Link Modules core skills - information technology and communication
What the exam tests
Your ability to use IT tools purposefully and to communicate clearly for a given audience. The written paper includes data interpretation, and the portfolio depends on well-formatted documents.
IT skills
- Word processing: heading styles, tables, page numbers, spellcheck, consistent formatting.
- Spreadsheets: labels, values, formulas (for example =B2*C2, =SUM(B2:B10)), charts and what-if changes.
- Databases: fields, records, queries, sorting.
- Presentations: one idea per slide, readable font, images that add meaning.
- Email: clear subject line, appropriate greeting, concise body, professional sign-off, correct attachments.
- Research: choose reliable sources, record the URL and date accessed, avoid plagiarism.
- Digital responsibility: protect personal data (GDPR) and be aware of your digital footprint.
Communication
Adapt tone and detail to the audience. Structure longer pieces with an introduction, findings and conclusion. Listen actively, use plain language and check understanding. In presentations, signpost sections and make eye contact.
Worked example
An enterprise team records weekly sales in a spreadsheet. The formula =B2*C2 calculates revenue per product; =SUM gives the total; a column chart shows which product sells best. The report states the conclusion and notes what the data does not show, such as why sales fell.
Traps
Using a spreadsheet as a typed table with no formulas; unlabelled charts; informal emails to employers; copying sources without citation; publishing images of other students without consent.