in the workplace and in life generally

• provide a basis for further study, work and life

Subject content

There are 5 skills areas:

• using devices and handling information

• creating and editing

• communicating

• transacting

• being safe and responsible online

The content at Level 1 subsumes and builds on the content at entry level where relevant.

The scope of study for each skills area provides guidance to awarding organisations to indicate or elaborate on the intended breadth and depth of subject content statements. The examples provided (denoted by ‘such as…’) are illustrative and not exhaustive. As a minimum, students must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in all the specific assessment content (denoted by ‘including…’).

Using devices and handling information

Scope of study

‘Device’ refers to examples such as desktop, laptop, mobile and smart devices. An appropriate file-naming convention refers to naming files in a way that describes or indicates the content or the use of the file, or includes date and time information.

‘Limitations on file sizes when using some services’ refers to email attachments and file-size upload limits.

‘Online resources’ refers to examples such as online tutorials, frequently asked questions (FAQs) or help facilities.

Specific assessment content

Students should:

• know how to carry out searches on the internet (including by using keywords, exact phrases and search filters)

• know how to take account of currency, reliability and copyright when selecting information from the internet

• understand that search results may include sponsored results or advertisements, and be able to recognise these

• know how to carry out searches for files (including on file names, partial file names and file content)

• know how to create and use a hierarchical folder structure to organise files and an appropriate file-naming convention

• know how to save a file on cloud storage using one device and open it on another device

• know and be able to appropriately use terminology (including ‘bytes’, ‘kilobytes’, ‘megabytes’, ‘gigabytes’ and ‘terabytes’) to describe data storage requirements

• know and understand limitations on file sizes when using some online services, and the benefits of using file compression to make effective use of storage capacity and reduce data transfer times

• know how to use online resources to identify solutions to common technical problems (including when to reinstall an application and change wi-fi settings or a system or software setting) and apply the solution

Creating and editing

Scope of study

‘Using appropriate layout conventions’ refers to adopting common conventions, such as text, tables, images and charts for specific purposes – for example, a formal report for managers, an advertisement for consumers or a presentation for colleagues.

‘Appropriate tool for editing’ refers to a desktop application or an application on a touchscreen device.

‘Simple formulae’ refers to up to 2 mathematical operators.

‘Sorting numeric data’ and ‘filtering data’ refers to one criterion.

‘Appropriate type of chart’ refers to bar or column charts, pie charts and line graphs.

Specific assessment content

Students should know how to:

• use suitable applications (including word-processing and document or web presentation software) to enter, edit, format, lay out and save information (including text, tables, graphics and charts) for a range of purposes and audiences

• use appropriate layout conventions for information (including formal and informal communication, presentations and advertisements) and audiences (including familiar and unfamiliar audiences)

• edit an image (including captioning, cropping, resizing and changing the contrast and colour balance) using an appropriate tool

• process numeric data using simple formulae (including sum, subtraction, multiplication, division, maximum, minimum and average) using relative cell references

• process (including sorting and filtering) numeric data by values in a column

• format numeric data (including font sizes and styles, alignment, row height, column width, and formatting, merging and splitting cells)

• chart a single series of numeric data using an appropriate type of chart and apply suitable titles and labels (including chart title, axis titles, and data legends and labels)

Communicating

Scope of study

‘Using email or online messages for a range of contexts and audiences’ refers to common real-life scenarios, such as communicating with colleagues at work, the general public or users of a social media platform.

Specific assessment content

Students should know how to:

• use email for a range of contexts and audiences

• use online messages (including instant message, text message and social media) for a range of contexts and audiences

• limit their digital footprint (including using privacy tools to manage cookies and website tracking, using private browsing and restricting GPS location-tracking information)

Transacting

Scope of study

‘Online services’ refers to examples such as shopping, banking, utilities and government or media services.

‘Uploading documents or images’ refers to locating a file and understanding that a file’s size may need to be reduced before it is submitted.

Specific assessment content

Students should know how to:

• manage account settings for an online service (including personal details, login credentials, and marketing and communication preferences).

• complete online forms and upload documents or images

• carry out checks to reduce the risks involved in transactions online (including checking for the padlock symbol next to the URL in the browser, checking if the website appears professional and has a legitimate domain name, and checking reviews)

Being safe and responsible online

Scope of study

In ‘understanding key rights under data protection laws’, it is not necessary to understand issues of data protection compliance relating to organisations.

‘Health risks resulting from using devices and the internet’ refers to physical or psychological health risks. ‘Minimising’ these refers to examples such as taking regular breaks, using a wrist rest with a mouse, limiting screen time, avoiding screen use close to bedtime, and reporting cyberbullying.

Specific assessment content

Students should:

• understand key rights under data protection laws (including the right to see what personal data organisations hold about you and to withdraw consent) and the circumstances in which you can request that personal data be rectified or deleted

• understand the importance of protecting personal information and privacy online and know of the methods to do so (including private browsing, social media settings, mobile device settings that restrict or grant GPS location information, and using a secondary email address)

• know how to back up files to the cloud

• know how to avoid exposure to malware (including worms, trojans and ransomware)

• know how to minimise health risks (including weight gain, a decline in physical fitness and poor sleep patterns) that may result from using digital devices and the internet