About this qualification
The technical qualification (TQ) forms part of the new T Level study programme.
The purpose of the level 3 technical qualification is to ensure students have the knowledge and skills needed to progress into skilled employment or higher level technical training relevant to the T Level.
UCAS Points
The T Level study programme is eligible for UCAS points. Please check the UCAS website for more information.
Performance Points
The TQ is eligible for performance points.
Who is it suitable for?
This qualification is suitable for post-16 students looking to develop both knowledge and practical skills in the digital sector.
This technical qualification will support students onto a range of progression routes including employment, higher education and higher apprenticeships.
What are the entry requirements?
This qualification is designed for post-16 students.
There are no specific prior skills/knowledge that a student must have for this qualification. However, students may find it helpful if they have already studied at level 2.
How is this qualification structured?
The technical qualification is split into 2 component parts:
Core component: the knowledge and underpinning concepts, theories and principles as well as core skills for the digital sector.
Occupational specialisms:
Digital Infrastructure
Network Cabling
Digital Support
Cyber Security
Students will only complete one occupational specialism.
The occupational specialisms provide students with knowledge and skills required to enter employment or further study in the specific occupational area.
How is it assessed?
Core component:
paper A written examination
paper B written examination
employer set project
In order to achieve a grade for core component, students must have results for both sub-components (the core (written) examination and the employer set project).
The combined results from these sub-components will be aggregated to form the overall core component grade (A*–E and U).
If students fail to reach the minimum standard across all sub-components, they will receive a U grade. No overall grade will be issued for the core component until both sub-components have been attempted.
Occupational specialism component:
The student is also required to successfully achieve a distinction/merit/pass grade in one of the occupational specialism components. If the student fails to reach the specified level of attainment, they will receive a U grade.
What related qualifications can you progress to?
Students who achieve this qualification could progress to the following, depending on their chosen occupational specialism:
employment
higher education
apprenticeship
Funding for our qualifications
Find out more about funding for this and other qualifications on our funding page.
Key dates
Please see the Key Dates Schedule below for a timeline of the key dates for this qualification.
T Level Technical Qualifications Key Dates Schedule 2024/2025 and 2025/2026
Useful Links
Regulations for the Conduct of External Assessment
Qualification Specific Instructions for Delivery (QSID)
NCFE and Gatsby Technical Education Projects (GTEP) are working in partnership to provide free teaching materials for T Levels in Digital
Gatsby T Level Resources
Assessment materials
NCFE have password protected the latest external assessment past-paper, mark scheme and chief examiner report. You are now able to use these as current and valid mock assessments. To access the documents, you will need a Portal login. If you do not have a Portal login please contact your Portal administrator.
Additional Sample Materials - Core Exams
Sample - core paper A mark scheme (PDF | 548 KB)
Sample - core paper A question paper (PDF | 340 KB)
Sample - core paper B mark scheme (PDF | 602 KB)
Sample - core paper B question paper (PDF | 352 KB)
DSS Additional Support Materials - Employer set Project
Additional support materials - ESP - Digital Support (ZIP | 1802 KB)
Additional support materials - ESP - Network Cabling/Digital Infrastructure (ZIP | 1157 KB)
Additional Sample Materials – Digital Support
