Key skills
Key skills are the skills most commonly needed for success in a range of activities at work, in education and training, and life in general.
There are six key skills qualifications and they're available at levels 1 to 4.
The main key skills are:
- Application of number
- Communication
- Information and communication technology.
The wider key skills are:
- Improving own learning and performance
- Problem solving
- Working with others.
Key skills in schools, colleges and higher education
Key skills are embedded in the national curriculum and schools and colleges often focus on them through work experience programmes and curriculum-enrichment activities.
Institutions of higher education have made the use of key skills explicit within their undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and in initiatives such as the Graduate Apprenticeship, Modern Apprenticeship and Foundation Degrees. Key skills qualifications are recognised in the UCAS Tariff for admission to higher education.
Information for teachers and assessors
For more detailed information aimed at teachers and assessors about what each key skills qualification involves, please see Key skills: standards and guidance.
For detailed information about the portfolio and test components of a key skills qualification, please see Assessing key skills.
Many other qualifications involve aspects of key skills, so if a candidate can show that they have passed a proxy qualification, then they can be awarded a key skills qualification if they complete the other components required. Further information on claiming a proxy or relaxation can be found in Key Skills Policy and Practice, Your Questions Answered. Also see Key skills proxy qualifications.
Last modified: 04 Jun 2010
