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134 MicroQuests · 42 free · certificate with every one

Learn something useful in 10–30 minutes.

Short online courses on workplace safety, AI, money, careers, compliance and matric revision. Learn in your browser, the app or on WhatsApp, and pass the challenge to earn a certificate anyone can verify.

Try one free: Hazard Spotter Learn on WhatsApp: send LEARN to 076 263 6000

Browse by topic

9 topics. Each one has its own page with a learning path.

Start free today

One free MicroQuest from each topic, certificate included. No card needed.

Workplace Safety Free

Hazard Spotter

Train your eyes to spot hazards before they hurt someone. Practise on short, real-life workplace scenarios and learn what to do the moment you see one.

10 min · beginner · certificate
Teacher Safety Free

Assessing Risk Inside Your Classroom

Look at your own classroom the way a safety officer would — exits, sight lines, where you stand, objects that could hurt, crowding — and learn how small changes to the layout reduce risk.

14 min · beginner · certificate
QCTO Accreditation Free

The QCTO Landscape: Who Does What

Learn how the QCTO system fits together — the roles of the QCTO, an SDP, an AQP and a SETA, and how an occupational qualification is actually built.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Cyber & Digital Safety Free

Spot the Phishing Email

Learn to check the sender, links, urgency and attachments in an email, so you can spot phishing before you click — and know how to report it. About 10 minutes.

10 min · beginner · certificate
AI & Digital Skills Free

AI in 15 Minutes

What generative AI is and isn't, why it sometimes makes things up, how to check what it tells you and where it genuinely helps — explained simply in about 15 minutes.

15 min · beginner · certificate
Careers & Communication Free

Tell Me About Yourself

Nail the first interview question with a clear present–past–future answer that lasts 60 to 90 seconds and shows why you fit the job. Free, in about 10 minutes.

10 min · beginner · certificate

How a MicroQuest works

  1. 1

    Pick a MicroQuest

    10–30 minutes, one practical topic. 42 are free.

  2. 2

    Learn step by step

    Short lessons, real examples and quick checks. Stop any time: your place is saved.

  3. 3

    Pass the challenge

    The pass mark is shown before you start. Didn’t make it? Try again at no extra cost.

  4. 4

    Get your certificate

    A numbered PDF with a QR code an employer can scan to check it.

💻 In your browserskillsyms.com/learn: tap your answers. We email a sign-in link, so there is no password. 💬 On WhatsAppSend LEARN to 076 263 6000. Your number is your account. 📱 In the appskillSYMS app, under More, then MicroQuests.

All MicroQuests

134 MicroQuests

Workplace Safety

Workplace Safety learning path →
10 min Free

Hazard Spotter

Train your eyes to spot hazards before they hurt someone. Practise on short, real-life workplace scenarios and learn what to do the moment you see one.

10 min · beginner · certificate
15 min R19

PPE Essentials

Choose, check, wear and care for personal protective equipment the right way — and understand why PPE is your last line of defence, not your first.

15 min · beginner · certificate
15 min R19

Slips, Trips & Falls

Most slips, trips and falls can be prevented. Learn what causes them, how to keep floors, stairs and ladders safe, and what to do when someone falls.

15 min · beginner · certificate
20 min R29

Emergency Evacuation

Know what to do before, during and after an emergency at work: alarms, exits, assembly points, helping others, roll calls and calling for help with the right information.

20 min · beginner · certificate
20 min R29

Fire Safety Essentials

Understand how fires start and spread, prevent them at work, and know exactly what to do if you discover one: raise the alarm, get out, and fight it only when it is safe.

20 min · beginner · certificate
25 min R29

Grain Dust Safety

Grain dust can explode and harm your lungs. Learn the dust explosion pentagon, why housekeeping matters, how to control ignition sources and how to protect your health in silos, mills and stores.

25 min · intermediate · certificate
20 min R29

Incident Reporting Essentials

Know what counts as an incident, what to do in the first minutes, how to write a clear and factual report, and why reporting near misses protects everyone.

