The Department for Education is introducing a new legal entitlement to fully funded specified digital qualifications, at Entry Level and Level 1, for adults with no or low digital skills. This entitlement will be available from August 2020. Alongside the new entitlement, the Department is reforming basic digital qualifications, introducing new Essential Digital skills qualifications (EDSQs) and new Digital Functional Skills qualifications (Digital FSQs). You can find further information about the 2 qualifications in the table below.
Essential Digital Skills qualifications
Digital Functional Skills qualifications
New qualification available at Entry level 3 and at Level 1
Replacing Functional Skills in ICT, but new qualifications available at Entry level 3 and at Level 1
Appropriate qualification for adults with no or low digital skills wishing to gain digital skills for a specific life, work or study purpose - for example, to apply for jobs online, to manage finances online or to access government services online
Appropriate qualification for adults with no or low digital skills wishing to confirm they have digital skills needed for employment or further study
Qualifications based on new national standards for essential digital skills
Qualifications based on DfE subject content derived from the national standards for essential digital skills
30-50 hours of guided learning
55 hours of guided learning
Published 13 January 2020 Last updated 24 August 2022 +show all updates
The evaluation progress table in 'Essential Digital Skills qualifications: progress so far' has been amended to include information on Open Awards.
Document "Digital Functional Skills qualifications: progress so far" has been updated to reflect the the final version of the regulatory framework, published on 31 March 2022. Also reflects the opening of the window for awarding organisations to expand their scope of recognition, on 14 April 2022.
Evaluation progress table updated: both entry level and level 1 for City and Guilds are now at 3.
Evaluation progress table updated: both entry level and level 1 for Highfield are now at 4.
Update to the evaluation progress table: City & Guilds is now at 4 for both entry level and level 1, and Highfield is at 3 for both entry level and level 1.
Update to the evaluation progress table: City & Guilds is now at 3 for both entry level and level 1, and Highfield is at 2 for both entry level and level 1.
Update to the evaluation progress table: City & Guilds has been added to the evaluation progress table and both entry level and level 1 for City & Guilds are at 2.
Evaluation progress table updated: both entry level and level 1 for NOCN are now at 5.
Evaluation progress table updated: NOCN have resubmitted entry level and level 1 qualifications to Ofqual and both are undergoing technical evaluation.
Update to the evaluation progress table: both entry level and level 1 for NCFE are now at 5.
The Essential Digital Skills Qualification progress table has been updated and now shows Ascentis and The Learning Machine both levels at 5.
