DCF Cymru Digital competence for Wales

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GCSE Core Cymraeg

GCSE Core Cymraeg makes few direct digital demands. Learners watch a short video stimulus for Unit 1, interpret charts and statistics in Unit 2, and read and write digital text types such as blogs, emails and online information in the examinations. No dictionaries or other resources are allowed in any assessment, so the biggest thing KS3 can build is confident, critical viewing and reading of Cymraeg media, including video, charts and online texts.

Awarding body
WJEC
Level
Level 1 and Level 2
First taught
September 2025
Amount of digital work
Low
Specification
Open the specification
How this qualification is assessed
  • Unit 1: Responding to a Visual Stimulus: Non-examination assessment, speaking and listening in a pair (6 to 8 minutes) or group of three (8 to 10 minutes), set by WJEC, marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC, 25%, 50 marks
  • Unit 2: Responding to Various Sources: Non-examination assessment, speaking and listening in a pair (6 to 8 minutes) or group of three (8 to 10 minutes), set by WJEC, marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC, 25%, 50 marks
  • Unit 3: Preparing for the Future: Written examination 1 hour 30 minutes, 25%, 100 marks
  • Unit 4: Literature and Creative: Written examination 1 hour 30 minutes, 25%, 100 marks

The digital skills in this qualification

  1. Watching a video clip critically and noting key points for discussion

    Assessed: In coursework (non-examination assessment, NEA)

    In Unit 1 learners watch a WJEC video of about 2 minutes in which three speakers discuss cynefin, identity or culture, make notes on a sheet while watching, then discuss it. They must pick out the main message, specific detail and different viewpoints.

    DCF: Identity, image and reputation, Health and well-being, Sourcing, searching and planning digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils watch a short Cymraeg clip about hobbies on the class screen, tick the words they hear on a note grid, then tell a partner one opinion in Cymraeg.
    Year 8
    Pupils watch a 2-minute clip of two young people talking about their area, record each speaker's opinion on a note grid, and replay the clip to check what they missed.
    Year 9
    Pupils watch a clip of three speakers on identity or cynefin with 10 minutes to prepare, then discuss in threes whose view is most convincing and whether the clip shows a fair range of people.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, Section 3.2 Arrangements for non-examination assessment, page 24; Unit 1 overview, page 11

    “This unit requires candidates to watch and listen to a visual stimulus from WJEC and discuss the contents of the clip with a partner”
    Progression step 3

    • I can think critically about information shared online, e.g. the impact of sharing images and videos, metadata of images and videos.

    Progression step 4

    • I can identify stereotypes and their impact in a range of media.

    Progression step 5

    • I can search efficiently for information for my digital work and evaluate the reliability of sources of information, justifying opinions and reasons for choices, and I can reference work using appropriate methods.

  2. Reading graphs, charts and statistics and talking about them in Cymraeg

    Assessed: In the exam and in coursework (NEA)

    Unit 2 stimulus sheets may include a graph or chart, facts and statistics that learners must analyse and discuss. Unit 3 reading also includes non-continuous texts such as tables and graphs.

    DCF: Data and information literacy

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils run a class Microsoft Forms survey on favourite foods, show the results as an Excel bar chart and describe it using phrases such as 'Mae'r rhan fwyaf o'r dosbarth yn hoffi'.
    Year 8
    Pupils read a simple chart of Welsh speakers by county from census data and use comparative phrases in Cymraeg to say which areas are higher or lower.
    Year 9
    Pupils discuss a stimulus sheet with a chart on young people's use of Cymraeg online, saying what the trend shows and backing their opinions with the figures.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 2 overview, page 13; Unit 3, Section 3.1.2, page 18

    “The stimuli will include a variety of sources which may include a graph/chart, facts and/or statistics and image(s).”
    Progression step 3

    • I can construct, refine and interrogate data sets within tables, charts, spreadsheets and databases to test or support an investigation.

    Progression step 4

    • I can analyse large data sets and identify trends where appropriate.

    Progression step 5

    • I can use my data to explain and add validity to conclusions and, where possible, modify conclusions and/or hypothesis.

  3. Reading and questioning online information, reviews and adverts

    Assessed: In the exam

    The Unit 3 and Unit 4 examinations use online information, reviews and marketing material, including linked texts that may contradict each other. Learners must critically evaluate different perspectives to reach a conclusion.

