DCF Cymru Digital competence for Wales

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Skills for Work: Interview and Confidence Techniques

Interview and confidence techniques is a Pearson Skills for Work unit in which learners research a business and job role, plan their interview day including clothing and travel, prepare questions and answers using the STAR technique, take part in a mock interview and respond to feedback. It is one 20 hour unit that learners combine with others into a Pearson Skills for Work Award, Certificate or Diploma, at any level from Entry 1 to Level 2, graded pass or fail. Digital demand is low. The assessment guidance expects business research on websites and, at Level 1, travel planning with online timetables; online and video interviews are taught content only, and sources and AI use must be acknowledged.

Awarding body
Pearson
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 (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3): One assessment criterion at each of Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3: list, outline or prepare business research and interview planning, and take part in a mock interview, from simple participation at Entry 1 to some clear responses at Entry 3. Centres choose the type of evidence; it is internally assessed by the centre and quality assured by Pearson through standards verification. 20 guided learning hours.
  • Level 1 and Level 2: One assessment criterion at each of Level 1 and Level 2: prepare well-developed (Level 1) or detailed (Level 2) business research and interview planning, and show question and answer techniques (Level 1) or a clear understanding of how the interview process works (Level 2) in a mock interview, then respond to feedback. Centres choose the type of evidence; it is internally assessed by the centre and quality assured by Pearson through standards verification. 20 guided learning hours.

The digital skills in this qualification

  1. Researching a business and job role online

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

    Learners collect facts about a company or job role, from very simple facts using websites provided at Entry 1 to detailed, accurate research directly relevant to the role at Level 2. The guidance expects this to be done largely on websites, with help to navigate them at Entry 2 and mostly independent research at Level 1. Business research is required by the criterion at every level.

    DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils use a teacher chosen company website to find five facts, such as what it makes and where it is based, and copy them into a fact file.
    Year 8
    Pupils search for a local employer, compare its own website with a news article about it, and note which facts are reliable and up to date.
    Year 9
    Pupils research a business and a job role from several websites they choose, record the most useful facts for an interview, and judge which sources they trust and why.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit SfW 9, Assessment criteria, page 48; Essential information for assessment decisions, Entry 1 to Entry 3, page 49, Level 1 and Level 2, page 50; Annexe C, Digital Links, page 120

    “often relying on prompts or websites that have been provided”
    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.

  2. Planning the journey with online timetables

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

    Learners plan how they will get to the interview, from a very basic travel plan at Entry 1 to a realistic plan that considers timings at Entry 3. At Level 1 the guidance expects a detailed travel plan using online timetables, and Level 2 learners produce a well-organised travel plan. The travel plan is part of the required interview planning.

    DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils use an online journey planner to find a bus from school to the town centre and write down the departure and arrival times.
    Year 8
    Pupils plan a trip to a local college open evening with an online bus or train timetable and bookmark the timetable pages.
    Year 9
    Pupils use online timetables and a map to plan a journey to a 9:00 am interview in another town, with a backup option if the first bus is late.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit SfW 9, Essential information for assessment decisions, Entry 1 to Entry 3, page 49, Level 1 and Level 2, page 50; Annexe C, Digital Links, page 120

    “a realistic and detailed travel plan using online timetables”
    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.

  3. Preparing for online and video interviews

    Assessed: Taught, but not assessed

    The annex mapping lists video tasks among the interview types taught and possible online interview or video tasks among the digital links. The criteria require only a mock interview, so preparing for online formats is taught content rather than an assessed skill.

    DCF: Communication

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils discuss when people use phone calls, video calls and face to face meetings, and list one advantage of each.
    Year 8
    Pupils set up a video call in Microsoft Teams with a partner, check their camera, sound and background, and swap feedback.
    Year 9
    Pupils record answers to three interview questions as a one way video task, watch them back and improve their lighting, framing and eye contact.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit SfW 9, Annexe C, Digital Links, page 120; Annexe E, Unit Content, page 127

    “research, interview types (screening, panel, video tasks)”
    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).

  4. Referencing sources and acknowledging AI

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

    Learners must certify that their evidence is their own and that they have referenced any sources and any AI they used, for example when writing up business research or prepared answers. Using AI without acknowledging it is malpractice. This is a requirement of the unit's assessment rules at every level.

    DCF: Digital rights, licensing and ownership, Sourcing, searching and planning digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils add the web addresses they used to the bottom of a fact file about a company.
    Year 8
    Pupils compare an AI generated answer to an interview question with their own, discuss why handing in the AI version would be cheating, and write their own answer.
    Year 9
    Pupils reference every source in their business research with the site name and date accessed, and note where and how they used any AI tool.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit SfW 9, Requirements relating to permitted/prohibited resources, page 51

    “they have clearly referenced any sources and any artificial intelligence used”
    Progression step 3

    • I can understand that copying the work of others and presenting it as my own is plagiarism.

    • I can cite sources when researching and explain the importance of this, e.g. create simple lists for the referencing of digital and offline sources.

    Progression step 4

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

Good to know

Links with other qualifications

WJEC also offers an Interview and confidence techniques unit in its Skills Suite, with the same 20 guided learning hours. The WJEC unit has four learning outcomes, from the purpose of an interview to confident presentation, and keeps all its digital work in suggested activities; the Pearson unit has one criterion per level built around business research, an interview-day plan and a mock interview, and its assessment guidance expects websites for research and, at Level 1, online timetables for travel. Pearson also adds claim, evidence and connection questions at Level 2. The WJEC Skills Suite unit Applying for jobs carries the written application, so the two fit together, and recording practice interviews draws on the filming skills of GCSE Digital Media and Film.

Source: Pearson Entry Level 1 to Level 2 Skills for Work Award, Certificate and Diploma Qualifications specification, Issue 1, August 2026, Unit SfW 9: Interview and confidence techniques.