About the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF)

The ACSF uses the following categories for LLN skills: Learning, Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, and Numeracy.

For each category, the ACSF has a set of levels, ranging from basic to advanced. The levels have statements that describe the kinds of thinking used at each level (called descriptors). These statements are carefully written and quite exact, and they can sometimes be quite difficult to interpret in practical situations. Consequently, you might need some practice to become familiar with their use.

The ACSF levels of skills relate to the particular kind of skills needed in a particular occupation. Consequently, they don’t correlate to the qualification level.

Consider, for example, three occupations at the same level. A report writer needs a very high level of writing skills, a community services worker generally needs highly advanced oral skills, and a finance manager needs a high level of numeracy. But the report writer and the finance manager don’t need advanced oral skills, the community services worker doesn’t need advanced numeracy skills.