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VCSE Hospitality and Catering

The VTCT Skills VCSE Hospitality and Catering has two mandatory units. Unit 1 covers the industry in Wales, food safety, nutrition, customer care and sustainability and is tested by a 28 mark multiple-choice examination taken on screen. Unit 2 is a 12 hour Non-Examined Assessment in which learners plan, cook and serve a dish at a simple event and evaluate their performance. Digital work is light. The examination asks how booking apps, QR code menus, contactless payment, social media, online reviews and AI chatbots are changing the industry, and VTCT links Unit 2 planning to digital tools, but no software, typed work or digital evidence is required. Key Stage 3 should build confident on-screen planning and costing.

Awarding body
VTCT Skills
Level
Level 1 and Level 2
First taught
September 2027
Amount of digital work
Low
Specification
Open the specification
Step before
Foundation Hospitality and Catering, Entry Level and Level 1
How this qualification is assessed
  • Unit 1 (UWHC1): Introduction to the Hospitality and Catering industry: MCQ External theory examination 60 minutes, 30%, 28 marks, multiple-choice questions on LO1 to LO5, set and marked by VTCT Skills, taken on screen with a paper option, sat in the April or May series at the end of Year 10 with one resit in Year 11 (best result counts); 40 GLH
  • Unit 2 (UWHC2): Planning, preparing and serving a meal: Non-Examined Assessment, maximum 12 hours, 70%, four tasks worth 8, 12, 16 and 12 marks, set by VTCT Skills with a new brief each year, released in December of Year 11 and submitted in April, marked and internally quality assured by the centre with a level-based mark scheme, externally moderated by VTCT Skills, no resit; 100 GLH

The digital skills in this qualification

  1. Answering multiple-choice questions in an on-screen examination

    Assessed: In the exam

    Unit 1 is assessed by a 60 minute examination of multiple-choice questions worth 28 marks, taken online through VTCT Skills' on-screen assessment system in a set series, with a paper version for reasonable adjustments or where on-screen testing is not suitable. Learners need to read each question on screen, select and review answers, and manage their time under examination conditions.

    DCF: Creating digital content, Online behaviour and online bullying, Health and well-being

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    In a lesson on kitchen hygiene, pupils complete a ten question Microsoft Forms quiz on handwashing and protective clothing, then check their score and the correct answers on screen.
    Year 8
    Pupils take a timed 20 question on-screen quiz on the 14 allergens and safe storage temperatures, flagging any question they are unsure of and returning to it before they submit.
    Year 9
    Pupils sit a 30 minute on-screen multiple-choice test on food safety, nutrition and customer care under exam conditions, then use the results breakdown to choose two topics to revise.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Section 5.1, page 15; Section 5.3.1, page 17; Appendix 1, A1.1, page 76

    “The MCQ External theory examination will be undertaken online using VTCT Skills on-screen assessment solution.”
    Progression step 3

    • I can use keyboard commands such as shortcuts.

    Progression step 4

    • I can act appropriately online, keeping myself safe and behaving in a responsible manner.

    Progression step 5

    • I can take reasonable steps to avoid health problems caused by the use of technology and suggest strategies to prevent or reduce the problems, both physical and psychological.

  2. Understanding how digital technology is changing hospitality work

    Assessed: In the exam

    Unit 1 section 1.5 covers online booking systems and apps, digital menus and QR codes, contactless payment and self-service kiosks, and the use of AI for chatbots and for predicting busy times to plan staff rotas, as well as the growing need for digital skills in hospitality jobs. Learners must describe these changes, and the assessment criterion is tested in the multiple-choice examination.