20 min · beginner · certificate
20 min R29

Manual Handling Essentials

Lift, carry, push and pull without hurting your back. Learn to assess a load before you move it, use handling aids, lift with good technique and team-lift safely.

20 min · beginner · certificate
25 min R29

Workplace Safety Essentials

Spot hazards, control risks, report incidents and know your rights and duties under South Africa's OHS Act — in about 25 minutes, right here in WhatsApp.

25 min · beginner · certificate

Teaching & Assessment

Teaching & Assessment learning path →
Teacher Safety Free

Assessing Risk Inside Your Classroom

Look at your own classroom the way a safety officer would — exits, sight lines, where you stand, objects that could hurt, crowding — and learn how small changes to the layout reduce risk.

14 min · beginner · certificate
Teacher Safety in Practice Free

Audit Violence in Your School

Run a simple, honest audit of violence at your own school — which forms, which directions, how often, where and when — and turn a vague worry into patterns your SMT can act on.

14 min · beginner · certificate
Teacher Safety in Practice Free

Audit Your Own Classroom: Are You Meeting Your Responsibilities?

A practical self-audit for teachers. Check which school policies you really know, where supervision in your classroom is thin, what you record, and whether your habits protect learners' dignity.

14 min · beginner · certificate
Teacher Safety in Practice Free

Conflict in Your Classroom — Working Through Real Scenarios

Work through the conflicts that actually happen in your classroom and at your gate, compare two ways of handling each, and prepare your own room and plan before the next one.

14 min · intermediate · certificate
Teacher Safety Free

De-escalation — Calming a Tense Situation Before It Turns Violent

Learn the de-escalation techniques that lower the temperature in a tense classroom moment — tone, space, body language, choices, listening and timing — and the moves that make things worse.

13 min · beginner · certificate
Teacher Safety Free

Educator Rights: Dignity, Safety and Recourse

Teachers have rights too — to dignity, to safety, to fair treatment and to be free from harassment. Learn what those rights mean at school, where their limits are, and the routes you can use when they are violated.

14 min · beginner · certificate
Teacher Safety Free

Facilitating Teacher-Safety Training for Colleagues

Run a safety session for your colleagues that people actually speak up in — preparation, ground rules with honest limits on confidentiality, handling distress, and managing a staffroom's power dynamics.

13 min · intermediate · certificate
Teacher Safety Free

Hotspot Mapping: Why It Works and How to Use It

Understand hotspot mapping as a safety method — how place, time, people and supervision gaps combine into a risk pattern, and how a map becomes actions with owners and review dates.

14 min · beginner · certificate
Teacher Safety in Practice Free

Map Your Own School's Hotspots, Step by Step

Walk your school grounds, mark safe and unsafe places and the times they turn risky, pick the hotspot that matters most, and write one practical fix you can take to your SMT.

15 min · beginner · certificate
Teacher Safety in Practice Free

Risk Factors in Practice: Real Learners, Your School

Apply risk and protective factors to three case learners and to your own school — spotting what adds risk, what already protects, and what the school can do — without labelling any child.

15 min · intermediate · certificate
Teacher Safety in Practice Free

Same Incident, Two Responses: Which One Is Professional?

Three paired classroom cases — a phone stand-off, a break-time fight, a learner who swears at you. Compare an escalating response with a professional one and learn to name exactly why one is better.

14 min · beginner · certificate
Teacher Safety in Practice Free

Spot the Warning Signs and Write Your Classroom Safety Plan

Learn to notice the signs that a learner or a conflict is heading towards violence, what to do with each sign, and write a one-page safety plan for your own class.

14 min · intermediate · certificate
Teacher Safety Free

Stress, Threat and How We React in the Classroom

Understand what stress and threat do to the body and brain, how fight, flight and freeze show up in learners and teachers, and how a stressed adult can turn a small incident into a dangerous one.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Teacher Safety in Practice Free

Swap Your Go-To Punishments for Positive Discipline

Take the punishments you reach for when you are tired and under pressure, and replace them one by one with responses that teach — in real classroom scenarios.

