ICDL Documents (advanced) common mistakes
ICDL Documents · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Applying direct formatting (bold, font size, colour) to individual headings instead of assigning the built-in Heading 1/Heading 2 styles.
Direct formatting looks identical on screen, so candidates see no reason to use styles and reach for the toolbar buttons they already know.
What to do instead
Before touching the font controls, select each heading and apply the matching built-in style from the Styles gallery; verify via the Navigation pane that every heading appears there.
Inserting paragraph breaks (Enter) to push text to the next page instead of inserting an explicit page break.
Pressing Enter repeatedly gives instant visual feedback and feels faster than hunting for the Insert > Page Break command.
What to do instead
Place the cursor where the new page should start and insert a page break (Ctrl+Enter); switch on formatting marks to confirm no stray empty paragraphs remain.
Building a table of contents by hand, typing entries and page numbers manually.
Candidates do not connect heading styles to automatic TOC generation, or they fear the automatic TOC will look wrong.
What to do instead
Apply heading styles first, then use References > Table of Contents > Automatic Table; update it with Update Field > Update entire table after any edit.
Typing footnote or citation text into the body or at the end of the document rather than using the Insert Footnote / citation tools.
Manual entry seems simpler and the reference tools are buried in ribbons candidates rarely explore.
What to do instead
Use References > Insert Footnote for notes and the citation/ bibliography commands for sources so numbering and the reference list update automatically.
Creating a header or footer that repeats on only the first page, or breaking it by editing text inside the body instead of the header area.
Candidates double-click near the top margin and type, not realising they may be editing the body, or they miss the Different First Page / link-to-previous settings.
What to do instead
Double-click the header zone to open it, confirm the Header & Footer contextual tab is active, and check 'Different First Page' and 'Link to Previous' deliberately for each section.
Recording repetitive actions by redoing them manually each time instead of using a macro or Quick Part/AutoText building block.
Candidates are unaware these features exist or assume macros require programming knowledge.
What to do instead
For repeated boilerplate use Insert > Quick Parts > AutoText; for repeated action sequences record a macro with the developer Record Macro button and assign it to the Quick Access Toolbar.
Leaving tracked changes on (or off) without checking, so edits are either invisible to the reviewer or clutter the final document.
The Track Changes toggle is easy to leave in an unintended state, and candidates do not verify it before editing.
What to do instead
Check the status of the Track Changes button on the Review tab before starting, and use the display-for-review / show-markup options to confirm what will be seen.
Accepting or rejecting all changes without reviewing individual edits, or deleting a comment instead of replying to it.
The 'Accept All' button is prominent and fast, and comment reply options are less obvious than the delete control.
What to do instead
Step through changes with Previous/Next and accept or reject each deliberately; use Reply under a comment to respond and Resolve when addressed, keeping the thread intact.
Exporting to PDF without checking that the layout, headers, and page breaks survived, or saving a PDF that still contains tracked changes and comments.
Candidates assume the export is a faithful copy and do not open the resulting PDF to verify.
What to do instead
Before export, accept or hide markup as required, then use File > Export > Create PDF, open the PDF, and check pagination, headers, and that no revision marks are visible.
Printing or submitting a document with the wrong page setup (orientation, margins, paper size) or missing page numbers because print preview was skipped.
Candidates trust the on-screen view, which does not show margins or paper edges, and forget page numbering until after submission.
What to do instead
Use File > Print to inspect the preview before output, adjust orientation and margins in Layout, and insert page numbers via Insert > Page Number, confirming they appear in the preview.