ICDL Word Processing study guide
ICDL Word Processing · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The ICDL Word Processing module (also called ECDL Word Processing in some markets) is a certification of practical word-processing competence. It is aimed at students, job seekers, office staff and anyone who needs to show that they can produce and format professional documents rather than simply claim they can. The ICDL Word Processing study guide has 7 sections and about 2,170 words.
01Using the Application
The exam checks that you can operate the word processor itself, not just type. You need to know where commands live (ribbon tabs, menus, dialog boxes), how to open, save and close files, how to move around a long document, and how to use the help system.
310 words, about 2 min02Document Creation
This domain covers building the content: entering and editing text, selecting efficiently, and using tools that automate or check your work. You must know how to insert and delete text, use overtype vs insert behaviour, select by word, line, paragraph or whole document, and move or copy text using cut, copy and paste.
295 words, about 1 min03Formatting
Formatting questions ask you to change appearance at three levels: character (font, size, bold, italic, underline, colour), paragraph (alignment, indents, spacing, line spacing, bullets and numbering), and page (margins, orientation, size, headers and footers). You must know which level a command applies to and how far it reaches.
303 words, about 2 min04Objects
This domain covers inserting non-text elements: tables, images, charts, shapes and text boxes. You must know how to create and edit a table (add/delete rows and columns, merge and split cells, adjust borders and shading), insert a picture and resize it, and control how objects interact with text.
303 words, about 2 min05Mail Merge
Mail merge produces many personalised documents from one template plus a data source. You must understand the three parts: the main document (the template with fixed text), the data source (a list of records such as a table or spreadsheet with fields like name and address), and the merged output (one copy per record).
327 words, about 2 min06Prepare Outputs
Before a document leaves your hands, you prepare it for its destination. This domain covers page setup (margins, orientation, paper size), headers and footers, page breaks, print preview, and printing options.
302 words, about 2 min07Manage Documents
This domain covers organising and protecting files: saving in different formats, using folders, naming files sensibly, and using document properties and protection. You must know how to save a document as a different file type (such as PDF or plain text), where files are stored, and how to keep versions organised.
330 words, about 2 min