The standards set out the digital skills needed for work and life across two skills levels:

Entry Level – designed for adults with no or little prior experience of using digital devices or the internet.

• 45 GLH | 50 TQT

Level 1 – designed for adults with some experience of using digital devices and the internet but lacking secure basic digital skills.

• 45 GLH | 50 TQT

The standards include a single Entry Level, rather than three entry sub-levels to reflect how digital skills are typically taught, learned and applied. The Entry Level skills statements include skills across the three entry sub-levels.

Assessment at Entry Level

• Task based assessment
• Question paper
• Observation with the learner. 

Assessment at Level 1

• Task based assessment
• Question paper 

First Teach September 2020 (subject to Ofqual approval).

We will be providing online webinars, designed to help you understand the specification and assessment process better. Updates on this to follow. 

These are an important pre-requisite of skills learners need to have prior to starting EDSQ: 

• Turning on a device (including entering and updating any account information safely, such as a password)
• Using the available controls on a device (such as a mouse and keyboard for a computer, or touchscreen on a smartphone or tablet)
• Making use of accessibility tools (including assistive technology) to make devices easier to use (such as changing display settings to make content easier to read)
• Interacting with the home screen on a device
• Connecting to the internet (including Wi-Fi) safely and securely, and opening a browser
• Opening and accessing an application on a device

• Using devices and handling information - using hardware and software, searching and navigating.
• Creating and editing - using apps to enter and edit information, capturing/saving multimedia.
• Communicating - sending and receiving communications. 
• Transactions - e-commerce and buying online
• Being safe and responsible online - being safe online, protecting your data, etc.

• The centre will be given a detailed mark scheme to mark the assessment against national standards.
• The standards verifier will visit the centre and sample learner work to check that the mark scheme has been followed and national standards have been applied.
• The assessment will be taken on demand by the centre. Pearson will allocate an assessment to the centre. Pearson will produce three assessments each year covering different parts of the content, the centres will not have access to the assessments and they will be allocated on a random basis.
• The assessments will take 2 hours and 30 minutes for Level 1 and 2 hours for Entry Level and assessed under controlled conditions, the assessments can be split into the tasks and question paper. The Entry Level qualification additionally includes an observation. When any part is started it must be finished in one session. The centre can factor in controlled breaks if needed.