FAQ

The advantages of education are endless; education allows you to broaden your mind as well as your horizons. Learners can undertake the advantages of education at any stage of their lives and with so many subject and ability levels to choose from learners will encounter something new. To find out more, please visit our advantages of education page.

Skills for life also known as basic skills are qualifications designed to help learners develop their skills which are required in everyday life, such as reading, writing, maths and ICT. To find out more about skills for life, please visit our skills for life page.

There are several course modules available that cover ECDL, ICDL and ITQ qualifications including:

* IT Security
* IT User Fundamentals
* Word-Processing
* Spreadsheets
* Databases
* Presentations
* Using Email and the Internet
* Improving Productivity Using IT

For ECDL, ICDL, ITQ courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

Home Study Course Samples

ICDL stands for International Computer Driving Licence and is the international version of the ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence). ICDL Advanced versions are set at level 3 (A-level equivalent). For more information on ICDL Advanced, please view our ICDL Overview page. For ICDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ICDL Advanced Course Samples

ICDL stands for International Computer Driving Licence and is the international version of the ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence), for more information on ICDL, please view our ICDL Overview page. For ICDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ICDL Course Samples

Finding work experience can be tough; luckily there is help at hand via a various sources, DirectGov, Graduate Prospects, WEXO, National Council for Work Experience and Do-it.  To find out more about gaining work experience, please visit our work experience page.

Internships are time limited work experience placement, which usually includes an element of training. Internships also offer companies a flexible way to attract talent to your business for a specific period of time. To view more about the benefits of internships and work experience please view our work experience page.

Independent study is an increasingly popular alternative study method to mainstream learning, offering learners maximum flexibility to study when and where they want without restrictions of tutors, class and term times. Find out more on our independent study article.

Home study is self-education (independent study) without the aid of a tutor or mentor. Home study allows learners to study their courses at their own pace. Find out more via our home study courses page.

Home Study Course Samples

NVQ stands for National Vocational Qualification (known as SVQ -Scottish Vocational Qualification in Scotland). Unlike many qualifications, which require, theory based examinations, NVQ is designed for 'competence-based' (practical) assessments to gain the qualification. To find out more about NVQ, please visit our NVQ page.

NOS is the acronym for the "Occupational Standards Directory" used in the UK. The directory provides a powerful resource to the public, enabling free access to the full range of Occupational Standards. The directory contains information on all of the Occupational Standards produced by the Skills for Business network and other standards setting bodies. To find out more, please visit the NOS website.

EUCIP stands for "European Certification of Informatics Professionals", which is the certification programme for the professional competency development scheme, aimed at informatics professionals and practitioners. It consists of a core certification as well as specialised certifications for a range of competences which are set out in an array of job-specific profiles. In addition, there is a standalone certification for IT Administrators. To find out more about the EUCIP, please visit the EUCIP website.

BCS stands for "British Computer Society" which is the chartered institute for IT. BCS promotes wider social and economic progress through the advancement of information technology science and practice. BCS is the awarding body for the ECDL in the UK. For more information on BCS, please visit the BCS website.

An ECDL module is a single unit that learners must complete to gain their required ECDL qualification. For ECDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Module Samples

Adult Education refers to adult learning (i.e. courses for adults) predominately for adults over 19 years who are not otherwise engaged in formal study. For information on adult education courses available, please view our home study courses page.

Home Study Course Samples

The ITQ Improving Productivity Using IT course units entail learners providing a portfolio of evidence via two separate sections, Performance and Knowledge. The performance section consists of learner’s completing a senior using either a word-processing, spreadsheets or presentations application. The knowledge section consists of twelve multiple choice questions relating to productivity. The ITQ Improving Productivity Using IT unit was originally initiated into the 2009 revamped ITQ (Information Technology Qualification) syllabus but in 2010 was additionally incorporated into the ECDL course syllabus range. For ITQ courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ITQ Improving Productivity Using IT Samples

Self-study also known as home study, independent study and self-education is an alternative study method to learning in a school setting or from a full-time tutor or mentor. For information on self-study courses available, please view our home study courses page.

QCF stands for "Qualifications and Credit Framework". QCF is the new framework for creating and accrediting qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Find out more on the QCF website.

