External assessment

This section examines the externally assessed components of key skills. In England and Northern Ireland, the external assessment for the first three key skills, Communication, Application of Number and Information and Communication Technology, takes the form of a test which samples from the whole standard at the appropriate level. The tests are externally set, taken under supervised condtions, and externally marked.

Candidates for the wider key skills qualifications may be required to give satisfactory answers to questions asked by an assessor (eg tutor, trainer, supervisor).

To achieve qualifications in Application of Number, Communication or Information and Communication Technology candidates must produce a portfolio of evidence and pass an external test for each key skill or claim a proxy for the test. View Details

There are no tests for the Wider key skills of Improving own Learning and Performance; Problem Solving and Working with Others. These are assessed solely through a portfolio of evidence.

The key skills external tests for Communication and Application of Number at Level 1 and Level 2 are the same test as the national test for literacy and numeracy at those levels.

Summary of this section

• Principles
  Information on the principles of external assessment.
• Proxy qualifications
  Information on proxy qualifications for key skills assessment.
• Wider Key Skills Qualifications Pilot
  Information on the Wider Key Skills qualifications pilot.
• Sample test papers
  Sample external test papers for Levels 1 - 3.
• Information and Communication Technology
  Advice on the tests for Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
• ICT datafiles 2004/2005
  Link to QCA ICT datafiles 2004/2005.
• Guidance to test writers
  QCA basic and key skils test standards for staff students preparing for the external tests in key skills Application of Number, Communication and ICT.