Skills for Life: Ethical Choices
Ethical choices is one 10 hour Pearson unit that learners combine with others into a Pearson Skills for Life or Skills for Work Award, Certificate or Diploma, at any level from Entry 1 to Level 2. Learners recognise ethical dilemmas at home, at school, in the community and at work, suggest a responsible response to each and, from Level 1, show the decision-making process behind it. The centre sets and marks the assessment. Literacy sits in stating, describing and explaining dilemmas with reasons, writing simple scenarios, and setting out and justifying a decision, with discussion, debate and case study research suggested. Annexe C records no direct numeracy link.
- Awarding body
- Pearson
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 10
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of literacy work
- Medium
- Amount of numeracy work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3): One assessment criterion at each of Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3: state, outline or identify ethical dilemmas at home, at school, in the community and (Entry 3) in a workplace, and suggest a responsible response to each. There are no mandatory evidence requirements. Evidence is internally assessed by the centre, using the Pearson Authorised Assignment Brief or its own assignment, and quality assured through Pearson standards verification. 10 guided learning hours, graded Pass or Fail.
- Level 1 and Level 2: One assessment criterion at each of Level 1 and Level 2: describe (Level 1) or explain (Level 2) ethical dilemmas from home, school, community and workplace settings, and demonstrate how individuals take responsibility by following a decision-making process. There are no mandatory evidence requirements. Evidence is internally assessed by the centre and quality assured through Pearson standards verification. 10 guided learning hours, graded Pass or Fail.
Skills that use Collaborative talk
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Discussing and debating dilemmas
Annexe C lists discussion and debate as literacy links, Entry 2 learners are expected to articulate their understanding and Level 1 learners to present their findings clearly. Discussion is a suggested way of teaching and evidencing the criteria rather than a separate requirement.
Literacy: Collaborative talk, Listening as part of collaborative talk, Listening to understand
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils stand on a line from agree to disagree for a dilemma statement and give one reason for where they stand.
- Year 8
- Pupils discuss a dilemma in groups, each arguing a different option, then agree the most responsible choice.
- Year 9
- Pupils take part in a structured class debate on a workplace dilemma, responding to the other side's points before giving their final view.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit SfL 8, Levels of supervision and support before and during assessment, page 44; Annexe C, SfL 8 row, page 161
“Explain/describe dilemmas; discuss/debate; apply and”
Progression step 3
I can explore challenging or contentious issues through a variety of authentic contexts, including sustaining a role.
I can listen in order to show agreement and disagreement in collaborative discussion and situations.
Progression step 4
I can use talk in a range of authentic contexts to explore challenging or contentious issues.
I can listen to gain different people's views and ideas on various subjects, using them to arrive at my own conclusions.
Good to know
- The unit is Unit SfL 8 and the unit summary lists it at "10" guided learning hours, half the 20 hours of the WJEC unit of the same name (Unit summary, page 5).
- Entry 3 learners write a scenario for each dilemma: "four different ethical dilemmas in total", "providing a simple scenario for each" (Essential information for assessment decisions, page 43).
- Level 2 learners must justify the process as well as the choice: they should "be able to justify their choice of decision-making process" (Essential information for assessment decisions, page 44).
- Command words are defined in the glossary, for example Outline means learners "provide a summary, overview or brief description" (Part B Glossary, page 153).
- Evidence can be spoken or written: "centres can select the type of evidence, as long as it enables the learner to meet the Assessment criteria" (Essential information for assessment decisions, page 43).
- AI use must be acknowledged: "If AI is used, the final submission must be in the learner's own words and reflect their own effort" (Requirements relating to permitted/prohibited resources, page 45).
- There is no numeracy: Annexe B leaves the Numeracy Links column blank for SfL 8 and Annexe C records "No direct link" (pages 157 and 161).
Links with other qualifications
The WJEC Skills Suite has its own Ethical choices unit at 20 guided learning hours, with four learning outcomes that ask learners to compare viewpoints and values, explain consequences and justify a decision; the Pearson unit is 10 hours with one criterion per level and asks for a set number of dilemmas across four settings and a stated decision-making process. Explaining and justifying a view links with the argument and discussion in GCSE English Language and with GCSE Religious Studies, which treats moral and ethical issues in more depth. Within the WJEC Skills Suite the closest units are Values for life and Rights and responsibilities in the workplace.
Source: Pearson Entry Level 1 to Level 2 Skills for Life Award, Certificate and Diploma Qualifications specification, Issue 1, August 2026, Unit SfL 8: Ethical choices.