ICDL Workforce

APPLICATION
ESSENTIALS
Syllabus 1.0

Syllabus Document

© 2019-2023 ICDL Foundation Ref: ICDL Application Essentials - Syllabus - V1.0 Page 1 of 7
Purpose
This document details the syllabus for the Application Essentials module. The syllabus describes,
through learning outcomes, the knowledge and skills that a candidate for the Application
Essentials module should possess. The syllabus also provides the basis for the theory and
practice-based test in this module.

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form except as permitted
by ICDL Foundation. Enquiries for permission to reproduce material should be directed to ICDL
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Disclaimer
Although every care has been taken by ICDL Foundation in the preparation of this publication, no
warranty is given by ICDL Foundation, as publisher, as to the completeness of the information
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© 2019-2023 ICDL Foundation Ref: ICDL Application Essentials - Syllabus - V1.0 Page 2 of 7
 Application Essentials

This module sets out the essential concepts and skills needed to start using common office productivity
applications – word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations – effectively.

Module Goals

Successful candidates will be able to:

• Understand the purpose of different common office productivity applications and carry out common
tasks
• Work with text in a document, inert and edit objects and tables, and prepare and print outputs.
• Work with numbers and text in a spreadsheet, manipulate spreadsheet data, use formulas, insert
charts, and prepare and print outputs.
• Build a presentation, insert and format text in slides, inert and edit objects and effects, and create
outputs including a slideshow.

CATEGORY SKILL SET REF. TASK ITEM

1 Office Productivity 1.1.1 Overview 1.1.1 Recognise common office productivity suites.
Applications

1.1.2 Understand the function of different office

productivity applications: word processing,
spreadsheet, presentation.

1.2 Common Tasks 1.2.1 Open, close an office productivity application.

Open, close office productivity file(s).

1.2.2 Save a file to a location on a local, online drive.

Save a file under another name to a location on a
local, online drive.

1.2.3 Save a file as another file type.

1.2.4 Switch between open files.

1.2.5 Identify appropriate help resources.

1.2.6 Use magnification/zoom tools.

1.2.7 Restore, minimise the ribbon. Display, hide built-

in toolbars.

1.2.8 Use the undo, redo command.

2 Word Processing 2.1 Getting Started 2.1.1 Create a new document based on default
template, other available template locally or
online.

2.1.2 Enter text into a document.

2.1.3 Insert symbols or special characters like: ©, ®,

™.

2.1.4 Select character, word, line, sentence,

paragraph, entire body text.
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 CATEGORY SKILL SET REF. TASK ITEM

2.1.5 Edit content by entering, removing characters,

words within existing text, by over-typing to
replace existing text.

2.1.6 Copy, move text within a document, between

open documents.

2.1.7 Delete text.

2.2 Formatting and 2.2.1

Apply text formatting: font size, font type.
Alignment

2.2.2 Apply text formatting: bold, italic, underline.

2.2.3 Apply font colour to text.

2.2.4 Create, merge paragraph(s).

2.2.5 Align text: left, centre, right, justified.

2.2.6 Apply spacing above, below paragraphs. Apply

single, 1.5 lines, double line spacing within
paragraphs.

2.2.7 Add, remove bullets, numbers in a single level

list. Switch between different standard bullet,
number styles in a single level list.

2.3 Objects 2.3.1 Create, delete a table.

2.3.2 Insert, edit data in a table.

2.3.3 Select rows, columns, cells, entire table.

2.3.4 Insert, delete rows and columns.

2.3.5 Modify column width, row height.

2.3.6 Insert an object (picture, drawn object) to a

specified location in a document.

2.3.7 Select an object.

2.3.8 Resize an object maintaining, not maintaining

aspect ratio. Delete an object.

2.4 Outputs 2.4.1 Spell check a document and make changes like:
correcting spelling errors, ignoring specific words,
deleting repeated words.

2.4.2 Preview a document.

2.4.3 Change document orientation: portrait,

landscape.

2.4.4 Print a document using output options like: entire

document, specific page(s), selected text,
number of copies.

