Basic ICT Skills Level 2

Who it is for. People who have finished Basic ICT Skills (Level 1), or who can show the same skills: safe start-up and shut-down, files and folders, home-row typing, a letter and CV, email with attachments, safe passwords and scam spotting. National Proficiency II covers varied work, mostly routine, under limited supervision.

Bridge from Level 1: what you already know

Level 1 did not cover scanning, cloud sharing, tables and page layout, spreadsheets, presentations, filling official forms for customers, the eight data protection principles, using a screen reader for real work, accessible documents, or full pricing of a service. Level 2 covers all of these.

How the module works

Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, the range and the evidence your assessor needs. You are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent. About 70% of the time is practical, following CTVET's Oil Palm programme split of about 30% school and 70% workplace.

Honesty rule. Prices are asking prices seen on Jiji Ghana on 8 October 2026. Numbers marked example were made up to teach a method. Worked sums were checked by a computer script. Where a fact could not be checked, the book says not verified.

Competency standard

Range. Google Drive app scanner; a flatbed scanner on a multifunction printer; Google Drive or OneDrive; File Explorer. Evidence. Scanned PDFs; a shared folder with correct permissions; oral questions.

Scan with a phone (Google Drive app)

1. Lay the page flat on a dark, plain surface in good light. No shadows, no fingers on the page.
2. Open the Google Drive app and tap the Camera icon (bottom right).
3. Hold the phone straight above the page and take the photo.
4. Crop and rotate if needed; choose a filter; tap Add for more pages, or Retake for a bad one.
5. Tap Done, give a good file name, choose PDF, choose a folder, and tap Save.
6. Open the PDF and check every page: is it straight, sharp and readable to the bottom line?

Scan with a flatbed scanner

1. Lift the lid. Put the page face down, lined up with the corner arrow.
2. On the computer, open the scanner program (for many printers it is the maker's app, or Windows Scan).
3. Choose: colour for photos and stamps, greyscale or black and white for text; PDF for documents, JPG for photos; 200 to 300 dpi is enough for most documents (example setting; check what the receiving office asks for).
4. Scan, check on screen, save with a good name.

Common scanning mistakes and fixes

PDFs: when and how

• Send a PDF when the other person should read or print it exactly as you made it (a CV, a letter, a form to print).
• Send the document file (.docx, .odt) when the other person needs to edit it.
• To combine several PDFs into one, many free tools exist; check that a website is trusted before uploading anyone's private document to it. For customers' documents, use software on your own computer, not an unknown website.

Zip a folder

When you need to send many files together: in File Explorer, right-click the folder → Send to (on Windows 11 you may see Compress to ZIP file) → the zipped folder appears with the same name. Email or upload that one file.

Phone to computer

• Cable: connect the phone with its USB cable, unlock the phone, choose File transfer on the phone, then open the phone in File Explorer and copy the files.
• Cloud: upload to Google Drive on the phone, then download on the computer.
• Email to yourself: fine for one or two files under 25 MB; larger files become a Drive link in Gmail.

Cloud sharing done right

A free Google account gives up to 15 GB, shared by Gmail, Drive and Photos; Microsoft's free account gives 5 GB of OneDrive.

A filing system for real work

Documents
└── Work
    ├── 2026-10 October
    │   ├── 2026-10-08 Programme St Paul's Church
    │   └── 2026-10-09 Letter Mr Arthur
    └── Templates
        ├── Letter-template
        ├── CV-template
        └── Price-list

Use one folder per month and one folder per job, starting with the date. Keep reusable templates separate.

Check yourself

1. When should you send a PDF instead of a document file?
2. Name two ways to make a scanned file smaller.
3. Why share with "Viewer" rights and named people?

Competency standard

Range. Letters, notices, reports, church and funeral programmes, price lists, simple forms. Evidence. Printed programme; a 3-page report with styles, table and page numbers; job order checklist.

