Ascentis Entry Level Award in Digital Skills (Entry 3)

ASCENTIS

vocational

This subtopic introduces learners to the physical components of a computer system, such as the monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and how they are used to interact with digital devices. It also covers the fundamentals of an operating system, including its role in managing hardware and software, and provides practical guidance on launching and navigating a basic software application to complete simple tasks. Mastery of these skills is essential for developing digital literacy and independent use of technology in everyday life.

Objectives

Exam Tips

Pitfalls

Key Terms

Mark Points

What You Need to Demonstrate

Key skills and knowledge for this topic

Award credit for correctly naming and pointing to at least three hardware components (e.g., monitor, keyboard, mouse, system unit) during a practical assessment.
Demonstrate the ability to power on a computer, log into the operating system, and navigate to the desktop or start menu without assistance.
Award credit for launching a specified software application (such as a word processor) and performing a basic function like typing a sentence or saving a file, following step-by-step instructions.

Marking Points

Key points examiners look for in your answers

Award credit for correctly naming and pointing to at least three hardware components (e.g., monitor, keyboard, mouse, system unit) during a practical assessment.
Demonstrate the ability to power on a computer, log into the operating system, and navigate to the desktop or start menu without assistance.
Award credit for launching a specified software application (such as a word processor) and performing a basic function like typing a sentence or saving a file, following step-by-step instructions.

Examiner Tips

Expert advice for maximising your marks

💡In a practical observation, clearly verbalise each step as you perform it to help the assessor award marks for process as well as outcome.
💡If unsure about a button or function, remember basic troubleshooting: look for familiar icons (like a floppy disk for save) and read on-screen labels before guessing.

Common Mistakes

Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

Confusing the functions of the system unit and the monitor, believing the monitor is the 'computer' itself.
Struggling to differentiate between left-click and right-click actions on a mouse, leading to incorrect menu selections.
Mistaking the operating system for a software application, not understanding that the OS is the platform that runs applications.

Key Terminology

Essential terms to know

Be able to identify and use key components of a computer, Understand key components of an operating system, Be able to identify and use a software application.

Ready to test yourself?

Practice questions tailored to this topic

Ascentis Entry Level Award in Digital Skills (Entry 3)

What You Need to Demonstrate

Marking Points

Examiner Tips

Common Mistakes

Key Terminology

Ready to test yourself?

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