Foundation Core Cymraeg
Entry Level Foundation Core Cymraeg is a two-year, 120 guided learning hour Welsh language course for learners aged 14 to 16 who are working towards Entry Level 1, 2 or 3. All of it is built on two themes, Yr Ardal (The Area) and Byd Gwaith (The World of Work). Digital demand is low. Centres can run the Unit 1 multiple-choice reading tests on screen, and in Unit 3 learners write a work-related text such as an email, CV or application form, then present information about local facilities in a format they choose, such as a Word document or PowerPoint, after up to 30 minutes of research. Making appropriate use of digital technology is listed as a learning experience but is not assessed.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- Level
- Entry Level
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of digital work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this qualification is assessed
- Unit 1: Reading to understand and refer to familiar contexts: Two multiple-choice subject tests of 30 minutes each, taken on screen or on paper within a four-week summer window, 25%, 40 marks (20 per test), set and marked by WJEC
- Unit 2: Oracy for everyday life: Practical assessment of individual oral tasks lasting 4 to 6 minutes, with up to 2 hours of supervised preparation for Part 2 Task 1, 40%, 40 marks, set by WJEC, marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC
- Unit 3: Writing for practical purposes: Written assessment of two writing tasks of up to 100 words each, up to 45 minutes per task plus up to 30 minutes of supervised research, 35%, 20 marks, set by WJEC, marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC
Skills that use Communication
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Writing work-related emails, CVs and forms in Welsh
In Unit 3 learners complete a work-related writing task of up to 100 words, such as an application letter, an email, a CV or a personal information or application form. Emails and online forms are common versions of these texts at work, so learners benefit from knowing their layout and conventions as well as the Welsh needed to complete them.
DCF: Communication, Creating digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils fill in a simple online form in Welsh on the school learning platform with their name, age, where they live and their hobbies.
- Year 8
- Pupils write a short email in Welsh to a pen friend about their school and interests, with a subject line, a greeting, a sign-off and a photo attached.
- Year 9
- Pupils write a short email in Welsh asking about a Saturday job, then complete a matching application form on screen with their personal skills and the job they would like.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit 3, overview, page 16; Section 3.2, page 20
“complete a work-related writing task, for example writing a letter, email, CV, personal information form or application form”
Progression step 3
I can exchange online communications, making use of a growing range of available features, e.g. add attachments or hyperlinks, change formatting.
I can use a range of software to select, produce and edit a range of multimedia components for a purpose, such as:
- text and images, e.g. format text (bold, underline, italics, highlight); insert and edit text boxes; columns; use refine tools (spellchecker, find and replace); word wrap; crop; alter size and shape; alter images; add effects; trim and split sound and video clips; transitions; onion skin
- presentation, e.g. page orientation; animations; transitions; remove and alter images; use background; use action buttons to create hyperlink; embed objects.
Progression step 4
I can explore and develop a range of formal text document structures for different audiences and purposes.
Good to know
- Unit 1 can be taken on screen: "Centres will have the option to complete the test digitally or on paper." (Section 3.2, page 20). There are separate entry codes, 6040UA for "Unit 1 (On screen)" and 6040UB for paper (Section 5.1, page 24).
- For Unit 3 Task 2 learners can choose a "Word document, PowerPoint, letter, email, poster" format, but some formats, such as posters, "may restrict access to higher-level marks" (Section 3.2, pages 20 and 21).
- Research time is limited: "Candidates may have up to 30 minutes to conduct research under supervised conditions." (Section 3.2, page 21). The specification does not say whether this is online.
- Units 2 and 3 are supervised non-examination assessments, and teachers "must not give feedback on the evidence that is produced" (Section 3.3, page 21). The specification states no separate AI rules; it points to JCQ's "Instructions for Conducting Non-Examination Assessments" (page 21).
- Unit 2 is spoken, so "evidence of performance (e.g. presentations) must be recorded using observation records" (Section 3.3, page 21).
- Digital technology is a learning experience only: the qualification creates opportunities to "make appropriate use of digital technology", and "the experiences will not be directly assessed" (page 18).
- Appendix A (page 28) ticks Digital Competence Citizenship and Interacting and collaborating for Units 1 and 2, Producing for all three units, and nothing for Data and Computational Thinking.
Links with other qualifications
The specification says the qualification "provides a broad foundation for progression to GCSE Core Cymraeg" (page 7). GCSE Core Cymraeg keeps the same idea of Welsh for work and everyday life but steps up the digital side, with a video stimulus, charts and statistics, and digital text types such as blogs, emails and online information. The work-related emails, CVs and forms and the information leaflet about the area match the practical writing in Foundation English, which also includes job applications and information leaflets, and the local research and careers focus support Careers and Work-Related Experiences across the curriculum.
Source: WJEC Entry Level Foundation Core Cymraeg specification, approved by Qualifications Wales, teaching from September 2027, for award from 2029 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2026).