Page setup

Styles: the secret of neat documents

Styles are named formats such as Title, Heading 1 and Heading 2. Use them instead of making text bold by hand:

1. Type the heading. Click in it.
2. Choose Heading 1 from the styles list.
3. When all headings use styles, insert a table of contents (References → Table of Contents in Word; Insert → Table of Contents and Index in LibreOffice Writer). It updates itself when you change headings.

Styles also help blind readers: screen readers let users jump from heading to heading, and Microsoft advises using built-in Title and Heading styles in logical order.

Tables

1. Insert → Table → choose columns and rows.
2. Make the first row the header row (bold, and in Word mark it as a header row).
3. Keep tables simple: avoid merged and split cells where you can, because screen readers find them hard.
4. Use tables for price lists, timetables and order of service; not to push text around the page.

Headers, footers and page numbers

1. Insert → Page Number (Word) or Insert → Header and Footer, then Insert → Field → Page Number (Writer).
2. Put the document name or organisation in the footer.
3. Do not put important information only in the header or footer: screen readers may not read them.

Pictures

1. Insert → Picture → from this device. Choose the photo.
2. Drag a corner (not a side) to resize without stretching the face.
3. Set wrap text (for example "Square") if you want text beside it.
4. Add alternative text: right-click → Edit Alt Text (or Properties) and write a short description such as "Portrait of the late Mr Kwame Mensah in a blue kente cloth". Microsoft advises alt text that describes the image and its purpose.

Find and replace, templates

• Ctrl + H opens Find and Replace in many word processors. Use it to change "Mr Owusu" to "Mr Owusu-Ansah" everywhere at once. Check each change before "Replace all" on long documents.
• Save a finished, checked layout as a template (File → Save As → Template). Next time, start from it.

Booklet printing: a folded A5 programme

Church and funeral programmes are often A4 sheets folded in half. Steps:

1. Plan the pages in multiples of 4 (4, 8, 12): each A4 sheet folded gives 4 pages.
2. Set the page size to A5 in the document.
3. Design the pages in reading order.
4. Print with the booklet option (in the print dialog or the printer's properties), on both sides. If your printer cannot print both sides automatically, print the fronts, turn the stack as the screen tells you, and print the backs.
5. Print one test copy first, fold it, and check page order before printing 200.

The job order: check against what the customer asked

Common mistakes and fixes

Check yourself

1. Why use Heading styles instead of just making text bold?
2. Why must a folded booklet have a number of pages that is a multiple of 4?
3. What should you get from the customer before printing many copies?

Competency standard

Range. LibreOffice Calc, Microsoft Excel (desktop or web) or Google Sheets; a daily sales record, a stock list, a class register (made-up data). Evidence. A working sales sheet with formulas; a chart; a printed one-page sheet; oral questions.

The parts

• A cell is one box. Its address is its column letter and row number: B3 is column B, row 3.
• A row goes across (1, 2, 3…). A column goes down (A, B, C…).
• A sheet is one page of the file; a file can have many sheets (tabs at the bottom).
• The formula bar shows what is really inside the cell you clicked.

Formulas always start with =

The colon : means "from … to": D2:D10 is D2 to D10. These functions work the same way in Excel and Calc.

Step by step: a daily sales record

1. In row 1 type the headings: Date, Service, Quantity, Price GH¢, Amount GH¢.
2. Make row 1 bold and freeze it (View → Freeze → 1 row, or View → Freeze Rows and Columns).
3. Type the first sale in row 2: 2026-10-08, Printing B/W, 40, 1.
4. In E2 type =C2*D2 and press Enter. It shows 40.
5. Click E2, then drag the small square at the bottom-right corner down to E20. The formula copies and changes itself (=C3*D3, =C4*D4…).
6. Below the list, type Total and =SUM(E2:E20).
7. Format money columns with 2 decimal places (Format → Number → 2 decimals).
8. Check: add three rows with a calculator. If the calculator and the sheet disagree, find out why.

