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THE UAICS STANDARD
The Universal AI Competency
Standard
Overview
Growing up in the AI era, what should a child be able to understand and do about AI, at what age, to
what depth — and how can those competencies be assessed fairly?
The UAICS knowledge architecture integrates three international frameworks: UNESCO's AI Competency Framework for
Students, AI4K12 (initiated by AAAI and CSTA), and the ISTE Standards for Students. Every knowledge point carries a source
reference in the knowledge map, open to verification.
What UAICS is not — not a simplified adult professional certificate, not a programming curriculum, and holds no
partnership, licence or endorsement relationship with any international organisation or certification body.
Knowledge Architecture — Five Domains, 66 Knowledge
Points
D5 · 8 POINTS
Digital Citizenship & Collaboration
Information judgement, privacy, teamwork, media literacy.
D4 · 11 POINTS
AI Interaction & Application
Prompt engineering, computational thinking, cross-
domain evaluation.
D3 · 9 POINTS
Human-Centred AI Thinking
Where AI suggestions come from, the boundaries of
decision authority.
D2 · 11 POINTS
AI Ethics & Societal Impact
Fairness, transparency, data quality, accountability
documents.
D1 · 27 POINTS
AI Principles & Operation
How the technology itself works, from how a
computer learns to the conceptual role of
backpropagation.
Certification Architecture — Badge Stage + Ten Levels, Two
Pathways
The architecture comprises an informal Badge Stage (BDG, reference band K-2) and ten formal levels. After the Common
Foundation Stage (F1–F2), learners choose the Applied AI Pathway (A1–A4: ethical judgement, social application, critical
analysis) or the AI Engineer Pathway (E1–E4: classifier training, neural networks, program–model interaction, system design).
The pathways are independent — neither is prerequisite to the other — and, beyond the 21-point Common Foundation shared
by both, 14 further core knowledge points sit in both pathways’ assessed scope, so that ethical judgement and digital
citizenship are formally assessed whichever pathway a learner takes.
Applied AI Pathway
A1
A2
A3
A4
BDG
Badge Stage
K–2 · no points
F1–F2
Common Foundation
shared by both pathways
21 points
14 shared core points
ethical judgement & digital citizenship —
METACOG family
assessed in both pathways
3 points
taught, not tested
(runs through every stage)
AI Engineer Pathway
E1
E2
E3
E4
11 Applied-only points
17 Engineer-only points
BDG → F1–F2 (21 shared points) → Applied AI Pathway A1–A4 or AI Engineer Pathway E1–E4, with 14 further points assessed in both.
How the 66 knowledge points break down
Common Foundation (F1–F2) — shared by both pathways
21
Core points assessed in both pathways beyond the Foundation
14
Applied AI Pathway only (A1–A4)
11
AI Engineer Pathway only (E1–E4)
17
Subtotal — formally assessed
63
Metacognition family — taught, not tested
3
Total knowledge points
66
BDG
Ages 6–9, no prerequisites,
entirely without programming.
F1–F2
Common Foundation Stage —
21 points shared by both
pathways: the machine-learning
loop, first prompts, first
metacognition lesson.
A1–A4 / E1–E4
Applied AI Pathway (reasoning
& expression) or AI Engineer
Pathway (building & systems) —
each also carries 14 shared core
points on top of its own
pathway-specific content.
Downloads
UAICS Standard — Introductory Document
(v9.1)
The full published standard, frozen July 2026.
Download PDF
→
Knowledge Map & Certification Architecture
(v9.1)
All 66 knowledge points with source references.
Download PDF
→
ON THIS PAGE
THE UAICS STANDARD
The Universal AI Competency
Standard
Overview
Growing up in the AI era, what should a child be able to understand and do about AI, at what age, to what depth — and how can those competencies be assessed fairly?
The UAICS knowledge architecture integrates three international frameworks: UNESCO's AI
Competency Framework for Students, AI4K12 (initiated by AAAI and CSTA), and the ISTE
Standards for Students. Every knowledge point carries a source reference in the knowledge
map, open to verification.
What UAICS is not — not a simplified adult professional certificate, not a programming
curriculum, and holds no partnership, licence or endorsement relationship with any
international organisation or certification body.
Knowledge Architecture — Five Domains, 66
Knowledge Points
D5 · 8 POINTS
Digital Citizenship & Collaboration
Information judgement, privacy, teamwork, media literacy.
D4 · 11 POINTS
AI Interaction &
Application
Prompt engineering, computational
thinking, cross-domain evaluation.
D3 · 9 POINTS
Human-Centred AI
Thinking
Where AI suggestions come from, the
boundaries of decision authority.
D2 · 11 POINTS
AI Ethics & Societal Impact
Fairness, transparency, data quality,
accountability documents.
D1 · 27 POINTS
AI Principles & Operation
How the technology itself works, from
how a computer learns to the
conceptual role of backpropagation.
Certification Architecture — Badge Stage + Ten
Levels, Two Pathways
The architecture comprises an informal Badge Stage (BDG, reference band K-2) and ten formal
levels. After the Common Foundation Stage (F1–F2), learners choose the Applied AI Pathway
(A1–A4: ethical judgement, social application, critical analysis) or the AI Engineer Pathway (E1–
E4: classifier training, neural networks, program–model interaction, system design). The
pathways are independent — neither is prerequisite to the other — and, beyond the 21-point
Common Foundation shared by both, 14 further core knowledge points sit in both pathways’
assessed scope, so that ethical judgement and digital citizenship are formally assessed
whichever pathway a learner takes.