    DCF: Health and well-being, Identity, image and reputation, Sourcing, searching and planning digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils scan a QR code menu made by the teacher for a pretend school café, order from it, and list two ways it helps the café and two ways it could cause problems for some customers.
    Year 8
    Pupils compare booking a table through a restaurant app with phoning the restaurant, and record in a table the personal details each one asks for and who benefits.
    Year 9
    Pupils try a simple online chatbot that answers questions about opening times and allergens, judge where its answers are helpful or wrong, and write when a customer should speak to a member of staff instead.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, LO1, section 1.5 and assessment criterion 1.5, pages 36, 37 and 53; Section 11.1, page 73

    “Artificial Intelligence (AI) is starting to help with tasks like:”
    Progression step 3

    • I can identify the wider positive and negative influences of technology, e.g. on my life, on society, on the environment.

    • I can identify the benefits and risks of giving personal information and device access to different software.

    Progression step 4

    • I can reflect on the role of digital media in my life and habits.

    • I can make informed choices while making online choices, including making in-app purchases and clicking on adverts.

    Progression step 5

    • I can consider the benefits and limitations of digital tools and information sources and of the results I produce and use these results to inform future judgements about the quality of my digital work.

  3. Social media, online reviews and a business's reputation

    Assessed: In the exam

    Unit 1 lists managing social media, advertising and promotions as a marketing role, describes social media as a tool for marketing and customer feedback, and explains how professional behaviour leads to good online reviews and repeat business. Learners must list job roles, describe the changing industry and explain the impact of professional behaviour on reputation, and all three criteria are tested in the multiple-choice examination.

    DCF: Health and well-being, Communication, Identity, image and reputation

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils look at three made-up social media posts from local cafés and pick out the features, such as photographs, offers and hashtags, that are designed to catch a customer's eye.
    Year 8
    Pupils read a set of sample online reviews of a seaside café, sort them into positive and negative, and suggest a polite public reply to one complaint.
    Year 9
    Pupils discuss how a member of staff's own social media posts could affect their employer's reputation, then write three rules for staff at a hotel in Pembrokeshire.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, sections 1.2, 1.5 and 4.4, pages 35, 36 and 49; assessment criteria 1.2, 1.5 and 4.4, pages 53 and 54

    “Consistent professionalism promotes positive word-of-mouth and online reviews”
    Progression step 3

    • I can identify marketing elements designed to draw my attention.

    • 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 understand that I have a digital footprint and that this information can be searched, copied and passed on.

    • I can discuss the benefits and risks of presenting myself in different ways online.

    Progression step 5

    • I can build a positive reputation in the context of employment prospects, e.g. use social media responsibly.

  4. Researching dishes and nutrition guidance for a brief

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

    In Unit 2 learners investigate suitable dishes for the audience and event in the brief and justify their choices, for example using the Eatwell Guide and Public Health Wales guidance. The assessment criteria require the investigation and justification, while online research is not required but internet and research facilities are listed as typical resources.

    DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils search the online Eatwell Guide to find which food group each ingredient in a pasta salad belongs to, and note the web address they used.
    Year 8
    Pupils search for three vegetarian main course recipes suitable for a community lunch, changing their keywords to narrow the results, and judge which website is most trustworthy.
    Year 9
    Pupils research dishes for an older people's lunch club using Public Health Wales and NHS pages, record their sources in a short list, and explain why they trusted each one.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 2, LO1, sections 1.1 and 1.3, pages 57 and 59; assessment criteria 1.1 and 1.3, page 71; Section 7.2, page 24

    “Use Public Health Wales guidance for reference”
    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.

    Progression step 5

    • I can search efficiently for information for my digital work and evaluate the reliability of sources of information, justifying opinions and reasons for choices, and I can reference work using appropriate methods.

  5. Producing a meal and service plan with digital tools

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

    Unit 2 learners create a meal and service plan with a time plan, a dish specification with a shopping list, recipe and costing, a plating plan, storage and holding notes, and a table diagram for their style of service. The assessment criterion requires the plan; VTCT's own mapping links this criterion to digital tools for planning, but no software or typed format is required.