Sort, filter and chart

• Sort: select the table → Data → Sort → by Amount, largest first.
• Filter: Data → Filter (or AutoFilter); click the arrow in Service and show only "Printing".
• Chart: select the Service and Amount columns → Insert → Chart → choose column (bar) chart. Add a title: "Sales by service, week of 6–11 October (example)". Label the axes.

Printing a sheet

1. Select the area to print → Format → Print Ranges → Define (Calc) or Page Layout → Print Area → Set (Excel).
2. In print settings choose Fit all columns on one page.
3. Print preview, then print one copy.

Common mistakes and fixes

Check yourself

1. What is the address of the cell in column C, row 7?
2. What does =SUM(B2:B9) do?
3. Why should you type 40 and not GH¢40 in a money cell?

Competency standard

Range. LibreOffice Impress, PowerPoint (desktop or web) or Google Slides; a projector, TV or large screen; a 5-minute talk. Evidence. A saved presentation and PDF handout; observed 5-minute presentation.

Plan before you open the program

1. Who is listening? (A church group, a farmers' meeting, a school.)
2. What must they remember at the end? Write it in one sentence.
3. Five to eight key points, one per slide.
4. Time: about one minute per slide is a fair start (example guide).

Step by step: build the slides

1. Open the program → New presentation → choose a plain, high-contrast design (dark text on a light background, or light on dark).
2. Slide 1: Title slide: title, your name, date.
3. New slide for each key point. Use the Title and Content layout so the title is a real title (screen readers and the outline view use it).
4. Write short bullets, not paragraphs: about 3 to 5 bullets of a few words each (example guide).
5. Insert → Image for a photo or chart; add alt text as in Unit 2.
6. Last slide: summary and how to contact you.
7. Save with a good name.

Make it readable

Present

1. Connect the laptop to the projector or TV (HDMI cable). If nothing shows, press Windows key + P and choose Duplicate.
2. Start the slide show: F5 in most programs.
3. Right arrow or Space: next slide; Left arrow: back; Esc: end.
4. Look at the people, not the screen. Speak to them; the slides only help.
5. Keep to time. Practise twice with a timer before the day.

Share

Export a PDF (File → Export as PDF, or Save As → PDF, or Download → PDF). Send the PDF, not the editable file, unless someone must change it.

Check yourself

1. Why use the Title and Content layout instead of typing a title in a text box?
2. Which key starts the slide show in most programs, and which key ends it?
3. Give two rules that make slides easy to read.

Competency standard

Range. Practice versions of job applications, school and scholarship forms, ghana.gov services, passport application and tax (TIN) look-ups; made-up case cards. Evidence. Completed practice forms checked against case cards; observed read-back; job closing checklist.

Know the main platforms

• ghana.gov is a single point for many government services and payments: on the web at www.ghana.gov.gh, the Citizen app, or *222# on any phone; it links services such as the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Passport Office and the Lands Commission. Which services are fully online today was not verified: always check on the day.
• Tax number: the Ghana Card number has been the individual's TIN since April 2021.
• Passport: the ordinary 32-page passport fee became GH¢350 from 13 November 2025, with courier delivery included and 15 working days for regular service (3 days expedited); on delivery the holder verifies with their Ghana Card and signs. The Ministry said applicants should not pay any extra cedi.
• Business name registration (for customers starting a business): the Registrar of Companies lists GH¢130 to register a sole proprietor's business name and GH¢70 a year to renew.

Fees and steps change. Before every job, open the official site and read the current requirements.