BDG
Badge Stage
K–2 · no points
F1–F2
Common Foundation
shared by both pathways
21 points
Applied AI Pathway
A1
A2
A3
A4
AI Engineer Pathway
E1
E2
E3
E4
14 shared core points
ethical judgement & digital citizenship —
assessed in both pathways
11 Applied-only points
17 Engineer-only points
METACOG family
3 points
taught, not tested
(runs through every stage)
BDG → F1–F2 (21 shared points) → Applied AI Pathway A1–A4 or AI Engineer Pathway E1–E4, with 14
further points assessed in both.
How the 66 knowledge points break down
Common Foundation (F1–F2) — shared by both pathways
21
Core points assessed in both pathways beyond the Foundation
14
Applied AI Pathway only (A1–A4)
11
AI Engineer Pathway only (E1–E4)
17
Subtotal — formally assessed
63
Metacognition family — taught, not tested
3
Total knowledge points
BDG
Ages 6–9, no
prerequisites, entirely
without programming.
F1–F2
Common Foundation
Stage — 21 points
shared by both
pathways: the
machine-learning
loop, first prompts,
first metacognition
lesson.
A1–A4 / E1–E4
Applied AI Pathway
(reasoning &
expression) or AI
Engineer Pathway
(building & systems) —
each also carries 14
shared core points on
top of its own
pathway-specific
content.
Downloads
UAICS Standard — Introductory Document (v9.1)
The full published standard, frozen July 2026.
Download PDF
→
Knowledge Map & Certification Architecture (v9.1)
All 66 knowledge points with source references.
Download PDF
→
THE UAICS STANDARD
The Universal AI
Competency
Standard
Overview
Growing up in the AI era, what should a
child be able to understand and do about
AI, at what age, to what depth — and how
can those competencies be assessed
fairly?
The UAICS knowledge architecture integrates
three international frameworks: UNESCO's AI
Competency Framework for Students, AI4K12
(initiated by AAAI and CSTA), and the ISTE
Standards for Students. Every knowledge point
carries a source reference in the knowledge
map, open to verification.
What UAICS is not — not a simplified
adult professional certificate, not a
programming curriculum, and holds no
partnership, licence or endorsement
relationship with any international
organisation or certification body.
Knowledge Architecture —
Five Domains, 66 Knowledge
Points
D1 · 27 POINTS
AI Principles & Operation
How the technology itself works, from
how a computer learns to the conceptual
role of backpropagation.
D2 · 11 POINTS
AI Ethics & Societal Impact
Fairness, transparency, data quality,
accountability documents.
D3 · 9 POINTS
Human-Centred AI Thinking
Where AI suggestions come from, the
boundaries of decision authority.
D4 · 11 POINTS
AI Interaction & Application
Prompt engineering, computational
thinking, cross-domain evaluation.
D5 · 8 POINTS
Digital Citizenship &
Collaboration
Information judgement, privacy,
teamwork, media literacy.
Certification Architecture —
Badge Stage + Ten Levels,
Two Pathways
The architecture comprises an informal Badge
Stage (BDG, reference band K-2) and ten formal
levels. After the Common Foundation Stage (F1–
F2), learners choose the Applied AI Pathway
(A1–A4: ethical judgement, social application,
critical analysis) or the AI Engineer Pathway
(E1–E4: classifier training, neural networks,
program–model interaction, system design).
The pathways are independent — neither is
prerequisite to the other — and, beyond the 21-
point Common Foundation shared by both, 14
further core knowledge points sit in both
pathways’ assessed scope, so that ethical
judgement and digital citizenship are formally
assessed whichever pathway a learner takes.
BDG
Badge Stage
K–2 · no points
F1–F2
Common Foundation
shared by both pathways
21 points
Applied AI Pathway
A1
A2
A3
A4
AI Engineer Pathway
E1
E2
E3
E4
14 shared core points
ethical judgement & digital citizenship —
assessed in both pathways
11 Applied-only points
17 Engineer-only points
METACOG family
3 points
taught, not tested
(runs through every stage)
BDG → F1–F2 (21 shared points) → Applied AI
Pathway A1–A4 or AI Engineer Pathway E1–E4,
with 14 further points assessed in both.
How the 66 knowledge points break
down
Common Foundation (F1–F2) —
shared by both pathways
21
Core points assessed in both
pathways beyond the Foundation
14
Applied AI Pathway only (A1–A4)
11
AI Engineer Pathway only (E1–E4)
17
Subtotal — formally assessed
63
Metacognition family — taught, not tested
3
Total knowledge points
66
BDG
Ages 6–9, no prerequisites, entirely
without programming.
F1–F2
Common Foundation Stage — 21 points
shared by both pathways: the machine-
learning loop, first prompts, first
metacognition lesson.
A1–A4 / E1–E4
Applied AI Pathway (reasoning &
expression) or AI Engineer Pathway
(building & systems) — each also carries
14 shared core points on top of its own
pathway-specific content.
Downloads
UAICS Standard — Introductory Document (v9.1)
The full published standard, frozen July 2026.
Download PDF
→
Knowledge Map & Certification Architecture (v9.1)
All 66 knowledge points with source references.
Download PDF
→