Deliver BCS Essential Digital Skills Qualifications (EDSQ)
The BCS Entry Level 3 and Level 1 Essential Digital Skills qualifications are Ofqual approved.
Why are these qualifications needed?
The key findings from the UK Consumer Digital Index 2020 are:
An estimated 9 million (16% of the UK population) are unable to use the Internet and their device by themselves.
An estimated 2.7 million (5% of the UK population) can access the Internet but lack the ability to use it to its full advantage.
An estimated 17.1 million (52%) people in the workforce lack digital skills required for the workplace.*
The government will provide entitlement funding for learners in England aged 16 -19 and for adults, aged 19+ (employed or unemployed) with no or low digital skills who take the Ofqual approved Essential Digital Skills qualifications.
*Statistics provided by Lloyds Bank
How were the qualifications developed?
The qualifications are aimed at two levels:
- Entry level - qualifications designed for adults with no or little prior experience of using digital devices or the internet.
- Level 1 - qualifications designed for adults with some experience of using digital devices and the internet but lacking secure basic digital skills.
BCS have used the National Standards for Essential Digital Skills (developed by the Department for Education) to create the qualifications.
The BCS qualifications cover all five skills areas set out in the national standards. These are:
- Using devices and handling information.
- Creating and editing.
- Communicating.
- Transactions.
- Being safe and responsible online.
For further information, access the national standards for essential digital skills document (PDF).
Useful resources
More about the qualifications
BCS Essential Digital Skills for Work Entry Level 3 and BCS Essential Digital Skills for Work Level 1 will both be:
- Assessed through two online, on-screen invigilated tests.
- One test will focus on knowledge (with a range of question types including multiple choice, hotspot, drag and drop, object ordering and matching). The second test will focus on skills (with question types including hotspots, advanced hotspots and the BCS In-application assessment engine).
- The knowledge tests comprise of 1, 2- and 3-mark questions worth a total score of 50 marks. The skills tests are made up of four scenarios worth a total score of 50 marks.
- A learner’s overall achievement is calculated by aggregating the scores from both tests.
- The tests will take 45 minutes each and will be supported by teaching of 50 guided learning hours within a total qualification time of 64 hours.
- The support for teaching the content of the EDS framework will be through a dedicated online website and it will be open to learners, teachers, and approved centre managers.
Key documents
- Qualification specification - BCS Entry Level Essential Digital Skills for Work (Entry 3) (PDF)
- Qualification specification - BCS Level 1 Essential Digital Skills for Work (PDF)
- Skillsbox system requirements (PDF)
- Quick start guide for Skillsbox (PDF)
- GOV.UK - Skills for jobs: Lifelong learning for opportunity and growth (PDF)