PayPal verification increases the security of the PayPal network. Verified members have successfully completed the PayPal verification system to establish their identity. The PayPal verification process varies by country or region, please note www.learn-new-skills-from-home.com is a PayPal verified member.

VET also known as "Vocational Educational Training", allows learners to show their practical skills within the assessment process as opposed to an all theory based examination. ITQ (Information Technology Qualification) is the UK equivalents of VET.

ITQ Course Samples

ECDL is unique in that it is designed to be vendor neutral, meaning the skills requirements in the ECDL syllabus are not linked with any specific software (Microsoft, Apple etc...). Candidates therefore have the flexibility and freedom to acquire ICT skills and confidently apply them in a range of software environments. For more information on course materials available for the ECDL qualifications, please select our ECDL Overview information page.

Unit E (also known as module 8) was an additional module added to the ECDL syllabus, allowing it to comply with the UK Department of Education's Level 2, IT qualifications. The unit was theory based and covered areas such as legal issues, health & safety, working with applications, good practice, application selection, and presenting information. Unit E was not used outside the UK and formed part of the ECDL V4.0/v4.5 syllabus which ceased on the 31st August 2010, making "UNIT E" no longer valid in the syllabus. For ECDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

The new IT Security for Users module replaces the previous ECDL module 1 (Basic Concepts of Information Technology). The updated IT Security for Users module is for UK learners only and reflects basic security issues that affect modern day computer users. For ECDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Course Samples

IT and ICT are very similar. The main difference is that IT (Information Technology) is more widely used with technical issues (severs, support) within businesses, whereas ICT (Information and Communication Technology) is applied more to applications (word, databases, spreadsheets, internet etc...) needed for the day-to-day running of businesses.

ICT Course Samples

The PDF (Portable Document Format) format is used for course samples and full versions as it allows learners to view courses conveniently, via their internet browsers or PDF reader and do not require Microsoft Office to be installed. If you require a FREE PDF Reader, please view the Adobe website.

The log book also known as the skills card was used to register and keep a record of an ECDL (level 1& 2) candidate's successful tests. The ECDL log book/skills car (ended 31st August 2009) and has now been replaced by electronic registration which costs £20 (prices may vary). For ECDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Course Samples

Provisions can be made for ECDL candidates that may have special needs requirements, it can take up to 20 working days to process a Special Needs application prior to the candidate's first module test, so please contact your local ECDL test centre as soon as possible for further details. For more information about the ECDL exams process. Find out more on the ECDL exams process page.

ECDL Course Samples

When a learner has passed all their required ECDL module tests they will receive the appropriate ECDL certificate (there is no additional charge incurred). For ECDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Course Samples

ECDL learners who fail a ECDL module test are allowed to retake different versions (usually four in general circulation) of the same module. Usually there is a 24 hour time period before the learner can retake the failed module. Learners are encouraged to assess their weaker areas and gain the required knowledge via course materials to pass, prior to their second attempt. For more information on ECDL course materials available, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Course Samples

SME stands for, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. The European Commission classes SME in the categories listed below. Find out more about European businesses and how they can efficiently train their staff cost-effectively.

No. You can use any software to complete the ECDL exams but predominately most test centres will only have Microsoft Office 2000/XP/2003/2007 and soon 2010 applications available. For more information on testing software please contact your local testing centre. For ECDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

Yes. General you will have to pay for ECDL exam resists, for costs please contact your local ECDL testing centre. For more information on the exams process, please visit our ECDL exams process page.

Home Study Course Samples

Yes. Microsoft Office 2007 and Office 2010 supports a new document format (XML). This new format allows users of old versions of Microsoft Word (2000/XP/2003) software to open the document in 2007 and 2010, but documents that were created in 2007 cannot be opened in older (2000/XP/2003) versions unless you use a compatibility program, which is available from the Microsoft website.

No. Calculators and other aids are not allowed in any ECDL module exams. For ECDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Course Samples

Yes. You can run Microsoft Office versions (2008) on the Apple Mac operating systems. For more information on Microsoft Office on the Apple Mac, please visit the Mactopia website.

Yes. You can take any ECDL module at any ECDL test centre. This means learners taking the Core (level 1 & 2) ECDL qualification could potentially visit up to seven different test centres (learners will need ID for each centre) to gain their qualification. Find out more via our exams process page.

