Introducing Digital Functional Skills

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve been approved to offer the new Digital Functional Skills qualifications, having successfully completed the Ofqual technical evaluation process. This makes us among the first Awarding Organisations approved to deliver Digital Functional Skills from August 2023.

Complying with the Department for Education’s (DfE) National Standards, Digital Functional Skills Qualifications (DFSQ) will provide your learners with the skills they need to succeed in work, education and life.

Register your place at our upcoming Prep to Teach events.

Here’s everything you need to know…

The qualification

Digital Functional Skills is a 55 GLH qualification at Entry Level 3 and Level 1. NCFE’s qualifications will include: 

• qualification specifications 
• sample assessments 
• on-demand online assessment  
• Both levels were assessed by external assessment 
• results in 6 working days* 
• remote invigilation. 

*Results will be outside of 6 working days for the initial run of assessments while papers go through the awarding process 

What is the difference between DFSQ and Essential Digital Skills qualifications (EDSQ)?

The Department for Education (DfE) has clearly set out the differences between the two qualifications, as follows:

• Essential Digital Skills qualifications are smaller (30 to 50 GLH) when compared with Digital Functional Skills qualifications (55 GLH).
• Essential Digital Skills qualifications are not required to cover all the skills statements in each skill area of the national standards whereas Digital Functional Skills assessments are designed to cover all subject content statements.
• The main purpose of Digital Functional Skills is that they will prepare for employment and further study whereas Essential Digital Skills are more aimed at supporting people in their everyday life.

The key difference between NCFE’s Essential Digital Skills and Digital Functional Skills is within the assessment:

• Essential Digital Skills has a controlled assessment. Therefore, NCFE creates the assessment, the centre marks and internal quality assures the assessment, and then NCFE reviews the assessment through our EQA process.
• For Digital Functional Skills, NCFE creates the assessment, marks the assessment and issues the results, which speeds up the process and reduces the administration burden for centres.