DfE Publishes Revised Essential Digital Skills Standards

The Department for Education has published revised essential digital skills standards, setting out the digital skills adults need to participate fully in life, undertake most jobs and engage in further study. The standards were published on 15 July 2026 and apply to England.

The content has been updated and expanded in response to technological change, including artificial intelligence (AI), to ensure the standards remain relevant to the digital skills adults need today. This is the first revision since the standards were introduced in 2018.

The revised standards now cover five levels: Entry Level 1, Entry Level 2, Entry Level 3, Level 1 and Level 2. Foundation skills, such as turning on a device and connecting safely to the internet, are now included at Entry Levels 1 and 2, while Level 2 has been added to support the independent, critical and responsible use of digital skills in work, learning and everyday life.

The standards retain the five skill areas of using devices and handling information, creating and editing, communicating and collaborating, transacting, and being safe and legal online.

They now include:

• A focus on safe, confident device use from the earliest levels
• The introduction of critical evaluation skills, including recognising unreliable or AI generated online content
• Stronger emphasis on managing personal data, privacy and digital identity
• More explicit coverage of collaboration, communication and media integration
• Integration of AI supported tools and automated features across levels

The standards are aligned with the Essential Digital Skills Framework and were developed following engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including education and training providers, awarding organisations, employers, representative bodies and digital inclusion organisations.

The standards are for organisations that design, deliver or support essential digital skills provision, including education and training providers, commissioners of provision such as strategic authorities and employers, awarding organisations, and digital inclusion charities and other organisations supporting people to develop essential digital skills.

Essential Digital Skills qualifications (EDSQs) and Digital Functional Skills qualifications (DFSQs) remain in place. The Department will provide further information in due course on how the revised standards should be used with existing EDSQs and DFSQs, and on how it intends to update its approach to qualifications.

The Essential Digital Skills Standards: 2026 are available on GOV.UK.