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.
Skills that use Communication
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Preparing for online and video interviews
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).
Good to know
- The unit is "SfW 9 Interview and confidence techniques" with "20" guided learning hours (Unit summary, page 5).
- A unit is achieved at one level only: "Learners can only achieve each unit once, at a single level" (Rules of Combination, page 6).
- Evidence is the centre's choice: "there are no mandatory evidence requirements and centres can select the type of evidence" (Essential information for assessment decisions, page 49), but every level's guidance describes a mock interview followed by feedback.
- Level 1 travel planning is expected to use online sources: "a realistic and detailed travel plan using online timetables" (Essential information for assessment decisions, Level 1, page 50).
- The teaching content is not printed in the specification: it "can be found in the Teaching and Learning Support document for this unit" (Unit content, page 49). The annex says it covers interview types including "video tasks" (Annexe E, page 127).
- AI may be used only if it is acknowledged: "A learner will have committed malpractice if they use AI tools without acknowledging them" (Requirements relating to permitted/prohibited resources, page 51).
- The Skills for Work specification has two obvious errors: its assessment section says "Every unit in our Skills for Life qualifications includes an Authorised Assessment Brief" (page 8), and it points to "Section 6 Glossary" (page 11) when the glossary is section 7.
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.