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Digital Functional Skills
Introducing Digital Functional Skills
We’re delighted to have been approved to offer the new Digital Functional Skills Qualifications, having successfully completed the Ofqual technical evaluation process.
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.
Watch our latest DFSQ webinar
This webinar covers everything you need to know about delivering our Digital Functional Skills qualifications (DFSQ), including:
- the individual components of our Digital Functional Skills solution
- the standalone and packaged offers
- all the latest updates surrounding the qualification.
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 qualification will include:
- qualification specifications
- sample assessments
- on-demand online assessment
- both levels 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 will NCFE provide?
Alongside the qualification and our sector-leading support that you're familiar with, we’ll also have the following resources to support the delivery of the qualification:
- initial/diagnostic assessments
- detailed reporting
- individual learner skills plans
- teaching and learning resources
- schemes of work.
If you’re already approved for our Functional Skills qualifications, you’ll automatically be given approval for Digital Functional Skills.
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 internally 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.
When will DFSQ be available?
DFSQ at Entry Level 3 and Level 1 has been available for delivery since August 2023.
Package option
Our Digital Functional Skills package consists of DFSQ registration, access to our initial assessment and diagnostics tool Skills Builder, and full access to all teaching and learning resources for an inclusive cost of £26 per registration. Check the box in the enquiry form if you'd like to know more about the package option.
What's next?
Access our free 20-minute webinar which will tell you all you need to know about DFSQ.
Learn more by viewing the DFSQ qualification page.
To start delivering Digital Functional Skills qualifications, fill out our enquiry form today.
Digital Functional Skills Delivery Support
Are you delivering Digital Functional Skills? Click here to view our central hub for all the support and information you need.
Why choose NCFE?
When you decide to work with us, you’re choosing:
- Products and services developed by experts in their fields who understand sector skills gaps, as well as current and future employer requirements
- The best possible start for your learners, who will master the skills they need to progress in work and in life, across a lifetime of learning
- Deep expertise in a number of specialist sectors, with a network of collaborators delivering transformational learning experiences in these areas
- Skills diagnostic and assessment tools, developed to help you support your learners’ individual needs
- Customer service with a 96% satisfaction rate and world-class Net Promoter Score (NPS)*
- Clear service-level agreements, multi-channel service, end-to-end support with dedicated account management and transparent pricing
- An educational charity with a 170-year heritage in vocational and technical learning.
*NCFE has an NPS of 81, putting us in the world-class category. Our customer satisfaction score (CSAT) is 4.83 out of 5. Statistics correct as of January 2022