    DCF: Creating digital content, Sourcing, searching and planning digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils type a recipe for fruit scones in Word using a table for ingredients and a numbered list for the method, with headings in bold.
    Year 8
    Pupils draw a table diagram for a birthday lunch in PowerPoint using shapes for plates, cutlery and glasses, and add text boxes explaining the layout.
    Year 9
    Pupils build a one page meal and service plan in Word with a timed plan, a shopping list grouped by food type, a plating sketch and a table diagram, laid out so a supervisor could follow it.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 2, LO1, section 1.2, page 58; assessment criterion 1.2, page 71; Section 11.1, page 73

    “Ensure the meal and service plan shows how the timing, dish details and table layout work together”
    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 independently create and plan work before beginning a digital task.

    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 explore and develop a range of formal text document structures for different audiences and purposes.

    Progression step 5

    • I can create formal text documents for a professional audience, incorporating the use of collaborative review tools into activities.

    • I can plan my digital work effectively and with increasing complexity.

  6. Costing a dish against a budget

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

    Unit 2 learners provide costing calculations in their dish specification, add up ingredient costs and check the dish fits the budget in the brief, then check in their evaluation that the costs were correct and the dish stayed within budget. The assessment criteria require the costing; no software is named, but a spreadsheet is the natural tool.

    DCF: Data and information literacy, Problem-solving and modelling

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils enter the prices of the ingredients for a batch of Welsh cakes into Excel and use SUM to find the total cost.
    Year 8
    Pupils build a recipe costing sheet that works out the cost of the amount used of each ingredient and the cost per portion, then compare two versions of a pasta bake.
    Year 9
    Pupils set up a costing spreadsheet for a dish with a budget cell and a formula that shows whether the dish is over or under budget, then swap one ingredient to bring it within budget.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 2, LO1, sections 1.2 and 1.3, pages 58 and 59; LO4, section 4.1, page 68; assessment criteria 1.2, 1.3 and 4.1, page 71

    “Check whether the dish fits within the set budget for the brief”
    Progression step 3

    • I can construct, refine and interrogate data sets within tables, charts, spreadsheets and databases to test or support an investigation.

    • I can use a range of spreadsheet formulae, e.g. + - / x, sum, average, max, min.

    Progression step 4

    • I can create a data capture form, capture data, search data and create a database and spreadsheet with appropriate data input method.

    • I can create a simple model or self-contained algorithm.

    Progression step 5

    • I can independently create and design models, and explain how they represent real-world problems, e.g. selecting and correctly using an appropriate method for illustrating a problem, such as a flowchart or spreadsheet.

  7. Sequencing a time plan and planning for problems

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

    The Unit 2 time plan breaks the work into preparation, cooking, finishing, service and close down, sequences the tasks logically and overlaps simple tasks when it is safe. In their evaluation learners judge whether the order of tasks was logical and look for missing steps, unrealistic timings or a lack of contingency planning, which builds the same ordering and debugging habits as computational thinking.

    DCF: Problem-solving and modelling

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils put jumbled step cards for making a vegetable soup into order on a digital whiteboard and mark the steps that can happen at the same time.
    Year 8
    Pupils draw a flowchart for cooking chicken goujons with a decision box asking whether the core temperature has reached 75°C for 30 seconds, looping back if not.
    Year 9
    Pupils write a timed plan for two dishes split into preparation, cooking, finishing, service and close down, then find and fix a deliberate error in a partner's plan and add one contingency.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 2, LO1, section 1.2, page 58; LO4, section 4.1, pages 68 and 69; assessment criteria 1.2 and 4.1, page 71

    “Overlap simple tasks when safe and appropriate to do so”
    Progression step 3

    • I can create and refine algorithms and flowcharts to solve problems, making use of features such as loops, Boolean values and formulae.

    • I can understand the importance of the order of statements within algorithms.

    Progression step 4

    • I can identify the different parts of an algorithm to determine their purpose.

    • I can detect and correct errors in algorithms.

    Progression step 5

    • I can develop logical solutions to determine the input, outputs and processes of a program, e.g. following pseudocode or a flowchart to come to an outcome, developing a written sequence of steps that could be followed.