ECDL Course Samples

Yes. If you have some prior basic knowledge of the Microsoft Office Word application then it is possible to gain the ECDL Advanced Word qualification quickly. For ECDL Advanced Word courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Advanced Word Samples

Yes. If you have some prior basic knowledge of the Microsoft Office Access application then it is possible to gain the ECDL Advanced Databases qualification quickly. For ECDL Advanced Database courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Advanced Database Samples

Yes. If you have some prior basic knowledge of the Microsoft Office Powerpoint application then it is possible to gain the ECDL Advanced Presentations qualification quickly. For ECDL Advanced Presentation courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Advanced Presentation Samples

All our PREMIER ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence), ICDL (International Computer Driving Licence) and ITQ (Information Technology Qualification) home study course packages come with 12 months access to our Member's Area. The Members area includes worldwide job search facilities, exam and application tips, application shortcuts, useful downloads, CV templates, interview tips and additional exam question and answer snippets. Additionally the NEW 2012 learner’s forum is available, where learners can interact with other home study learners from around the world. Premier package learners can save up to 30% compared to individual module packages, to find out more, please view our full home study course list page.

Home Study Course Samples

ECDL samples tests (without answers) can be downloaded via the ECDL website, additionally ECDL sample tests can be downloaded via our home study courses page.

ECDL Course Samples

ECDL practice tests are samples tests (without answers) that can be downloaded via the ECDL website, additionally ECDL practice tests can be downloaded via our home study courses page.

ECDL Course Samples

The pass mark for each ECDL and ICDL (level 1 & 2) module is 75% to be achieved within a set time period of 45 minutes. The pass mark for each ECDL, ICDL Advanced (level 3) module is 75% to be achieved within a set time period of 1 hour. For ECDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

Outside of Europe the ECDL is known as the ICDL (International Computer Driving Licence). Both ECDL and ICDL qualifications are identical and equally recognised globally. For ICDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ICDL Course Samples

ICDL GCC stands for the "International Computer Driving Licence Gulf Cooperation Council Foundation". The ICDL GCC Foundation administer and oversee the ICDL certification program in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.

To be eligible for the ECDL Essentials certification, learners must pass all three level 1 (ITQ level 1) modules, IT User Fundimaentails, Security for IT Users and Using Email and the Internet. For ECDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Essentials Samples

The ECDL and ICDL WebStarter program is a certification programme that offers candidates the opportunity to acquire the core skills required to design, create and maintain a website, without having to commit time and valuable resources to a professional-level web design programme. For more information on the ECDL and ICDL WebStarter program, please visit the ECDL Foundation website.

Learners must pass any four of the seven ECDL level 1-2 modules of the ECDL v5.0 syllabus to achieve the ECDL Start certification. The qualification does not indicate that the learner has completed all the required seven modules needed to gain the full ECDL certification. For ECDL Start courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Start Samples

If learners pass all four ECDL Advanced modules they will be entitled to claim the ECDL Expert certification for FREE (no additional tests or fees required). Additionally the ECDL Expert (UK only) qualifications entitle learners to become an Associate Member of BCS allowing them to add the letters "AMBCS" after their name. For further information, please visit BCS ECDL Expert website. For ECDL Advanced courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Advanced Course Samples

ECDL-F is the abbreviation for the "European Computer Driving Licence Foundation". To find out more about the ECDL Foundation, please visit our ECDL Overview page.

ECDL Course Samples

The ECDL Flexiqual is a qualification that allows candidates to pick and choose units from the ECDL portfolio to create their own qualification. Find out more on the ECDL exams process page.

ECDL Flexiqual Samples

ECDL Extra (formley know as BCS Level 2 Certificate for IT Users) consists of four modules, Word-Processing, Spreadsheets, Presentations and Improving Productivity Using IT all set at level 2 (intermediate levels). Find out more about the ECDL Extra on our ECDL exams process page.

ECDL Extra Samples

Yes. Office 2003 is still widely used by businesses and individuals alike. Most training centres will offer Office 2003 as a choice of application to be used for your ECDL modules test. For ECDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Course Samples

ECDL Advanced learners will need to pay a fee of around £65 per exam (prices may vary), for ECDL Advanced courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Advanced Samples

Students that are digitally literate will enjoy a more enriched educational experience and will be better prepared in life for work, and further learning. Popular digital literate qualifications include the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL). For more information on the benefits of digital literacy for students, please visit our IT Students page.

