Skills for Work: Interview and Confidence Techniques
Interview and Confidence Techniques is an Open Awards Skills for Work unit offered at five levels, each worth 1 credit and 10 guided learning hours, on what interviews are, how to prepare, communicating well, answering questions and managing confidence. It is assessed through centre-designed tasks, mostly role play, with portfolio evidence. Digital demand is low: no criterion requires digital work, and the only digital links are online interviews as an example at Level 2 and researching the employer, role and journey, which the spec does not tie to online sources.
- Awarding body
- Open Awards
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 10
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of digital work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level 1 (CBM201): Ten assessment criteria across five outcomes: identify the purpose of an interview and who is involved, identify suitable clothing and an item to take, demonstrate a positive greeting and listening in a 1 to 1 activity, identify an interview question and give a suitable answer, identify a way to look confident and use a positive word to describe themselves. Provider-designed tasks, portfolio evidence, 1 credit, 10 guided learning hours.
- Entry Level 2 (CBM202): Ten assessment criteria: state purposes of interviews and the people involved, identify clothing and ways to prepare, such as reading the job description, demonstrate a positive introduction and listening, identify the focus of 2 questions and give suitable answers, identify ways to feel confident and list own skills using positive words. Provider-designed tasks, portfolio evidence, 1 credit, 10 guided learning hours.
- Entry Level 3 (CBM203): Ten assessment criteria: explain why being on time matters and identify stages of an interview, explain the dress code and list 3 things to research, demonstrate positive body language and an appropriate greeting and closing, identify 3 questions for a job they are interested in and answer them, identify a strategy to manage confidence before and after, and outline own strengths. The suggested task table repeats the Entry Level 2 table. Provider-designed tasks, portfolio evidence, 1 credit, 10 guided learning hours.
- Level 1 (CBM204): Ten assessment criteria: describe the purpose of an interview and explain what to expect, explain how to prepare and prepare at least 2 questions to ask, demonstrate positive non-verbal communication and clear, appropriate language in a structured interview task, identify at least 3 likely questions from a chosen job advert and produce answers, describe 3 strengths and identify confidence-building strategies. Provider-designed tasks, portfolio evidence, 1 credit, 10 guided learning hours.
- Level 2 (CBM205): Ten assessment criteria: describe how interview types, including face-to-face and online interviews, affect preparation, evaluate the importance of preparation and describe own approach, demonstrate adapting verbal and non-verbal communication to different settings and evaluate it, analyse the purpose of at least 4 questions and produce structured answers, describe the effects of anxiety on performance and evaluate 2 confidence strategies. The suggested task table repeats the Level 1 table. Provider-designed tasks, portfolio evidence, 1 credit, 10 guided learning hours.
The digital skills in this qualification
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Preparing for and presenting yourself in online interviews
Level 2 learners describe how different interview types affect preparation, with face-to-face against online or remote interviews as the first example, and demonstrate adapting verbal and non-verbal communication to different interview settings, for example keeping the upper body visible and posture straight in an online interview. Online interviews are an example rather than a requirement, so the digital part is taught rather than assessed.
DCF: Communication
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils join a short practice video call in class, check their camera angle, lighting and microphone and give a two sentence introduction.
- Year 8
- Pupils list the differences between preparing for a face-to-face and a video interview, such as background, connection and eye contact with the camera.
- Year 9
- Pupils take part in a mock online interview on Teams, watch the recording back and note two changes to their on-screen presentation.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 2 AC 1.1 and 3.1 (page 27)
“ensuring upper body is visible and posture is straight if online interview”
Progression step 3
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).
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Researching an employer, job role and journey
Entry Level 2 learners identify ways to prepare, such as reading the job description and checking where the interview is. Entry Level 3 learners list at least 3 pieces of information to research, such as the role, the company and how to get there, and Level 1 learners explain how to prepare effectively, including researching the company and reading the job description carefully, and identify questions from a chosen job advert. The research is required but the spec does not say it must be online, so searching websites is a teaching choice.
DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils use a company's website to find what it does, where it is based and one fact to mention in an interview, and bookmark the page.
- Year 8
- Pupils find a local job advert online and use a journey planner to work out the route and time needed to arrive 10 minutes early.
