Essential Digital Skills qualifications: what they cover, who can study free, and where typing fits
Essential Digital Skills Qualifications (EDSQs) are qualifications for adults that cover the everyday digital skills needed for life and work, such as using a device, finding information, communicating online, paying for things and staying safe. In England, if you are 19 or over and a provider assesses you as not having essential digital skills, you can usually study one free. The national standards behind them treat using a keyboard and mouse as a basic starting skill and do not set a typing speed. That is why touch typing is worth treating as a separate, practical add-on if you are looking for work or returning to it.
This article is general information for adults in England. Funding rules change from year to year and can differ where adult skills funding is managed locally, so check with a college or adult learning provider near you.
What are Essential Digital Skills qualifications?
EDSQs were introduced for adults with no or low digital skills. They are built on national standards published by the Department for Education and regulated by Ofqual, whose qualification rules set out what they must contain. Several awarding organisations offer them, and they are taught by colleges, adult and community learning services and training providers, in classrooms or online.
At the time of writing, EDSQs are available at two levels, Entry Level 3 and Level 1. Some providers also offer Digital Functional Skills qualifications, a related option at the same levels, so it is worth asking which one suits you.
Who can study Essential Digital Skills free in England?
A legal entitlement introduced in August 2020 lets eligible adults study these qualifications fully funded. According to the government's guidance on fully-funded qualifications for adults with low digital skills, you are usually eligible if you:
- are aged 19 or over;
- are assessed by the provider as not having essential digital skills; and
- meet the residency requirements in the adult skills funding rules (in most cases, living in England on the day learning starts).
The provider carries out an initial assessment so that you start at the right level. The entitlement covers EDSQs and Digital Functional Skills qualifications up to and including Level 1. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own adult learning arrangements, so this entitlement applies to England only. To find a course, search the National Careers Service website, ask your local college or council adult learning service or, if you are claiming benefits, ask your Jobcentre work coach.
Which framework and standards sit behind the qualifications?
Three government documents are easily confused, and the differences matter if you are choosing a course this year.
| Document | Year | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Essential digital skills framework | 2018 | Describes the digital skills adults need for life and work in five categories: communicating, handling information and content, transacting, problem solving, and being safe and legal online. |
| National standards for essential digital skills | 2019 | Set out what adults should be able to do at Entry Level 3 and Level 1. These are the standards the current EDSQs were built on. |
| Essential digital skills standards: 2026 | Published 15 July 2026 | A revision covering five levels (Entry Level 1, 2 and 3, Level 1 and Level 2), with content updated for technological change, including artificial intelligence. |
Because the 2026 standards are so new, awarding organisations will need to review their qualifications against them, and courses running this year may still follow the 2019 version. If you start a course now, ask your provider which standards it is based on.
Do the digital skills standards mention keyboards or typing?
Only at the most basic level. The 2019 national standards describe a set of foundation skills that some adults may need before starting an entry level course. One of them is using "the available controls on a device", with the examples of "a mouse and keyboard for a computer, or touchscreen on a smartphone or tablet". The same document says foundation skills are not part of the standards themselves and must not be assessed.
The 2026 standards change the picture slightly. According to the DfE's announcement and sector summaries, foundation skills such as turning on a device and getting online are now included at Entry Levels 1 and 2, so the basics of using a keyboard and mouse become part of the lowest levels rather than sitting outside them. In both versions, keyboard use is a starting point for getting things done. In the 2019 standards and the parts of the 2026 revision we reviewed, we found no typing speed requirement and no mention of touch typing. We have not checked every line of the full 2026 document, so if keyboard skills matter to you, look at the levels that apply to your course.
Why is touch typing a useful add-on to a digital skills course?
An EDSQ shows that you can carry out important digital tasks. It does not show that you can type quickly and accurately, which is exactly what many office jobs check. That gap matters most if you are applying for admin, reception, customer service or data entry roles, where some employers and recruitment agencies set a short typing test as part of the process; our guide to the admin typing test in the UK explains what to expect.
It matters in less obvious ways too. Long online application forms, supporting statements and cover letters are far less tiring when you are not searching for each key. If you are returning to work after a career break, when the tools have moved on, quick and accurate typing is one of the fastest ways to feel confident again. And if you are thinking about putting a speed on your CV, state it honestly, with net words per minute and accuracy; our guide on how to show typing speed on a UK CV explains how.
The two fit together well. Many people find an EDSQ easier once they are confident on a keyboard, and an EDSQ gives you a regulated qualification that a typing practice tool cannot.
How can you build typing skills alongside a course?
A simple routine fits around most courses and jobs:
- Take a short typing test and note your words per minute and accuracy, so you have a baseline.
- Learn finger placement first: rest your fingers on the home row (the F and J keys have small ridges to help) and try not to look down.
- Practise little and often; around 15 minutes on most days works better than one long session a week.
- Put accuracy before speed, because employers who test usually look at both.
- Retest every couple of weeks and practise the kind of text you will type at work, such as emails, addresses, numbers and short reports.
Where Kluppy fits
Kluppy is a typing practice tool, not a digital skills qualification, and it does not count towards an EDSQ or any other qualification. It is one option for building keyboard confidence. It works in the browser, including on Chromebooks, with nothing to install and no adverts. The typing test (1, 3 or 5 minutes) and the typing exercises are free with no sign-up. A free account covers the finger-placement level and levels 1 to 7 of the free typing course, with no card needed; paid plans from level 8 add AI-generated exercises built from your own errors. Paid plans in pounds for individuals and families are coming soon in the UK, and the UK pricing page shows what is available today. If you want to share a result, the typing speed certificate is a verifiable record of one test, showing net speed, accuracy and the date; each employer decides what evidence it wants to see.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free Essential Digital Skills course near me?
If you live in England, are 19 or over and are assessed as lacking essential digital skills, you can usually study an Essential Digital Skills qualification free. Colleges and adult learning services run them in person and online; the National Careers Service and your local council are good places to start.
What levels are Essential Digital Skills qualifications?
At the time of writing, Essential Digital Skills qualifications are offered at Entry Level 3 and Level 1. The 2026 standards describe five levels, from Entry Level 1 to Level 2, but that does not mean qualifications exist at every level yet. Check with your provider.
Does an Essential Digital Skills qualification teach touch typing?
Not as a requirement. The national standards treat basic keyboard and mouse use as a starting skill, and we found no typing speed or touch typing requirement in them. Some tutors include keyboard practice, but if you need typing speed for a job, plan separate practice.
Can I do an EDSQ if I already use a computer every day?
The free entitlement is for adults assessed as not having essential digital skills, so the provider's initial assessment decides. If you are already confident, a different course, or focused typing practice, may be a better use of your time.