To gain the ECDL, ICDL level 1 & 2 certifications, candidates must pass all 7 core modules (in any order) with a pass mark of at least 75%. All exams last 45 minutes. Partial ECDL certification are also available (ECDL Start certificate) for more information, please visit our ECDL exams process page. For ECDL, ICDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Course Samples

No. Due to the flexibility of software and versions of software that can be used the ECDL certificates don't display application versions (2003, 2007, 2010). For ECDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Course Samples

Yes. The ECDL Expert certificate can be claimed if you candidates complete all four ECDL Advanced modules. The ECDL Expert certificate can be claimed regardless of when the Advanced modules were achieved and what syllabus version or software version they were taken in. For ECDL Advanced courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Advanced Samples

Yes. The ECDL can be used as part of certain degree (Media, IT etc...) courses. For more information concerning the ECDL qualification and degree points, please contact your local university, college or learning centre. For ECDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Home Study Course Samples

ECDL (ICDL) exams using an Apple Mac machine depends on individual testing centres recourses. For more information on the ECDL exams process, please read the information on our ECDL exams process page.

Yes. If you have some prior basic knowledge of the Microsoft Office Excel application then it is possible to gain the ECDL Advanced Spreadsheets qualification quickly. For ECDL Advanced Spreadsheet courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Advanced Spreadsheets Samples

There is no difference between the ECDL and ICDL qualifications, one is simply European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) and the other is International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL), they are both recognised worldwide. For more information on the ECDL and ICDL qualifications, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL, ICDL Course Samples

The ECDL and ICDL level 1 and 2 qualification consists of 7 modules:

* Module 1: IT Security (level 1)
* Module 2: IT User Fundamentals (level 1)
* Module 3: Word-Processing (level 2)
* Module 4: Spreadsheets (level 2)
* Module 5: Databases (level 2)
* Module 6: Presentations (level 2)
* Module 7: Information Communication (level 1)

For ECDL, ICDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

The ECDL Advanced and ICDL Advanced qualifications consists of 4 modules:

* Advanced - Word-Processing (level 3)
* Advanced - Spreadsheets (level 3)
* Advanced - Databases (level 3)
* Advanced - Presentation (level 3)

For ECDL Advanced and ICDL Advanced courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

Gaining an ECDL, ICDL qualification can raise your level of competency in IT and computer skills allowing you to improve your productivity at home and work, and can help towards gaining employment or promotion. For ECDL, ICDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

Home Study Course Samples

Government backed statistics show that by 2014 over 90% of jobs throughout Europe will require IT or ICT skills. Businesses that train their employees in efficient recognised qualifications such as ECDL (European Computer Driving licence), ICDL (International Computer Driving licence) and ITQ (Information Technology Qualification) will help ensure competent levels of IT/ICT are achieved within their organisation and potential reduce overall IT support costs. For ECDL, ICDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

Home Study Course Samples

ITQ (UK only) is the acronym for Information Technology Qualification. To find out more about ITQ and its benefits, please visit our ITQ Overview page. For ITQ courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ITQ Home Study Course Samples

ITQ (Information Technology Qualification) certifications consist of a portfolio of qualifications which replaced the NVQ (National Vocational Qualifications) for IT and computing units. ITQ is a UK nationally-recognised programme which has been designed by employers to meet the needs of today's businesses. By completing ITQ units learners will acquire the required skills to complete their daily IT tasks more effectively and productively. ITQ qualification also map to other recognised certification including the ECDL (European Computer Driving licence) portfolio. Find out more about ITQ units on our ITQ Overview page.

ITQ Course Samples

The ITQ was designed for the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). The QCF allows learners to gain credits at each level, unit by unit, building on existing knowledge and skills without having to repeat their learning. Find out more on the e-Skills website. For ITQ courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ITQ Test Centres

There are literary 1000's of ITQ test centres around the UK, simply visit the BCS website to find your local ITQ testing centre. For ITQ courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.

ECDL Test Centres

There are literary 1000's of ECDL test centres around the UK, simply visit the BCS website to find your local ECDL testing centre. For ECDL courses and samples, please visit our home study courses page.