ICDL Image Editing (ICDL)

The official page could not be retrieved when this profile was compiled, so the delivery format is unconfirmed here. ICDL module tests are typically delivered on a computer at an approved test centre, combining knowledge items with practical tasks performed in image-editing software. Confirm the format, software version and centre arrangements with your national ICDL operator before you book.

It sits at entry to intermediate level: candidates are not expected to be professional designers, but they must be fluent with everyday tools. The usual difficulty is not the software but the vocabulary - resolution, colour depth, file formats and compression are examined as concepts. Regular hands-on practice plus careful revision of terminology is normally enough for a prepared candidate.

These figures are not stated in the source material available to this profile and are therefore left unconfirmed. Item counts and time allowances are set by the national operator and can differ between countries and between test versions. Check the current candidate handbook or ask your test centre for the duration and number of items before your appointment.

The pass mark is not published in the material this profile could verify, so no figure is given here. Passing thresholds are set nationally and may be revised. Ask your national ICDL operator or accredited test centre for the current pass standard, and treat any percentage you see on a third-party site as unverified unless the operator confirms it.

Retake rules could not be confirmed from the official source, so no answer is asserted here. Policies on the number of attempts, waiting periods and additional fees are decided by the national operator and vary by country. Contact your test centre directly before booking so you know the cost and timing of a second attempt.

Work through them in syllabus order. Start with imaging concepts, because resolution, colour mode and file format decisions govern everything later. Then cover capture, so you understand how images are acquired and why quality varies. Creation and editing come next, where you practise selections, layers and colour adjustment. Finish with output and saving, matching format and compression to the intended use.

Confusing related concepts is the biggest risk: resolution versus file size, raster versus vector, RGB versus CMYK, and lossy versus lossless compression. In practical tasks, candidates lose marks by editing destructively without keeping an original, resizing by stretching rather than resampling proportionally, and saving to a format that discards transparency or over-compresses the image.

The syllabus is written around transferable skills rather than a single product, so the concepts and operations carry across raster editors. In practice you should be comfortable in whichever application your test centre provides, including where menus and dialogue boxes sit, because the practical tasks are timed. Confirm the software and version used at your centre and practise in that environment.

Booking runs through the ICDL national operator in your country, which lists accredited test centres, prices and available dates. Because the official module page was unavailable when this profile was compiled, verify current arrangements directly with that operator rather than relying on third-party summaries. Ask also whether your school or employer can register you as a candidate.