Skills for Life: Ethical Choices
Ethical Choices is an Open Awards Skills for Life unit offered at 5 levels, Entry Level 1 to Level 2, each a separate 20 guided learning hour unit. Learners move from telling right from wrong actions to defining ethical principles, analysing viewpoints and justifying and evaluating a decision made with a structured process. The provider sets the tasks and the learner builds a portfolio, which may be an e-portfolio. Digital demand is low: Digital is listed as a cross-curricular skill but no criterion needs a device, so digital work sits in the e-portfolio, gathering facts about a dilemma and choosing online scenarios.
- Awarding body
- Open Awards
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 20
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of digital work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level 1 (CBM056): Three learning outcomes: identify a right and a wrong action, identify how someone might feel after each, and choose a right action from two options with a simple reason. Evidence can come from pointing, matching, sorting images and short verbal responses, or a real-life situation. 20 guided learning hours, 2 credits, Pass only when every criterion is met.
- Entry Level 2 (CBM057, printed as CMB057): Three learning outcomes: state what is meant by being fair and being honest, identify who is involved in a simple situation and how a choice affects at least two people, and choose an action in a scenario, give a reason and identify one result. Evidence can be real-life or simulated, through role play, card sorts and short verbal or written responses. 20 guided learning hours, 2 credits.
- Entry Level 3 (CBM058): Three learning outcomes: state what is meant by respect and responsibility, identify two viewpoints and describe how people may feel differently, and follow a three step process (for example Stop, Think, Choose) to make a choice and describe a consequence. 20 guided learning hours, 2 credits.
- Level 1 (CBM059): Three learning outcomes: outline at least 3 ethical principles and describe why they matter, describe how an ethical choice affects different people, and describe and apply a structured decision-making approach to a given scenario, then review it with at least one strength and one improvement. 20 guided learning hours, 2 credits.
- Level 2 (CBM060): Three learning outcomes and 10 criteria: define at least 3 ethical principles, explain and compare them, describe the features of a dilemma, analyse the viewpoints of at least 3 people or groups and explain consequences of 2 actions, then apply at least 2 principles, use a structured process, justify the decision, evaluate its impact on 3 groups and evaluate how their decision-making could improve. 20 guided learning hours, 2 credits.
The digital skills in this qualification
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Keeping an e-portfolio of evidence
Learners collate their evidence in a portfolio that can be digital or paper, and the specification encourages e-portfolios wherever possible. Scenario responses, recorded discussions and written justifications can all be stored and organised digitally. The format is a recommendation, not a criterion.
DCF: Storing and sharing
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils make a folder in their school cloud storage called Ethics, save a scanned card sort into it and give the file a clear name.
- Year 8
- Pupils upload a photo of a role play and a short typed reason to a shared class folder, putting each in the right subfolder.
- Year 9
- Pupils build a small e-portfolio for a decision task, using version history to show how their written justification changed after feedback.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Assessment Approach, page 6
“Wherever possible, e-portfolios are encouraged.”
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.
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Gathering relevant facts about a dilemma
The example Level 2 decision-making process starts with identifying the dilemma and then gathering relevant facts before stakeholders and principles are considered. Learners can find these facts in online news or case studies, and checking that a source is reliable improves the decision. The process is an example in the indicative content, and nothing requires the facts to come from digital sources.
DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils read a teacher-chosen online news story about someone who found a lost wallet and list three facts about what happened.
- Year 8
- Pupils search for facts about a real dilemma, such as a shop selling out-of-date food, trying two sets of keywords and noting the most useful site.
- Year 9
- Pupils gather facts about a dilemma from three websites, check who wrote each one and when, and explain which they trust most before deciding what to do.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 2 (CBM060), AC 3.2 indicative content, page 23
“Gather relevant facts”
Progression step 3
I can adjust keywords and search techniques to find relevant information.
I can begin to reference sources used in my work, and consider if content is reliable.
Progression step 4
I can search a variety of sources using relevant search techniques with increased complexity.
I can evaluate the reliability of sources of information, justify my opinions and reasons for choices, and reference using appropriate methods.
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Choosing online scenarios such as cyberbullying
At Level 1 learners apply a decision-making approach to a given scenario, and the examples named are bullying, fairness and honesty. The specification does not say any scenario must happen online, but using online bullying or sharing someone's photo as the scenario lets learners weigh the effect of online actions on different people. This is a teaching choice, not a requirement.
DCF: Online behaviour and online bullying
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils sort cards showing online actions, such as leaving someone out of a group chat, into right and wrong and say who might feel hurt.
- Year 8
- Pupils use Stop, Think, Choose on a scenario where a friend posts an unkind comment, choosing what to do and describing one result.
- Year 9
- Pupils apply a four step approach to a dilemma about sharing a screenshot of a private message, then review the decision for three people involved.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 1 (CBM059), AC 3.2 indicative content, page 19
“e.g., bullying, fairness, honesty”
Progression step 3
I can demonstrate appropriate online behaviour and apply a range of strategies to protect myself and others from possible online dangers, bullying and inappropriate behaviour, e.g. turn off comments on digital media, reporting, block users.
Progression step 4
I can act appropriately online, keeping myself safe and behaving in a responsible manner.
I can understand the implications of online actions, including my digital footprint and the legal implications of sharing inappropriate material.
Good to know
- Each level is a separate 2 credit, 20 guided learning hour unit, CBM056 to CBM060: "Guided Learning Hours: 20" (Unit Content, pages 11 to 21; Qualification Guide, Qualification Units, page 18).
- Only one level counts in a qualification: "units with the same title at different levels are barred for completion within the same qualification" (Qualification Guide, Qualification Units, page 17).
- The provider writes the tasks: "This suite of units has been designed to be assessed through assessment tasks and activities designed by the provider", and pre-course verification must confirm tasks cover every criterion (Assessment Approach, page 6).
- There is no partial credit: "No partial award can be made if any assessment criteria is not met" (Assessment Approach, page 6).
- Evidence goes in a portfolio, digital or paper: "Wherever possible, e-portfolios are encouraged." Work is checked by internal quality assurance and then by Open Awards (Assessment Approach, page 6).
- Staff need training for sensitive topics, since "scenarios may include bullying, mental health, discrimination, consent and ethics" (Staffing Resources, page 5).
- The only named digital resource is for the teacher: "Visual Aids - a projector, laptop, or screen to show presentations, videos etc." (Physical Resources, page 5).
- Every level lists "Literacy and Digital" as its cross-curricular skills, but no assessment criterion or indicative content mentions a digital task (Unit Content, pages 11 to 24).
- The Entry Level 2 unit code is printed "CMB057" (page 13), but the Qualification Guide lists it as CBM057, and Level 1 indicative content says "Leaner must give at least three" (page 19). The text also opens with the stray heading "Faith and Belief in the Community" left over from another unit's template.
- The unit specification says nothing about the use of AI or about referencing sources.
Links with other qualifications
The WJEC Skills Suite and Pearson both have an Ethical choices unit. The WJEC unit is also 20 guided learning hours and includes dilemmas about online behaviour, while Pearson's is 10 hours with one criterion per level and four fixed settings; the Open Awards unit is 20 hours with three learning outcomes at each level and, at Level 2, names theories such as utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics. That theory work links closely with GCSE Religious Studies, and decision-making about stakeholders links with GCSE Business and VCSE Public Services. Within the Open Awards suite it pairs with Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Everyday Law.
Source: Open Awards Skills for Life Unit Specification, Ethical Choices, Entry Level 1 to Level 2 (units CBM056 to CBM060).