ICDL Online Essentials study plan
ICDL Online Essentials · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Web Browsing
Identify the parts of a browser window and explain the function of each toolbar control
Demonstrate entering a URL, using back/forward/reload/home, and managing multiple tabs
Distinguish between a URL's protocol, domain, and path components
Configure browser settings for homepage, default search engine, and download location
Your checkpoint
A one-page annotated screenshot-free diagram (hand-drawn or text) labeling 10 browser controls plus a written list of 5 browser settings you changed and why
Web Browsing
Complete a download and locate the saved file in the file system
Create, edit, and organize bookmarks into at least two folders
Clear browsing history, cache, and cookies and describe what each removal affects
Explain how pop-up blockers and private/incognito browsing work
Your checkpoint
A bookmarks folder containing 8 sites organized into 2 subfolders, plus a 150-word note explaining the difference between cache, cookies, and history
Information Search
Formulate keyword queries that narrow results using quotation marks and minus operators
Compare results across at least two different search engines for the same query
Evaluate a search result for relevance and credibility using author, date, and domain cues
Distinguish sponsored results from organic results
Your checkpoint
A table of 5 queries showing the exact search syntax used, number of relevant results in the first page, and your credibility rating for the top result
Information Search & Online Safety and Security
Apply a checklist to judge whether a web page is trustworthy (author, date, sources, contact info)
Identify common phishing indicators in an email or web page (mismatched links, urgency, spoofed sender)
Explain what HTTPS and the padlock indicator do and do not guarantee
Recognize when a site requests personal data and decide whether to provide it
Your checkpoint
A scored credibility review of 4 websites (2 real, 2 deliberately dubious) using a 6-point checklist, with a written verdict for each
Online Communication
Compose, address, reply to, and forward an email with correct To/Cc/Bcc usage
Attach a file to an email and explain size limits and safe attachment handling
Create and use an email signature and an address book contact
Differentiate between email, instant messaging, and video conferencing for a given scenario
Your checkpoint
A sent email containing an attachment, a signature, one Cc and one Bcc recipient, saved as a text transcript of what you did and why
Online Communication & Online Safety and Security
Identify spam and phishing messages and demonstrate reporting and deleting them
Explain how strong passwords are constructed and set a unique password for one account
Enable two-factor authentication on one account and describe the steps
Describe safe behavior for public Wi-Fi and for sharing personal information online
Your checkpoint
A short written security log documenting the password policy you adopted, the account where you enabled 2FA, and 3 phishing clues you spotted in a sample message
Online Safety and Security & Web Browsing
Explain what malware, ransomware, and tracking cookies are and how each spreads
Describe how to check a site's certificate and what to do when a browser warns about an unsafe site
Adjust browser privacy settings to block third-party cookies
Identify the risks of downloading software from unofficial sources
Your checkpoint
A before/after record of 5 browser privacy settings you changed, with one sentence per setting on the risk it mitigates
Web Browsing & Information Search & Online Communication & Online Safety and Security
Complete a timed mock assessment covering all four domains without notes
Review every missed item and write the correct concept in your own words
Rehearse the browser, search, email, and security tasks you found slowest
Confirm readiness by scoring at least 80% on the mock
Your checkpoint
A completed mock assessment with a scored results sheet and a list of weak areas with the corrective action for each
Milestones
Week 2: Can navigate, download, bookmark, and clear data in a browser without referring to notes
Week 4: Scores at least 70% on a self-made 20-question quiz covering Web Browsing and Information Search
Week 6: Can send a correctly addressed email with attachment and signature, and explain 3 phishing indicators from memory
Week 8: Achieves at least 80% on a full four-domain mock assessment under timed conditions