    DCF: Health and well-being, Sourcing, searching and planning digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils look at two Cymraeg web adverts for a local attraction and circle the words and images designed to catch their attention.
    Year 8
    Pupils read three short online reviews in Cymraeg of a Welsh film or café, decide which is most useful and why, and give their own star rating.
    Year 9
    Pupils read two short online pieces that disagree about mobile phones in school, note who wrote each and why, and write a balanced conclusion in Cymraeg.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 3, Section 3.1.2, page 18; Unit 4, Section 4.1.1, page 20

    “continuous text such as reviews, online information, marketing material, letters and articles”
    Progression step 3

    • I can identify marketing elements designed to draw my attention.

    • I can begin to reference sources used in my work, and consider if content is reliable.

    Progression step 4

    • I can evaluate the reliability of sources of information, justify my opinions and reasons for choices, and reference using appropriate methods.

    • I can make informed choices while making online choices, including making in-app purchases and clicking on adverts.

    Progression step 5

    • I can search efficiently for information for my digital work and evaluate the reliability of sources of information, justifying opinions and reasons for choices, and I can reference work using appropriate methods.

  4. Writing digital and work-related texts such as emails, blogs, text messages and adverts

    Assessed: In the exam

    Unit 3 and Unit 4 writing tasks can use digital forms such as a blog, email, text message and marketing material, in formal or informal register for different audiences. Unit 3 links this writing to the world of work.

    DCF: Communication, Creating digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils write and send a short Cymraeg email or Teams message to a partner about their weekend, with a greeting, a sign-off and a picture attached.
    Year 8
    Pupils write a Cymraeg blog post about their area in Word or Sway, choosing a heading, images and an informal register for readers their own age.
    Year 9
    Pupils write a formal Cymraeg email with a signature applying for a summer job at a local café, then rewrite it as an informal text to a friend and discuss what changed.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 3, Section 3.1.1, page 17; Unit 4, Section 4.1.2, pages 20 to 21

    “a blog • marketing material, advertisement, announcement, text message • email”
    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 show an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of communication and when it is appropriate to use each, e.g. explain when video conferencing may be more appropriate than e-mail, and vice versa; explain the pros and cons of using instant messaging in social contexts; talk about purpose and audience.

    Progression step 4

    • I can select and use different online communication tools for specific purposes with higher levels of competence, e.g. set up and manage an address book, organise contacts, use advanced features of e-mail provider (signature, auto reply, read receipt, widgets).

    • I can explore and develop a range of formal text document structures for different audiences and purposes.

    Progression step 5

    • I can make use of and reflect on available online communication services for specific purposes, justifying selections made based on their appropriateness for delivery of information.

    • I can create formal text documents for a professional audience, incorporating the use of collaborative review tools into activities.

  5. Using digital tools for Cymraeg critically, including Welsh spellcheckers and translation tools

    Assessed: Taught, but not assessed

    The specification lists appropriate use of digital technology as a learning experience that is not directly assessed. Learners must also translate short texts from English to Cymraeg and proofread and edit, with no resources in the examination, so they need to know what tools can and cannot do.

    DCF: Creating digital content, Evaluating and improving digital content, Sourcing, searching and planning digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils type five Cymraeg sentences in Word with the Welsh proofing language switched on and correct each word the spellchecker underlines.
    Year 8
    Pupils put an English sentence through an online translator, compare the result with their own version built from a vocabulary list, and spot where the tool got mutations or register wrong.
    Year 9
    Pupils redraft a paragraph using a Welsh spellchecker and an online dictionary, log each change and why in a table, then write a final version with no tools.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Section 2, Opportunities for integration of learning experiences, page 22; Unit 3, Section 3.1.1, page 17

    “make appropriate use of digital technology”
    Progression step 3

    • 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 suggest and make improvements that are relevant for audience and purpose, based on feedback and self-evaluation of my digital work.

    Progression step 5

    • I can consider the benefits and limitations of digital tools and information sources and of the results I produce and use these results to inform future judgements about the quality of my digital work.

Good to know

Links with other qualifications

WJEC's Appendix B (pages 29 to 30) ticks Digital Competence Citizenship and Interacting and Collaborating for all four units, Producing for Units 3 and 4, and Data and Computational Thinking for Units 2 and 3; chart reading overlaps with Mathematics and Numeracy, and the video listening and digital text types match GCSE French, German and Spanish.

Source: WJEC GCSE Core Cymraeg specification, Version 3, September 2026, teaching from 2025, for award from 2027.