Beginner route

Start here: your first six computer skills

Work through these in order, using your own device. You can pause after any step and return later.

1. Learn the controls

Practise pointing, clicking, scrolling, selecting text, and using Enter, Escape, and Backspace.

Open the controls guide

2. Understand the screen

Identify the desktop, taskbar or Dock, application windows, files, folders, and Downloads.

Open the desktop guide

3. Save and find a file

Create a small document, save it in a named folder, close it, and find it again through the file manager.

Open the file guide

4. Use the browser deliberately

Open a tab, read the address, search for a specific fact, identify advertisements, and find a download.

Open the internet guide

5. Protect an account

Use a unique password, enable multifactor authentication, and make sure account recovery details are current.

Open the account guide

6. Learn a troubleshooting routine

Describe the problem, check simple causes, restart appropriately, and record what changed.

Open the checklist

Next stepUse the Computer Skills Self-Check to choose the next subject based on tasks you actually need.