GCSE Digital Technology
GCSE Digital Technology is digital from start to finish: an on-screen examination, then two NEAs in which learners clean and analyse a spreadsheet data set, plan, build and test a multi-page website plus a game or 2D animation, and edit photos, graphics and footage into a marketing video. The single biggest thing KS3 should build is confident spreadsheet data handling (formulas, sorting, filtering and charts), because Unit 2 starts from a WJEC data set and every later product must reflect what learners find in it.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- Level
- Level 1 and Level 2
- First taught
- September 2026
- Amount of digital work
- High
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this qualification is assessed
- Unit 1: The Digital World: Digital examination 1 hour 30 minutes, 80 marks, 40%
- Unit 2: Digital Practices: Non-examination assessment 20 hours, 80 marks, 40%, set by WJEC, marked by the centre, moderated by WJEC
- Unit 3: Communicating in the Digital World: Non-examination assessment 10 hours, 60 marks, 20%, set by WJEC, marked by the centre, moderated by WJEC
Skills that use Storing and sharing
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Building a multi-page website with HTML and CSS
Every learner must build a functional website of at least three pages with suitable media, effective navigation and hyperlinks to external documents, using graded HTML, CSS and JavaScript skills. The website must be exported in a hostable format such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript files.
DCF: Creating digital content, Storing and sharing
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils build a linked PowerPoint 'website' with action buttons to move between pages and a hyperlink to an external source.
- Year 8
- Pupils hand-code a single HTML page with headings, an image with alt text and a link, then style its fonts and colours with CSS.
- Year 9
- Pupils build a three-page HTML and CSS site with a shared navigation bar, an embedded video and a footer, and check that every link works.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit 2, Section 2.3.1, page 26, and Appendix A, pages 44 to 45
“Learners should be able to create a functional, multi-page website which includes the following features”
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.
I can create and share hyperlinks to local, network and online files.
Progression step 4
I can select and use a variety of appropriate software, tools and techniques to create, modify and combine multimedia components for a range of audiences and purposes, such as:
- text and images, e.g. explore and use effectively image manipulation techniques; explore and use appropriately the many aspects of document layout; use animation, video and audio effects such as echo, tempo, envelope, layering, frame rate, key frames
- presentation, e.g. use design tools; adapt themes and colours to suit the purpose; create master templates.
I can manage links to files, taking permissions and file locations into account, e.g. some file storage systems will utilise dynamic hyperlinks so that if a file location is changed the links remain intact, whereas changing file location could result in a broken hyperlink.
Progression step 5
I can use a variety of software, tools and techniques to create a professional, individual or collaborative project outcome incorporating a range of multimedia components.
I can use online services to share appropriate content with a global audience, e.g. uploading content to public websites to share with specific audiences.
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Choosing file formats, resolution and compression when saving and exporting
The examination covers sampling, resolution, bitmap and vector graphics, lossy and lossless compression and compression ratios. In the NEAs learners must export a website to hostable files, a game or animation to a standalone or embeddable format, and a video with suitable format, resolution, audio and compression settings.
DCF: Storing and sharing
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils save work into a sensible folder structure in OneDrive, save a copy as a PDF and compare its file size with the original.
- Year 8
- Pupils export the same image as PNG and as JPEG at different quality settings and record file size against visible quality in a table.
- Year 9
- Pupils export a short video at two resolutions and compare file size and quality, then compress a project folder and restore an earlier version from version history.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, Section 1.1.2, page 11, and Unit 3, Section 3.2.3, page 33
“exporting the digital marketing video to ensure that it is suitable”
Progression step 3
I can manage files and folders locally or online, e.g. move files to a folder.
I can upload files from a local drive to online storage.
Progression step 4
I can use appropriate advanced file management techniques, e.g. version history, restore previous version, tagging, compression.
Progression step 5
I can make informed choices about file types and understand compatibility issues, e.g. the difficulties of editing PDFs, differences between sound files.
Good to know
- Unit 1 is sat on screen, not on paper: "Assessment type: Digital-only examination" (Unit 1, page 10).
- Software with AI features cannot be used for NEA products. Each Decision Guide for website, animation, game, photo and graphics software begins: "Can the software be used without internet access or without access to artificial intelligence features (which are not permitted)?" (Appendices D to H, pages 54 to 58).
- Internet access is limited to research time outside the NEA hours: "This research time does not form part of their non-examination assessment time, and during this period they will have access to the internet." (Section 3.2, page 36).
- Software choice is controlled: "Centres must refer to the Decision Guide provided in Appendix G, H and I to support the choice of software." (Unit 3, page 29). For Unit 2 centres should refer to Appendices D, E and F (page 23).
- The website is compulsory but the second product is a choice: "All learners must produce a multi-page website, and they may choose to create either a computer game or a 2D animation." (Section 3.2, page 36).
- Work must be submitted digitally: animation software that cannot export embeddable content is "not suitable for digital submission" (Appendix E, page 55).
Links with other qualifications
Spreadsheet cleaning and charting overlaps with data handling in Mathematics, Science and Geography, and source reliability and copyright overlap with any subject that asks pupils to research online.
Source: WJEC GCSE Digital Technology Specification, teaching from 2026, for award from 2028, Version 2, February 2026.