About these rules and guidance

Information about these rules and guidance, including when they came into force, and who and what they apply to

This document sets out rules and guidance for awarding organisations offering Essential Digital Skills Qualifications. These rules and guidance came into effect at 00.01am on 24 April 2019.

All awarding organisations offering Essential Digital Skills Qualifications have a legal obligation to:

  • comply with these rules
  • have regard to this guidance

Except where these rules specifically state otherwise, awarding organisations must also comply with our rules, and have regard to our guidance, for all regulated qualifications.

Rules and guidance set out in this document

This document sets out the following rules:

  • our Qualification Level Conditions for Essential Digital Skills Qualifications (Conditions EDSQ1 to EDSQ9), which we have set using our powers under section 134 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, and
  • our requirements in relation to assessment strategies, assessments and specified levels of attainment for Essential Digital Skills Qualifications – awarding organisations must comply with these requirements under Conditions EDS3.1(b), EDSQ7.1 and EDSQ8.1 (respectively).
  1. It also sets out a range of guidance for awarding organisations, designed to help them understand how to comply with:
    1. (a) these Qualification Level Conditions and requirements, and
    2. (b) our General Conditions of Recognition (and associated requirements)
  2. when offering Essential Digital Skills Qualifications.