Personal Project
The WJEC Entry Level Personal Project is a stand-alone 60 hour qualification, graded Entry 1, Entry 2 or Entry 3, in which learners choose a topic that interests them and carry out a simple project. They submit a project plan and a final project, assessed against the four Integral Skills. Literacy runs through the criteria as speaking and listening more than writing: saying what they want to achieve, finding information and saying where it came from, sharing ideas, presenting and reflecting. Entry 3 written work should not normally exceed 1000 words. Numeracy is light and sits in keeping to time and to the order of steps.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- Level
- Entry Level
- Guided learning hours
- 60
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of literacy work
- Medium
- Amount of numeracy work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this qualification is assessed
- Planning and organising (learning outcomes 1 to 3): Assessment grid with seven criteria (plan a simple project, say what they want to achieve, use resources and time), each awarded 1, 2 or 3 points for Entry 1, Entry 2 or Entry 3, 21 points, 30% weighting. Internally assessed by the centre and externally moderated by WJEC.
- Critical thinking and problem solving (learning outcomes 4 and 5): Assessment grid with six criteria (find and use simple information, notice and talk about problems), each awarded 1, 2 or 3 points, 18 points, 20% weighting. Internally assessed by the centre and externally moderated by WJEC.
- Creativity and innovation (learning outcome 6): Assessment grid with three criteria (try out ideas, select colours, materials or designs, present their work), each awarded 2, 4 or 6 points, 18 points, 20% weighting. Internally assessed by the centre and externally moderated by WJEC.
- Personal effectiveness (learning outcomes 7 and 8): Assessment grid with seven criteria (share and talk about ideas, think about what they have learned), each awarded 1, 2 or 3 points, 21 points, 30% weighting. Internally assessed by the centre and externally moderated by WJEC. All four grids are applied to one two-part final entry: the project plan and the final project.
Skills that use Strategic competence
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Keeping to time and following steps in order
Learners keep to simple times or steps at Entry 1 and Entry 2, and work steadily and keep mostly to time at Entry 3. This is an assessment criterion, but it needs no calculation, so numeracy demand is low; there is no other numeracy required of every project.
Numeracy: Measurement, Strategic competence
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils use a sand timer or clock to finish each step of a practical task within five minutes.
- Year 8
- Pupils fill in a simple timetable of lesson times for a three week task and tick off steps against it.
- Year 9
- Pupils plan a four week mini project on a calendar, putting the steps in order with dates, and check each week whether they are on time.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Planning and organising, learning outcome 3, assessment criterion 3.3, page 11; section 2.1, page 7
“Work steadily and keep mostly to time”
Progression step 3
I can use and interpret calendars, timetables and schedules to plan events and activities, and make calculations as part of the planning journey.
I can prioritise and organise the relevant steps needed to complete the task or reach a solution.
Progression step 4
I can prioritise and organise the relevant steps needed to complete the task or reach a solution.
Good to know
- The qualification has its own codes: "WJEC Qualification Code 9000Q0", with 9000C0 for Welsh medium entries (pages 2 and 21), and is worth 60 guided learning hours.
- Writing is limited: at Entry 1 and Entry 2 "Candidates are not required to produce extended written work", and at Entry 3 written evidence "should not normally exceed 1000 words" (section 4.2, page 16).
- Word counts are flexible: "Word counts are intended as guidance only and must not restrict a candidate's ability to meet the assessment criteria" (section 4.2, page 16).
- Sources must be acknowledged in writing or aloud: "For spoken evidence, this can be by the candidate verbally identifying the source during their presentation or discussion" (section 4.2, page 17).
- There are two required pieces: "Learners should submit their project plan and their final project" (section 2.5, page 9).
- AI tools may be used "When properly referenced", but misuse includes "copying or paraphrasing whole responses of AI-generated content" (section 4.4, page 19).
- There are no set tasks in the specification; suggested activities are in a separate document, the "Personal Project Guidance for Teaching and Assessment" (section 2, page 7).
Links with other qualifications
The Entry Level Personal Project leads on to the WJEC Personal Project Level 1 and Level 2, which assesses the same four Integral Skills with more independence. Because the topic is the learner's own choice, a project can grow out of any GCSE, VCSE or Foundation subject the learner enjoys, but no subject content is assessed. The planning, teamwork and reflection criteria overlap with Skills Suite units such as Teamwork and Personal development planning, which can be taken alongside it at Entry Level.
Source: WJEC Entry Level Personal Project specification, approved by Qualifications Wales, teaching from September 2027, for award from 2029 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2026).