Digital Functional Skills qualifications: progress so far
Updated 25 March 2024
Applies to England
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In March 2022 we published the rules against which we will regulate the new Digital Functional Skills qualifications (DFSQs).
We have developed these requirements with the intention that digital functional skills qualifications fulfil the following purposes, which are in line with those set out by the Secretary of State. Digital functional skills qualifications should provide:
- reliable evidence of a learner’s achievements against content that is relevant to the workplace and real life
- assessment of a learner’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 develop skills for everyday life
These conditions came into effect at 2pm on Thursday 31 March 2022 and apply to the following digital functional skills qualifications:
- qualifications awarded to all learners registered on or after 31 July 2023
- all qualifications awarded on or after 1 August 2024
All new DFSQs will go through a technical evaluation process before being made available to centres (schools, colleges and training providers) to deliver. This is to ensure that the qualifications are valid and fit for purpose. Using a combination of subject and assessment experts, we review the materials submitted by each awarding organisation against our rules. These materials include the specification and the sample assessments. We consider issues such as their level of demand, coverage of the Department for Education national standards, and the quality of the questions and the associated mark schemes. We also review the awarding organisation’s assessment strategy, the key document in which they explain the approach they are proposing to the design and delivery of their qualification.
Evaluation progress
The status, as at 07 February 2024, of each of the qualifications that awarding organisations have notified Ofqual they are developing is as follows:
| Organisation | Entry Level 3 | Level 1 |
|---|---|---|
| BCS | Qualification requires resubmission | Qualification requires resubmission |
| City & Guilds | Technical evaluation of qualification complete and may be made available | Technical evaluation of qualification complete and may be made available |
| Gateway | Technical evaluation of qualification complete and may be made available | Technical evaluation of qualification complete and may be made available |
| Highfield | Notice of intention to submit qualification for technical evaluation | Notice of intention to submit qualification for technical evaluation |
| iCan Qualifications | Notice of intention to submit qualification for technical evaluation | Notice of intention to submit qualification for technical evaluation |
| NCFE | Technical evaluation of qualification complete and may be made available | Technical evaluation of qualification complete and may be made available |
| NOCN | Technical evaluation of qualification complete and may be made available | Technical evaluation of qualification complete and may be made available |
| OCNLR | Technical evaluation of qualification complete and may be made available | Technical evaluation of qualification complete and may be made available |
| Pearson | Technical evaluation of qualification complete and may be made available | Technical evaluation of qualification complete and may be made available |
| TLM | Technical evaluation of qualification complete and may be made available | Technical evaluation of qualification complete and may be made available |
Summary of the stages of technical evaluation
Stage 1: Notice of intention to submit qualification for technical evaluation received from awarding organisation.
Stage 2: First technical evaluation of qualification.
Stage 3: Qualification requires resubmission.
Stage 4: Qualification resubmitted for technical evaluation.
(Please note that a qualification may go back to stage 3 of the process if it requires resubmission)
Stage 5: Technical evaluation complete – qualification may be made available with requirements.
Stage 6: Qualification may be made available.