Advanced: designing shared taxonomies and guiding others

The Advanced level in DigComp means you not only handle complex tasks but also create shared structures and guide others. Here, a manager builds a department-wide taxonomy—a consistent way to label and organise information—so colleagues can find and classify data uniformly. This goes beyond intermediate use, where you might apply a taxonomy someone else made, because you are designing the system and teaching others to use it. The key contrast: intermediate users follow rules; advanced users make the rules and coach others.

To spot this level in an exam, look for two signals: the person is both designing a structured approach (like a taxonomy, workflow, or template) and actively guiding colleagues in its use. If the scenario only mentions using a tool well or solving your own problem, it is likely intermediate. If it involves setting standards for a team or department, it is advanced. A useful elimination trick: ask yourself whether the person is just a skilled solo operator or someone who enables others to work better—the latter points to advanced.

Remember the label 'advanced' by thinking of a librarian who creates the filing system and trains staff, not just a patron who finds books quickly. In an exam, if the question says 'designs' and 'guides', it is almost certainly advanced—do not downgrade it to intermediate just because the task sounds routine. Test yourself: if the manager only used the taxonomy alone, would the answer change? Yes, that would be intermediate.