Step by step: help a customer with an online form

1. Agree the job and price first (Unit 7). Tell the customer that official fees are paid only on the official site.
2. Open the official site yourself by typing the address. Never use a link from an SMS or WhatsApp.
3. List what is needed: ID details, photos, certificates, email address, phone number. Ask the customer to bring the originals.
4. Use the customer's own email and phone where the form sends codes or results. They must receive the messages, not you.
5. Type exactly what the document shows: names in the same order and spelling, dates in the format the form asks for.
6. Prepare uploads: scan or photograph clearly; check the file type (PDF or JPG) and size limit the form states; name files clearly.
7. Read back every field aloud to the customer, or let them read the screen. For a blind customer, read slowly and confirm each field; for a deaf customer, turn the screen to them and point.
8. Payment: the customer pays through the official channel and keeps control of their own PIN. Never type a customer's PIN or password yourself; never take their phone to "do it for them".
9. Submit, then save or print the confirmation page and give it to the customer.
10. Close the job: delete downloads, scans and photos from your computer and phone, empty them from the Recycle Bin, sign out of any account you used, and close the browser. Tick the closing checklist.

Photos for forms

Many forms ask for a passport-style photo: plain light background, face straight, no hat or dark glasses, good light. The exact size and file limits differ by form: read the form's own instructions; they were not verified for this book.

Job closing checklist

Check yourself

1. Why should the customer's own phone and email receive the codes?
2. What do you do with the customer's scans after the job?
3. Who types the PIN when a customer pays an official fee?

Competency standard

Range. Windows computers with NVDA and Narrator; Android phones; the trainee's own documents from Units 2–4. Evidence. Oral questions; observed screen-reader task; accessibility check report; settings checked.

Ghana's Data Protection Act: the eight principles

The Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) came into force in October 2012 and applies to data controllers in Ghana and to those processing data that comes from Ghana. It sets eight principles:

People also have the right to see their data, have it corrected, stop processing that causes unwarranted damage or distress, and stop its use for direct marketing; they can be compensated if the law is broken. If data is accessed by someone who should not have it, the data controller must tell the Commission and the person as soon as reasonably possible. Selling or offering to sell another person's personal data is an offence.

Special personal data needs extra care: data about a child under parental control, or about a person's religion, ethnic origin, race, trade union membership, political opinions, health, sexual life or criminal behaviour.

Registration. The Data Protection Commission says all data controllers and processors must register with it. Its 2025 fee regulations (L.I. 2512) list GH¢156 for a small data controller or processor (annual turnover of GH¢90,000 or below). Level 3 covers registering your own business.

The Ghana Card rule

The National Identity Register (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2523) came into force on 9 June 2026. Organisations must verify identity biometrically and may not request, keep, copy or rely on photocopies, scans or images of Ghana Cards; there is a transition window from 27 July to 2 November 2026 that does not suspend the obligation. Institutions were given until 2 November 2026 to stop photocopying. Whether small business centres fall under the regulation was not verified; the safe practice is: do not photocopy, scan or photograph Ghana Cards, and do not keep card details.

If a customer asks you to photocopy their Ghana Card for an office, explain politely that offices are moving to fingerprint and face checks, and ask the office what it now requires.

The Cybersecurity Act and 292

The Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) set up the Cyber Security Authority to regulate cybersecurity in Ghana. The Authority runs CERT-GH, issues alerts and works on child online protection. Report cybercrime by calling or texting 292 or on WhatsApp 0501603111.

Protect the computer

Phishing signs listed by Microsoft: urgent demands or threats; unfamiliar senders; spelling mistakes; a general greeting instead of your name; a sender address that does not match the company or uses a look-alike spelling; links that go somewhere other than they show; unexpected attachments. Do not click; go to the organisation through its official website or a phone number you already trust; confirm by another channel if it seems to come from someone you know; if you already responded, change passwords and turn on 2-step verification.

Windows Security is built into Windows and includes Microsoft Defender Antivirus and Windows Firewall. To scan: Start → Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Quick scan.

Accessible computing: using a screen reader for real work

NVDA is free and open source for Windows 10 and 11, supports braille displays and can run from a USB drive. Key commands from the NVDA User Guide:

Narrator is built into Windows: Windows key + Ctrl + Enter turns it on; Caps Lock or Insert is the Narrator key; Narrator key + Shift + S turns speech off and on.

