ICDL Workforce

WORD
PROCESSING
Syllabus 6.0

Syllabus Document
Purpose
This document details the syllabus for the Word Processing module. The syllabus describes,
through learning outcomes, the knowledge and skills that a candidate for the Word Processing
module should possess. The syllabus also provides the basis for the theory and practice-based
test in this module.

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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
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any errors, omissions, inaccuracies, loss or damage whatsoever arising by virtue of such
information or any instructions or advice contained within this publication. Changes may be
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Copyright 1997-2019 ICDL Foundation. ICDL Foundation, ICDL Europe, ICDL, ECDL and related logos are registered business names and/or
trademarks of ECDL Foundation.
© 1997-2019 ICDL Foundation Ref: ICDL Word Processing - Syllabus - V6.0 Page 2 of 6
 Word Processing Module

This module sets out essential concepts and skills relating to the ability to use a word processing
application to create everyday documents.

Module Goals

Successful candidates will be able to:

• Work with documents and save them in different file formats, locally or in the cloud.
• Use available help resources, shortcuts and the go to tool to enhance productivity.
• Create and edit word processing documents that will be ready to share and distribute.
• Apply different formats and styles to enhance documents and recognise good practice in
choosing the appropriate formatting options.
• Insert tables, pictures and drawn objects into documents.
• Prepare documents for mail merge operations.
• Adjust document page settings and check and correct spelling before printing.

CATEGORY SKILL SET REF. TASK ITEM

1 Using the 1.1 Working with 1.1.1 Open, close a word processing application.
Application Documents Open, close document(s).

1.1.2 Create a new document based on default

template, other available template locally or
online.

1.1.3 Save a document to a location on a local, online

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

1.1.4 Save a document as another file type like: text

file, pdf, software specific file extension.

1.1.5 Switch between open documents.

1.2 Enhancing 1.2.1 Set basic options/preferences in the application:

Productivity user name, default folder to open, save
documents.

1.2.2 Use available help resources.

1.2.3 Use magnification/zoom tools.

1.2.4 Display, hide built-in toolbars. Restore, minimise

the ribbon.

1.2.5 Recognise good practice in navigating within a

document: use shortcuts, go to tool.

1.2.6 Use go to tool to navigate to a specific page.

2 Document Creation 2.1 Enter Text 2.1.1 Understand the uses of available document view
modes like: print, draft.

2.1.2 Switch between document view modes.

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 CATEGORY SKILL SET REF. TASK ITEM

2.1.3 Enter text into a document.

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

™.

2.2 Select, Edit 2.2.1 Display, hide non-printing formatting marks like:
spaces, paragraph marks, manual line break
marks, tab characters.

2.2.2 Select character, word, line, sentence,

paragraph, entire body text.

2.2.3 Edit content by entering, removing characters,

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

2.2.4 Use a simple search command for a specific

character, word, phrase.

2.2.5 Use a simple replace command for a specific

character, word, phrase.

2.2.6 Copy, move text within a document, between

open documents.

2.2.7 Delete text.

2.2.8 Use the undo, redo command.

3 Formatting 3.1 Text 3.1.1 Apply text formatting: font size, font type.

3.1.2 Apply text formatting: bold, italic, underline.

3.1.3 Apply text formatting: subscript, superscript.

3.1.4 Apply font colour to text.

3.1.5 Apply case changes to text.

3.1.6 Apply automatic hyphenation.

3.1.7 Insert, edit, remove a hyperlink.

3.2 Paragraphs 3.2.1 Create, merge paragraph(s).

3.2.2 Insert, remove soft carriage return (line break).

3.2.3 Recognise good practice in text layout: use align,

indent, tab tools rather than inserting spaces.

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

3.2.5 Indent paragraphs: left, right, first line, hanging.

3.2.6 Set, remove and use tabs: left, centre, right,

decimal.

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 CATEGORY SKILL SET REF. TASK ITEM

3.2.7 Recognise good practice in paragraph spacing:

apply spacing between paragraphs rather than
inserting several paragraph marks.

3.2.8 Apply spacing above, below paragraphs. Apply

single, 1.5 lines, double line spacing within
paragraphs.

3.2.9 Add, remove bullets, numbers in a single level

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

3.2.10 Apply border style, line style, line colour, line

width, shading/background colour to a paragraph.

3.3 Styles 3.3.1 Apply an existing character style to selected text.

3.3.2 Apply an existing paragraph style to one or more

paragraphs.

3.3.3 Use copy format tool.

4 Objects 4.1 Table Creation 4.1.1 Create, delete a table.

4.1.2 Insert, edit data in a table.

4.1.3 Select rows, columns, cells, entire table.

4.1.4 Insert, delete rows and columns.

4.2 Table Formatting 4.2.1 Modify column width, row height.

4.2.2 Modify cell border line style, width, colour.

4.2.3 Apply shading/background colour to cell(s).

4.3 Graphical Objects 4.3.1 Insert an object (picture, drawn object) to a

specified location in a document.

4.3.2 Select an object.

4.3.3 Copy, move an object within a document,

between open documents.

4.3.4 Resize an object maintaining, not maintaining

aspect ratio. Delete an object.

5 Mail Merge 5.1 Preparation 5.1.1 Open, prepare a document, as a main document
(letters, address labels) for a mail merge.

5.1.2 Select a mailing list, other data file, for use in a

mail merge.

5.1.3 Insert data fields in a mail merge main document.

5.2 Outputs 5.2.1 Merge a mailing list, other data file with a letter,
label document as a new file.

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 CATEGORY SKILL SET REF. TASK ITEM

5.2.2 Print mail merge outputs: letters, labels.

6 Prepare Outputs 6.1 Setup 6.1.1 Change document orientation: portrait,

landscape. Change paper size.

6.1.2 Change margins of entire document: top, bottom,

left, right.

6.1.3 Recognise good practice in adding new pages:

insert a page break rather than inserting several
paragraph marks.

6.1.4 Insert, delete a page break.

6.1.5 Add, edit, delete text in headers, footers.

6.1.6 Add, delete fields in headers, footers: date, page

numbering, file name, author.

6.2 Check and Print 6.2.1 Spell check a document and make changes like:
correcting spelling errors, ignoring specific words,
deleting repeated words.

6.2.2 Add words to a built-in custom dictionary using a

spell checker.

6.2.3 Preview a document.

6.2.4 Print a document using output options like: entire

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

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