Additional Sample - Digital Support - Provider guide (PDF | 168 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Support - Assignment 1 Brief (PDF | 227 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Support - Assignment 1 Mark Scheme (PDF | 185 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Support - Assignment 1 Workbook (ZIP | 64 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Support - Assignment 2 Brief (PDF | 252 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Support - Assignment 2 Mark Scheme (PDF | 191 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Support - Assignment 2 Workbook (ZIP | 36 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Support - Assignment 3 Brief (PDF | 263 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Support - Assignment 3 Mark Scheme (PDF | 258 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Support - Assignment 3 Workbook (ZIP | 57 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Support - Assignment 3 Penetration Test Report (PDF | 452 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Support - Assignment 3 Network Overview Diagram (ZIP | 39 KB)
Additional Sample Materials – Network Cabling
Additional Sample - Network Cabling - Provider Guide (PDF | 550 KB)
Additional Sample - Network Cabling - Assignment 1 Brief (PDF | 317 KB)
Additional Sample - Network Cabling - Assignment 1 Mark Scheme (PDF | 301 KB)
Additional Sample - Network Cabling - Assignment 2 Brief (PDF | 306 KB)
Additional Sample - Network Cabling - Assignment 2 Mark Scheme (PDF | 266 KB)
Additional Sample - Network Cabling - Assignment 3 Brief (PDF | 253 KB)
Additional Sample - Network Cabling - Assignment 3 Mark Scheme (PDF | 345 KB)
Additional Sample - Network Cabling - Assignment 3 Risk Assessment Template (PDF | 159 KB)
Additional Sample - Network Cabling - Assignment 3 Test Plan Template (PDF | 153 KB)
Additional Sample Materials – Digital Infrastructure
Additional Sample - Digital Infrastructure - Provider Guide (PDF | 1204 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Infrastructure - Assignment 1 Brief (PDF | 374 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Infrastructure - Assignment 1 Mark Scheme (PDF | 380 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Infrastructure - Assignment 1 Workbook (PDF | 322 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Infrastructure - Assignment 2 Brief (PDF | 365 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Infrastructure - Assignment 2 Mark Scheme (PDF | 311 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Infrastructure - Assignment 2 Workbook (PDF | 276 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Infrastructure - Assignment 3 Brief (PDF | 368 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Infrastructure - Assignment 3 Mark Scheme (PDF | 411 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Infrastructure - Assignment 3 Workbook (PDF | 309 KB)
Additional Sample - Digital Infrastructure - Assignment 3 Virtual Machines (ZIP | 32 KB)
External Assessment Cover Sheet (EACS) & Supplementary Answer Booklet
External assessment cover sheet (EACS) (Word) (DOCX | 91 KB)
Supplementary Answer Booklet (PDF | 140 KB)
Chief Examiner Report Core Exams June 2022 (PDF | 176 KB)
Chief Examiner Report ESP (Digital Support) May 2022 (PDF | 165 KB)
Chief Examiner Report ESP (Network Cabling And Digital Infrastructure) May 2022 (PDF | 169 KB)
Past Paper Paper A June 2022 (PDF | 3412 KB)
Past Paper Paper A Mark Scheme June 2022 (PDF | 442 KB)
Past Paper Paper B June 2022 (PDF | 4049 KB)
Past Paper Paper B Mark Scheme June 2022 (PDF | 528 KB)
Past Paper Digital Support ESP Project Brief Task 1 May 2022 (PDF | 841 KB)
Past Paper Digital Support ESP Project Brief Task 2 May 2022 (PDF | 791 KB)
Past Paper Digital Support ESP Project Brief Task 3 May 2022 (PDF | 798 KB)
Past Paper Digital Support ESP Project Brief Task 4 May 2022 (PDF | 833 KB)
Past Paper Digital Support ESP Provider Guide May 2022 (PDF | 853 KB)
Past Paper Digital Support ESP Mark Scheme May 2022 (PDF | 298 KB)
Past Paper Digital Infrastructure And Network Cabling ESP Project Brief Task 1 May 2022 (PDF | 1008 KB)