- Year 9
- Pupils research an employer from its website, news coverage and reviews, judge which sources are trustworthy, and write three questions to ask.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Entry Level 2 AC 2.2 (page 15); Entry Level 3 AC 2.2 (page 19); Level 1 AC 2.1 and 4.1 (page 23)
“researching the company/ organisation”
Progression step 3
I can adjust keywords and search techniques to find relevant information.
I can store search results for future use, e.g. bookmark, add to favourites.
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.
Good to know
- Each level is a separate unit with its own code (CBM201, CBM202, CBM203, CBM204, CBM205). Every level carries the same size: "Credit Value: One (1)" and "Guided Learning Hours: 10" (Unit Content tables, pages 11 to 26), so the Level 2 unit is no bigger than the Entry Level 1 unit.
- Only one level counts in a qualification: "with the exception of British Sign Language (BSL), units with the same title at different levels are barred for completion within the same qualification" (Level 1 Qualification Guide, Qualification Units, page 17). It sits in the Skills for Work group, and qualifications need 60 (Award), 120 (Certificate) or 240 (Diploma) guided learning hours (Rules of Combination, page 15).
- Units from Pearson, WJEC or Agored Cymru with the same title cannot be swapped in: "Units certificated by other Awarding Organisations, or units taken from other Open Awards qualifications, cannot contribute to the achievement of this qualification." (Units from Other Awarding Organisations, page 3).
- The centre writes the tasks: the unit is "designed to be assessed through assessment tasks and activities designed by the provider", with pre-course verification of the tasks (Assessment Approach, page 8), and "providers must have an approved Delivery and Assessment Plan" before delivery (Delivery Requirements, page 6).
- There is no partial credit: "All assessment criteria must be met in full for the learner to be awarded a 'pass'." Results are internally quality assured by the centre and externally quality assured by Open Awards (Assessment Approach, page 8).
- Evidence goes in a portfolio, paper or digital: "Learners are required to collate evidence in a portfolio of evidence." and "Wherever possible, e-portfolios are encouraged." (Assessment Approach, page 8).
- The unit specification says nothing about AI tools, plagiarism or referencing. It "must be read and applied alongside the relevant Qualification Guide (level-specific) and the Open Awards Provider Handbook" (Qualification Documentation, page 3), so those documents set the rules.
- No prior learning is needed, but "the provider must complete robust initial assessments" to place each learner at the right level (Entry Requirements, page 7).
- Role play is the main method: staff must "support learners in developing verbal and non-verbal communication skills through practical activities such as role play" (Staffing Resources, page 6), and the equipment list asks for a computer only "where required" (Physical Resources, page 7).
- Online interviews appear only at Level 2: interview types include "Face-to-face vs. online/remote interviews" (AC 1.1, page 27), with the example "ensuring upper body is visible and posture is straight if online interview" (AC 3.1, page 27).
- Level 1 answers are tied to a real advert: learners "must identify at least three questions they might be asked aligned to a chosen job advert" (AC 4.1, page 24), so centres need a bank of suitable local job adverts.
- There are drafting slips: the Entry Level 3 suggested task table repeats Entry Level 2 and the Level 2 table repeats Level 1, so neither matches its own criteria (Assessment Approach, pages 9 to 10); Level 1 AC 5.2 guidance reads "Learners must at least two techniques" with the verb missing (page 24); and there are typing errors such as "Who will I work wit", "friending verbal greetings" and "llikely" (pages 23, 20 and 27).
Links with other qualifications
The Pearson Skills for Work unit Interview and Confidence Techniques is 20 guided learning hours and the WJEC unit of the same name also 20; the Open Awards unit is 10 hours at every level, with five outcomes covering what interviews are, preparation, communication, answering questions and confidence, and at Level 2 adapting to online interviews and evaluating anxiety strategies. Preparing for interviews, researching an employer and presenting yourself professionally link with GCSE Business and with the work-related learning in the WJEC VCSEs, and the anxiety and confidence content with GCSE Health and Social Care, and Childcare. The career-focused work in the Skills Challenge Certificate draws on the same skills. Within the Open Awards suite the unit pairs with Using IT in the Workplace (CV and professional email at Level 1), Fairness and Inclusion in the Workplace and Personal Development Planning.
Source: Open Awards Skills for Work Unit Specification, Interview and Confidence Techniques, Entry Level 1 to Level 2.