© 2019-2023 ICDL Foundation Ref: ICDL Application Essentials – Syllabus – V1.0 Page 4 of 7
 CATEGORY SKILL SET REF. TASK ITEM

3 Spreadsheets 3.1 Getting Started 3.1.1 Create a new spreadsheet based on default
template, other available template locally or
online.

3.1.2 Enter a number, date, text in a cell.

3.1.3 Select a cell, range of adjacent cells, range of

non-adjacent cells, entire worksheet.

3.1.4 Edit, delete cell contents.

3.1.5 Copy the contents of a cell, cell range within a

worksheet, between worksheets, between open
spreadsheets.

3.1.6 Use the autofill tool/copy handle tool to copy,

increment data, formula, function.

3.1.7 Move the contents of a cell, cell range within a

worksheet, between worksheets, between open
spreadsheets.

3.1.8 Use a simple search command for specific

content in a worksheet.

3.1.9 Use a simple replace command for specific

content in a worksheet.

3.2 Formatting 3.2.1 Apply text formatting to cell contents: font size,
font type.

3.2.2 Apply text formatting to cell contents: bold, italic,

underline, double underline.

3.3 Managing 3.3.1 Select a row, range of adjacent rows, range of

Worksheets non-adjacent rows.

3.3.2 Select a column, range of adjacent columns,

range of non-adjacent columns.

3.3.3 Insert, delete rows and columns.

3.3.4 Modify column width, row height to a specified

value, to optimal width or height.

3.4 Formulas 3.4.1 Create formulas using cell references and

arithmetic operators (addition, subtraction,
multiplication, division).

3.4.2 Use sum, average, count.

3.5 Charts 3.5.1 Create different types of charts from spreadsheet

data: column chart, bar chart, line chart, pie
chart.

3.5.2 Select a chart.

3.5.3 Move, resize, delete a chart.

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 CATEGORY SKILL SET REF. TASK ITEM

3.5.4 Add, remove, edit a chart title.

3.5.5 Add, remove, edit a chart legend.

3.6 Outputs 3.6.1 Preview a worksheet.

3.6.2 Print an entire worksheet, number of copies of a

worksheet, the entire spreadsheet.

4 Presentation 4.1 Getting Started 4.1.1 Create a new presentation based on default
template, other available template locally or
online.

4.1.2 Switch between presentation view modes:

normal, slide sorter, master, notes page, outline.

4.1.3 Apply a different built-in slide layout to a slide.

4.1.4 Apply a built-in design template, theme to a

presentation.

4.1.5 Add a new slide with a specific slide layout like:

title slide, title and content, title only, blank.

4.1.6 Copy, move slides within the presentation,

between open presentations.

4.1.7 Delete slide(s).

4.1.8 Hide, show slide(s).

4.2 Text and Formatting 4.2.1 Enter text in a placeholder in normal view. Enter
text in outline view.

4.2.2 Edit text in a presentation.

4.2.3 Copy, move text within a presentation, between

open presentations.

4.2.4 Delete text.

4.2.5 Apply text formatting: font size, font type.

4.2.6 Apply text formatting: bold, italic, underline,

shadow.

4.2.7 Apply font colour to text.

4.2.8 Align text: left, centre, right in a text frame.

4.3 Objects and Effects 4.3.1 Insert a graphical object (picture, drawn object)
into a slide

4.3.2 Copy, move graphical objects, charts within the

presentation, between open presentations.

4.3.3 Resize a graphical object maintaining, not

maintaining aspect ratio. Resize a chart.

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 CATEGORY SKILL SET REF. TASK ITEM

4.3.4 Add, remove built-in transition effects between

slides.

4.4 Outputs 4.4.1 Spell check a presentation and make changes

like: correcting spelling errors, ignoring specific
words, deleting repeated words.

4.4.2 Print a presentation using output options like:

entire presentation, specific slide(s), handouts,
notes pages, outline view of slides, number of
copies of a presentation.

4.4.3 Start a slide show from first slide, from current

slide. End a slide show.

4.4.4 Navigate to next slide, previous slide, specified

slide during a slide show.

© 2019-2023 ICDL Foundation Ref: ICDL Application Essentials – Syllabus – V1.0 Page 7 of 7