Slovaks Can Test Their e-Skills Online Until June

Bratislava, April 4 (TASR) – People in Slovakia can verify their computer, internet and social network skills as part of the sixth IT Fitness testing that has started on Tuesday and will run until the end of June, TASR learnt on the same day.

If the participants pass the test, they will obtain a certificate that can be attached to their CV when applying for a job.

“Many Slovaks think that they have IT skills. This IT test will show them if it’s so. The truth is that by using a computer, having a tablet and a smartphone, we think that we have enough IT skills, but this isn’t enough for getting a job. So, it’s good to take this free test to find out the level of our IT knowledge,” said Vice-premier for Investments and Informatisation Peter Pellegrini (Smer-SD).

More than 120,000 participants did the test in the previous years. “This test isn’t easy at all. Because if we look at last year’s results, it seems that we’re average,” said Slovak IT Association president Mario Lelovsky.

The IT Fitness test, which consists of 30 questions from the areas of internet security, computer systems, collaborative tools, social networks, office tools and online marketing, can be taken by any Slovak at www.itfitnesstest.sk. The quiz, however, is primarily targeted at schools and young people.

According to head of the European Commission Representation in Slovakia Dusan Chrenek, digital skills are now as important as the abilities to read, write and count. “Nowadays, half of all EU employees sit at the computer and nearly 90 percent of all jobs require at least a basic level of digital skills,” said Chrenek.

The idea of IT skills testing in Slovakia emerged in 2009 as part of the European Commission’s initiative entitled e-Skills Week.