Past Paper Digital Infrastructure And Network Cabling ESP Project Brief Task 2 May 2022 (PDF | 860 KB)
Past Paper Digital Infrastructure And Network Cabling ESP Project Brief Task 3 May 2022 (PDF | 868 KB)
Past Paper Digital Infrastructure And Network Cabling ESP Project Brief Task 4 May 2022 (PDF | 824 KB)
Past Paper Digital Infrastructure And Network Cabling ESP Project Brief Email Template May 2022 (PDF | 719 KB)
Past Paper Digital Infrastructure And Network Cabling ESP Provider Guide May 2022 (PDF | 1334 KB)
Past paper - Digital Infrastructure and Network Cabling ESP mark scheme - May 2022 (PDF | 337 KB)
Past Paper Digital Support:Digital Infrastructure And Network Cabling ESP Email Template May 2022 (DOCX | 36 KB)
Autumn 2022 - Core Papers
Chief examiner report - core papers A and B - autumn 2022 (PDF | 239 KB)
Enhanced chief examiner report summer and autumn 2022 DSS core exam (PDF | 213 KB)
Past paper A - autumn 2022 (PDF | 646 KB)
Past paper A mark scheme - autumn 2022 (PDF | 1232 KB)
Past paper B - autumn 2022 (PDF | 4108 KB)
Past paper B mark scheme - autumn 2022 (PDF | 1465 KB)
Autumn 2022 - Digital Support
Chief examiner report ESP (Digital Support) autumn 2022 (PDF | 217 KB)
Digital Support ESP core skills - mark scheme- November 2022 (PDF | 1013 KB)
Digital Support ESP core skills provider guide - November 2022 (PDF | 1244 KB)
Digital Support ESP - email template - November 2022 (DOCX | 36 KB)
Digital Support ESP core skills project brief- task 1 - November 2022 (PDF | 1172 KB)
Digital Support ESP core skills project brief- task 2 - November 2022 (PDF | 1336 KB)
Digital Support ESP core skills project brief- task 4- November 2022 (PDF | 1157 KB)
Digital Support ESP core skills project brief- task 3- November 2022 (PDF | 1359 KB)
Autumn 2022 - Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure
Chief examiner report ESP (Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure) autumn 2022 (PDF | 176 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure ESP core skills mark scheme- November 2022 (PDF | 346 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure ESP core skills provider guide - November 2022 (PDF | 324 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure email template - November 2022 (DOCX | 36 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure ESP core skills project brief- task 1 - November 2022 (PDF | 453 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure ESP core skills project brief- task 2- November 2022 (PDF | 287 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure ESP core skills project brief - task 3 - November 2022 (PDF | 320 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure ESP core skills project brief- task 4 - November 2022 (PDF | 284 KB)
Summer 2023 - Core Papers
Chief examiner report - Core papers A and B - Summer 2023 (PDF | 207 KB)
Past paper A - Summer 2023 (PDF | 3317 KB)
Past paper B - Summer 2023 (PDF | 3878 KB)
Core A Mark Scheme Summer 2023 (PDF | 296 KB)
Core B Mark Scheme Summer 2023 (PDF | 277 KB)
Summer 2023 - Digital Support
Chief examiner report ESP (Digital Support) Summer 2023 (PDF | 201 KB)
Chief examiner report OS (Digital Support) Summer 2023 (PDF | 190 KB)
Digital Support ESP core skills provider guide - Summer 2023 (PDF | 263 KB)
Digital Support ESP core skills project brief- task 1 - Summer 2023 (PDF | 189 KB)
Digital Support ESP core skills project brief- task 2 - Summer 2023 (PDF | 304 KB)
Digital Support ESP core skills project brief- task 3 - Summer 2023 (PDF | 211 KB)
Digital Support ESP core skills project brief- task 4 - Summer 2023 (PDF | 216 KB)
Digital Support ESP - email template - Summer 2023 (DOCX | 0 KB)
ESP Digital Support Mark Scheme Summer 2023 (PDF | 229 KB)
OS Digital Support Provider Guide Summer 2023 (PDF | 366 KB)
OS Digital Support Assignment 1 Project Summer 2023 (PDF | 332 KB)
OS Digital Support Assignment 1 Workbook Summer 2023 (XLSX | 60 KB)
OS Digital Support Assignment 1 Mark Scheme Summer 2023 (PDF | 171 KB)
OS Digital Support Assignment 2 Project Brief Summer 2023 (PDF | 348 KB)
