ICDL Documents (ICDL)

Practical word-processing competence: creating and editing documents, applying character and paragraph formatting, controlling page layout, inserting tables and objects, and preparing files for print, sharing, and review. It is a hands-on skills certification, not a theory paper, so you should be able to perform tasks rather than just describe them.

ICDL tests are delivered through the global network of Accredited Test Centres, which the ICDL site describes as spanning more than 100 countries. Delivery may be on-screen at the centre or through an approved automated system, depending on your provider. Ask your centre which format and application version you will use before you book.

The ICDL website does not publish a duration or passing score for the Documents module, so these cannot be confirmed from the official source. Your Accredited Test Centre is the authoritative point of contact for timing, pass marks, and any local variations. Do not rely on figures quoted informally online.

Retake rules are set by the certification programme and administered locally by your test centre; the public ICDL site does not state a retake policy. Ask your centre about the number of attempts allowed, waiting periods, and any additional fees before you sit the test, so you can plan your study time accordingly.

No fee is published on the ICDL website for the Documents module. Costs vary because pricing is handled by local providers and can include registration, test, and certificate charges. Contact a centre in your region for a full quote, and ask whether your school, university, or employer has a subsidised arrangement.

The public ICDL site does not state a validity period for Documents certification, so treat any specific expiry claim with caution. Because software interfaces change, many candidates refresh their certification when they move jobs or upgrade office software. Confirm validity terms with your centre at the time of registration.

Start with text entry, selection, and basic editing, then move to character and paragraph formatting, then page layout and section control, then tables and inserted objects, and finish with output and collaboration features such as printing, exporting, comments, and tracked changes. Practise each area on a real document rather than isolated drills.

Candidates typically lose marks through inconsistent formatting applied manually instead of with styles, misused page and section breaks, poorly structured tables, and saving or exporting in the wrong file format. Reading each task fully, and checking the result on screen before moving on, prevents most of these errors.

No. ICDL is an independent digital-literacy certification programme and is not tied to a single software vendor. The Documents module focuses on transferable word-processing skills, though you will sit the test using a specific application version supplied by your centre. Check which application and version your centre uses so your practice matches.

Work through a structured course covering the module areas, then spend most of your time producing and correcting complete documents. Build a short document that uses headings, lists, a table, an image, page numbering, and a print-ready export. Timed practice on a full document is the closest simulation of the real test.