About the Essential Skills qualifications

The Essential Skills qualifications were developed to support Northern Ireland's Essential Skills strategy to improve adults' literacy, numeracy and ICT skills. These qualifications are a key part of all post-16 college, community and work-based learning provision in Northern Ireland, including apprenticeships and work preparation courses.
 

How are these qualifications assessed?

City & Guilds offers the full suite of Essential Skills qualifications covering Entry 1, 2 and 3, Level 1 and Level 2. Assessment arrangements depend on the level candidates are working towards.

Entry Level
Both Adult Numeracy and Adult Literacy are assessed using Tasks that have been developed jointly by City & Guilds and CCEA. There's a choice of tasks on various topics so there's bound to be one that will engage your learners. To access the catalogues of live Entry Level Tasks, click on the following links:

• Adult Numeracy (PDF 407kb)
• Adult Literacy  (PDF 416kb).

Live tasks can be ordered (for registered candidates only) from our Northern Ireland office. Practice Tasks are also available for Adult Numeracy and Adult Literacy.

Levels 1-2
Essential Skills Application of Number and Communication have two assessment components: portfolio and confirmatory Desktop Task (DTT).

The portfolio should be based on one of the approved Action Based Activities (ABAs) developed by City & Guilds and CCEA. There's a choice of nearly 40 ABA templates for each skill area covering 'generic' and vocational contexts. To access the ABAs, click on the following links.

• Application of Number (generic)
• Application of Number (vocational)
• Communication (generic)
• Communication (vocational)

Live DTTs can be ordered (for registered candidates only) from our Northern Ireland office. Tutor/candidate guides and practice DTTs are available to download from this site for Application of Number and Communication.

Essential Skills ICT pilot

We're currently piloting an Essential Skills qualification in ICT at Levels 1-2 which is expected to eventually replace Key Skills ICT and other IT user qualifications in Northern Ireland. Tutors involved in the pilot can access the portfolio templates and other support information via the pilot's Moodle site (login required).