Technical consultation on regulating Digital Functional Skills qualifications
Applies to England
Download the full outcome
Detail of outcome
We have decided to implement the following proposals:
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to set a minimum weighting of 70% of marks to be gained through the assessment of practical digital skills at both qualification levels
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to require awarding organisations to provide a rationale for their interpretation of subject content statements, together with their weightings in their assessment strategy
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to require that the design of the assessment must be able to cover all subject content statements, over time, at both qualification levels
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to require that assessments sample the subject content statements and the bracketed subject content in the content statements at both qualification levels
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to require that assessments must cover as many of the subject content statements as possible at both qualification levels
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to require that assessments must cover subject content statements from each skill area at both levels
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to issue guidance to awarding organisations that supports consistency between awarding organisations when differentiating between qualification levels
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to issue guidance to awarding organisations that helps ensure assessment tasks that require the use of digital devices are authentic and relevant to the workplace and everyday life
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to expect assessments to be delivered on-screen and online, but to allow paper-based assessment materials to be used by exception
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to adopt the definitions for on-screen and online with some additional explanation to clarify points raised by respondents
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to require awarding organisations to design the qualifications with a single component at both qualification levels
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to permit a maximum of 2 assessments within a component at both qualification levels
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to set minimum and maximum overall assessment times at both qualification levels of 90 and 120 minutes respectively
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to introduce a qualification-level condition so that awarding organisations will not be able to make available any Functional Skills Qualifications in Information Computer Technology (FSQs in ICT) at any level after the 12-month transitional period
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to implement the Conditions, requirements and guidance with minor changes to drafting
You can find the Digital Functional Skills guidance, Qualification Level Conditions for functional skills qualifications and Digital Functional Skills conditions and requirements on the Functional Skills qualifications: requirements and guidance page.
Feedback received
Detail of feedback received
Respondents were supportive of our proposals. There was very strong support for our approaches and proposals on:
- the weighting of marks allocated to the assessment of practical digital skills within assessments
- the coverage and sampling of subject content
- differentiation between qualification levels
- designing assessments with a real-life focus and connections between skills areas
- minimum and maximum assessment times
There were still high levels of support for the following proposals, but there was a slightly higher level of disagreement on:
- use of on-screen and online assessment
- the number of components and assessments
- setting minimum and maximum assessment times at 90 to 120 minutes respectively, for both qualification levels
- introducing a qualification-level condition to ensure that awarding organisations cannot make FSQs in ICT available at any level after a 12-month transitional period
We also received a small number of comments on our proposed Conditions, requirements and Guidance.
Original consultation
Consultation description
We are keen to hear your views on our remaining policy proposals and draft Conditions, Requirements and Guidance for new Digital Functional Skills qualifications.
The new qualifications will be designed to provide students with core digital skills.
We consulted on our initial policy proposals for the regulation of these new qualifications, at the same time as the Department for Education consulted on the draft subject content.
The new qualifications will go through an evaluation process before being made available to schools, colleges and training providers to deliver, to ensure they are valid and fit for purpose.
They will sit alongside Essential Digital Skills Qualifications, as part of the government’s adult digital offer.
First teaching is planned for August 2023 and we will be working with awarding organisations and other stakeholders to ensure a smooth introduction.
Documents
Last updated 31 March 2022 + show all updates
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Documents containing details of the outcome of the consultation.
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First published.