OS Digital Support Assignment 2 Workbook Summer 2023 (1) (XLSX | 32 KB)
OS Digital Support Assignment 2 Mark Scheme Summer 2023 (PDF | 156 KB)
OS Digital Support Assignment 3 Project Brief Summer 2023 (PDF | 201 KB)
OS Digital Support Assignment 3 Workbook Summer 2023 (XLSX | 58 KB)
OS Digital Support Assignment 3 Penetration Test Report Summer 2023 (PDF | 377 KB)
OS Digital Support Assignment 3 Network Overview Diagram Summer 2023 (PDF | 150 KB)
OS Digital Support Assignment 3 Mark Scheme Summer 2023 (PDF | 168 KB)
Summer 2023 - Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure
Chief examiner report ESP (Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure) Summer 2023 (PDF | 210 KB)
Chief examiner report OS (Digital Infrastructure) Summer 2023 (PDF | 170 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure ESP core skills provider guide - Summer 2023 (PDF | 291 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure ESP core skills project brief- task 1 - Summer 2023 (PDF | 350 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure ESP core skills project brief- task 2- Summer 2023 (PDF | 254 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure ESP core skills project brief - task 3 - Summer 2023 (PDF | 260 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure ESP core skills project brief- task 4 - Summer 2023 (PDF | 207 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure email template - Summer 2023 (DOCX | 0 KB)
Digital Infrastructure & Network Cabling ESP Mark Scheme Summer 2023 (PDF | 170 KB)
OS Digital Infrastructure Provider Guide Summer 2023 (PDF | 1706 KB)
OS Digital Infrastructure Assignment 1 Summer 2023 (ZIP | 3055 KB)
OS Digital Infrastructure Assignment 1 Mark Scheme Summer 2023 (PDF | 192 KB)
OS Digital Infrastructure Assignment 2 Summer 2023 (ZIP | 649 KB)
Digital Infrastructure Assignment 2 Task 2 Virtual Machines (1) (ZIP | 235 KB)
OS Digital Infrastructure Assignment 2 Mark Scheme Summer 2023 (PDF | 194 KB)
Os Digital Infrastructure Assignment 3 Summer 2023 (ZIP | 1936 KB)
OS Digital Infrastructure Assignment 3 Virtual Machine Summer 2023 (PDF | 12 KB)
OS Digital Infrastructure Assignment 3 Mark Scheme Summer 2023 (PDF | 197 KB)
Autumn 2023 – Core Papers
Chief Examiner Report – core papers A and B – Autumn 2023 (PDF | 104 KB)
Past paper A – Autumn 2023 (PDF | 3762 KB)
Past paper B – Autumn 2023 (PDF | 5180 KB)
Core A Mark Scheme Autumn 2023 (PDF | 679 KB)
Core B Mark Scheme Autumn 2023 (PDF | 926 KB)
Autumn 2023 – Digital Support
Chief Examiner Report ESP (Digital Support) Autumn 2023 (PDF | 74 KB)
Digital Support ESP core skills provider guide – Autumn 2023 (PDF | 229 KB)
Digital Support ESP core skills project brief – task 1 – Autumn 2023 (PDF | 190 KB)
Digital Support ESP core skills project brief – task 2 – Autumn 2023 (PDF | 187 KB)
Digital Support ESP core skills project brief – task 3 – Autumn 2023 (PDF | 192 KB)
Digital Support ESP core skills project brief – task 4 – Autumn 2023 (PDF | 202 KB)
Digital Support ESP – email template – Autumn 2023 (DOCX | 37 KB)
ESP Digital Support Mark Scheme Autumn 2023 (PDF | 170 KB)
Autumn 2023 – Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure
Chief Examiner Report ESP (Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure) Autumn 2023 (PDF | 70 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure ESP core skills provider guide – Autumn 2023 (PDF | 333 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure ESP core skills project brief – task 1 – Autumn 2023 (PDF | 338 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure ESP core skills project brief – task 2 – Autumn 2023 (PDF | 228 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure ESP core skills project brief – task 3 – Autumn 2023 (PDF | 257 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure ESP core skills project brief – task 4 – Autumn 2023 (PDF | 248 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure email template – Autumn 2023 (DOCX | 26 KB)
Network Cabling and Digital Infrastructure ESP Mark Scheme Autumn 2023 (PDF | 184 KB)