Other Windows tools

On Android: TalkBack (touch to hear, double-tap to open, two fingers to scroll); Live Transcribe for deaf users; Gboard voice typing.

Make documents accessible

Microsoft's advice for accessible Word documents:

Check yourself

1. Name four of the eight data protection principles.
2. What does L.I. 2523 change about Ghana Cards?
3. Which keys start NVDA and stop it talking?

Competency standard

Range. A one-person or two-person ICT service, at home, in a kiosk or in a shared room. Evidence. Price list with costs; break-even worksheet; one-page Level 2 plan.

A service menu

Equipment and power (October 2026)

These are Accra asking prices on 8 October 2026; Takoradi prices may differ. A UPS only gives time to save and shut down safely; it is not for running a printer for hours. Longer backup (inverter and battery, or solar) is taught in the Hub's Solar Energy and Digital Skills courses.

Price with your costs

1. Variable cost per unit: what one page or job uses (paper, ink, power).
2. Fixed costs per month: rent, data bundle, permit share, equipment wearing out.
3. Equipment wearing out: price ÷ months you expect it to last. A GH¢2,600 printer expected to last 36 months costs about GH¢72.22 a month (example life).
4. Break-even: fixed costs ÷ (price − variable cost) = how many units you must sell before you make any profit.

Location settings that give good returns

Market yourself

• Google Business Profile: a free listing on Google Search and Maps. Verification can be by phone, email, video or postcard, and Google will never ask you for your verification code; do not pay anyone to "verify" you.
• WhatsApp Business: profile, hours and a catalogue of services with prices; it is taught in the Hub's Digital Skills and Mobile Money Agent course.
• Price list and sign: clear, large print, outside and inside.
• Portfolio: sample programmes, CVs, reports and slides with made-up details; never real customers' work.
• Partnerships: offer churches, schools and associations a fair price for regular programmes and reports.
• Privacy promise: "We delete your files after your job" is a reason to choose you.

Accessibility

Ghana's Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715) requires a person who provides a service to the public to provide facilities that make it accessible to persons with disability. The Assemblies' disability share of the Common Fund rose from 3% to 5% from 2026, with more focus on skills and assistive devices.

Workable tasks for owners and staff with disabilities: typing and formatting with a screen reader or voice typing; spreadsheets; email and form help; teaching; accessibility setup. Wheelchair users can do almost everything at a desk of the right height; arrange the printer and paper within reach. Deaf staff can do most desk work and serve customers with written notes and a phone.

Check yourself

1. How do you work out break-even?
2. What does a UPS do, and what does it not do?
3. Name three accessibility adjustments for a business centre.

1. Give the steps to scan a 3-page document to one PDF with the Google Drive app.
2. When do you send a document file instead of a PDF?
3. Why must a folded A5 booklet have pages in multiples of 4?
4. Write a formula to add D2 to D15, and one to show "Pass" if C2 is 50 or more and "Fail" otherwise.
5. A sheet shows ##### in a cell. What is wrong?
6. Give three rules for readable slides.
7. Whose phone number and email should receive the codes when you fill a form for a customer, and why?
8. Name the eight data protection principles of Act 843.
9. What is the fee for a small data controller in L.I. 2512, and what turnover makes a business "small"?
10. What does L.I. 2523 say about photocopies of Ghana Cards?
11. Name four NVDA or Narrator commands and what they do.
12. Fixed costs are GH¢622.22 a month and each B/W page keeps GH¢0.73. How many pages break even?

Best next reads: your Level 1 manual; the NVDA User Guide; Microsoft's accessible documents guidance; the Data Protection Commission's website; the Cyber Security Authority's alerts; the Hub's Digital Skills and Mobile Money Agent Level 2 and Money Skills Level 2.

What this module does not cover: mobile money (see the Hub's Digital Skills and Mobile Money Agent course), computer repair and networking, registering and running a full business centre with staff, bookkeeping and accounts (Level 3), and training others (Level 3).

Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.