Last updated 16th September 2005
by Helen Nichols
Version 2 website
Launch 22nd October 2001

What are key skills? - Glossary

Click here to download a WORD document about Key Skills including glossary

Some Terms You Need to Know:
Evidence
- what you need to produce to prove you have the skills required. Examples include items you have made, written material, artwork, photographs, audio/video recordings, computer print-outs, diagrams, and records from your assessor and others who have seen your work. Some evidence may be used for more than one key skill. For example, computer print-outs of text and images, such as graphs and charts, could be used as evidence for written communication and for presenting findings in application of number, as well as IT.

Portfolio
- a file or folder for collecting and organising evidence for assessment. It should include a contents page to show where evidence for each part of the unit(s) can be found.

Straightforward
- straightforward subjects and materials are those that you often meet in your work, studies or other activities. Content is put across in a direct way with the main points being easily identified. Usually, sentence structures are simple and you will be familiar with the vocabulary.

Complex
- complex subjects and materials present a number of ideas, some of which may be abstract, very detailed or require you to deal with sensitive issues. The relationship of ideas and lines of reasoning may not be immediately clear. Specialised vocabulary and complicated sentence structures may be used.

Extended documents
- include text books, and reports, articles and essays of more than three pages. They may deal with straightforward or complex subjects and include images such as diagrams, pictures and charts. You are asked to read and write extended documents at level 2 and above to show, for example, that you can identify lines of reasoning in fairly lengthy material and structure your own writing to help others follow your sequence of ideas.

Substantial activity
- an activity that includes a number of related tasks, where the results of one task will affect the carrying out of the others. For example, in application of number a substantial activity will involve obtaining and interpreting information, using this information when carrying out calculations and explaining how the results of your calculations meet the purpose of the activity.

Basic skills
- reading, writing, speaking in English or ( Welsh) and using mathematics sufficiently well to be able to function in society and at work. Key skills and basic skills overlap at levels 1 and 2.

External assessment
- a test set externally to corroborate portfolio evidence.

Initial and diagnostic assessment
- carried out to ascertain a candidates strengths and weaknesses, current levels of attainment and potential.

Internal assessor
- the candidate's teacher or tutor, who assesses the portfolio of evidence.

Internal verification
- The process whereby a centre ensures it operates consistently and to national standards in interpreting and assessing the key skills.

Mapping
-identifies opportunities for developing and assessing key skills within the curriculum.

Proxies Qualifications
- which a student has achieved that exempts them from part or all of the key skills assessment requirement.

Signposting Guidance
- within the specifications for the new AS - levels A levels and GNVQs on opportunities for developing or producing evidence for assessment of key skills.

Standards moderation
- the means by which awarding bodies ensure consistency across centres and make certain national standards are being maintained and applied.

Tracking
- the method by which learner's achievements are recorded across a range of activities.