    • I can demonstrate the benefits of compartmentalising sections of a problem (using functions/procedures).

  8. Using food probes and food safety records

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

    When cooking in Unit 2 learners use food probes or visual checks to make sure food, especially high-risk food such as poultry, is safely cooked, and Unit 1 sets the safe cooking and storage temperatures. Centres are expected to give access to systems for recording temperatures and cleaning, but the specification does not say the probes or records must be digital.

    DCF: Data and information literacy

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils use a digital probe thermometer to check the core temperature of reheated soup and record the reading, the time and their initials on a shared class log.
    Year 8
    Pupils log the classroom fridge temperature every lesson for a half term in a Microsoft Forms record, then view the results in Excel to see whether it ever rose above 5°C.
    Year 9
    Pupils set up an Excel temperature log with conditional formatting that turns a reading red when a fridge is above 5°C, and use the data to write a short conclusion about whether the fridge is safe.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 2, LO2, section 2.5 and assessment criterion 2.5, pages 62 and 71; Unit 1, LO2, section 2.3, page 42; Section 7.2, page 25

    “Use food probes or visual checks where appropriate to ensure food is safely cooked”
    Progression step 3

    • I can construct, refine and interrogate data sets within tables, charts, spreadsheets and databases to test or support an investigation.

    Progression step 4

    • I can create a data capture form, capture data, search data and create a database and spreadsheet with appropriate data input method.

    Progression step 5

    • I can use my data to explain and add validity to conclusions and, where possible, modify conclusions and/or hypothesis.

  9. Preparing, presenting and authenticating NEA evidence

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

    Teachers help learners understand how to prepare and present their Unit 2 evidence, learners sign a Declaration of Authenticity, and supervision is there to prevent plagiarism, collusion or cheating. The centre then submits the evidence and marks to VTCT Skills through its e-testing platform, so evidence must end up in a form that can be uploaded, although the specification does not say whether learners type or handwrite it.

    DCF: Digital rights, licensing and ownership, Storing and sharing

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils save a recipe worksheet in a Food folder in OneDrive with a clear file name (name, dish, date) and hand it in as a Teams assignment.
    Year 8
    Pupils scan a handwritten time plan with Office Lens, check it is straight and readable, and submit it as a PDF with a sentence confirming the work is their own.
    Year 9
    Over three lessons pupils build one document for a practical task (dish choice, plan, evaluation), restore an earlier version when a section is lost, and submit it as a single PDF.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Section 5.4.4, page 20; Sections 5.4.5 and 5.4.7, pages 20 and 21; Section 8.2.1, page 28

    “The ways in which learners should prepare and present their evidence”
    Progression step 3

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

    • I can manage files and folders locally or online, e.g. move files to a folder.

    Progression step 4

    • I can use appropriate advanced file management techniques, e.g. version history, restore previous version, tagging, compression.

    • I can act responsibly as creator and user of creative work, e.g. exploring decisions that creators make when exercising their creative rights and responsibilities, giving consideration to ethical, real-life issues.

    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

Links with other qualifications

Compared with the WJEC VCSE Hospitality and Catering, which has four units, a choice between Catering in Action and Hospitality in Action for the 70% NEA, an on-screen-only food safety examination, digital NEA submission, photographs of practical outcomes and digital promotion of an event, the VTCT Skills version has two mandatory units, one multiple-choice examination on the whole of Unit 1 and one NEA that combines cooking with table service, and its digital demand is lighter, limited to knowledge of digital systems in the industry and planning and costing documents. The planning and costing overlap with GCSE Food and Nutrition and GCSE Business, and the Skills for Work topics VTCT suggests, Customer Service and Working in Wales, match WJEC Skills Suite units already on the page.

Source: VTCT Skills Level 1/2 VCSE Hospitality and Catering Qualification Specification, HC2W1 (qualification number C00/5368/9), Version P1, issued 01/09/2026.