13 min · beginner · certificate
Teacher Safety in Practice Free

Talking Safely About Violence With Colleagues

How a group of teachers can talk honestly about violence they have lived through — house rules, what confidentiality covers and what it cannot, never forcing a story, and looking after yourself and others.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Teacher Safety Free

The Educator's Responsibilities: Duty of Care, Ethics and the Law

What a South African teacher is actually responsible for when it comes to safety — duty of care, the SACE Code of Professional Ethics, the school code of conduct, no corporal punishment, reporting abuse and keeping records.

14 min · beginner · certificate
Teacher Safety Free

The Whole-School Approach to School Safety

Why a safe school is never one teacher's job. Learn what the principal, SMT, SGB, safety committee, educators, learners, parents, SAPS and the district each bring, and why the links between them matter most.

13 min · beginner · certificate
Teacher Safety Free

Understanding Violence in South African Schools

What school violence actually is — its forms, the directions it travels between learners, staff and community, and why a narrow definition leaves teachers and learners unprotected.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Teacher Safety in Practice Free

What Counts as School Violence? Sorting Real Situations

Test your instincts on realistic school situations — WhatsApp groups, play-fights, a teacher's put-down, a leaked photo — and learn to sort violence from conflict, and what to do first.

13 min · beginner · certificate
Teacher Safety in Practice Free

When Your Rights Are Crossed: Choosing Your Recourse

A parent threatens you at the gate. A learner posts a video of you. A colleague will not stop. Work through real school scenarios and choose the response that protects you — without overstepping.

15 min · intermediate · certificate
Teacher Safety in Practice Free

Who Does What at Your School? Mapping Safety Roles

Map who you tell, who acts and who follows up when something goes wrong at your school. Work through real scenarios and find the gaps where incidents fall through the cracks.

14 min · beginner · certificate
Teacher Safety Free

Why Violence Happens: Risk and Protective Factors

School violence rarely has one cause. Learn the levels at which risk builds up — the child, the home, friends, the school, the community — and the protective factors that hold a learner steady.

14 min · intermediate · certificate
Teacher Safety in Practice Free

Your Stress, Your Reactions — A Personal Plan

Look honestly at what stresses you at school, how you react and what it costs, then build a short personal plan with warning signs, resets and the people you can turn to for support.

14 min · beginner · certificate
20 min R19

Academic Integrity

Learn honestly and protect your results: plagiarism, collaboration vs collusion, cheating in assessments, using AI tools openly, basic referencing and why integrity matters to employers.

20 min · beginner · certificate
25 min R29

EISA Readiness

Get ready for your External Integrated Summative Assessment: what the EISA is, how you become eligible, how to prepare, what happens on the day and after your results — in about 25 minutes.

25 min · beginner · certificate
25 min R29

Logbook Essentials

Keep a workplace logbook that proves your work experience: what to record, writing honest and specific entries, getting regular supervisor sign-off, and the shortcuts that can cost you your qualification.

25 min · beginner · certificate
25 min R29

PoE Essentials

Build a portfolio of evidence your assessor can actually assess: what goes in, how to organise and label it, proving it is your own work, handling feedback, keeping copies and meeting deadlines.

25 min · beginner · certificate
30 min R49

Assessor Essentials

Make assessment decisions you can defend: the principles of assessment, the rules of evidence, competent vs not yet competent, feedback, records and appeals — in about 30 minutes in WhatsApp.

30 min · intermediate · certificate
30 min R49

Facilitation Essentials

Run sessions adults actually learn from: adult learning principles, planning, active learning, good questions, managing groups and checking understanding across knowledge, practical and workplace learning — in about 30 minutes.

30 min · intermediate · certificate
25 min R49

Invigilator Essentials

Run a secure, fair exam session: venue and identity checks before, supervision and irregularities during, and sealing scripts and reporting after — in about 25 minutes in WhatsApp.

25 min · intermediate · certificate
30 min R49

Moderator Essentials

Quality-assure assessment the right way: pre- and post-assessment moderation, sampling, checking decisions against evidence, writing moderation reports and handling disagreement — in about 30 minutes in WhatsApp.

30 min · intermediate · certificate

Compliance & Governance

Compliance & Governance learning path →
QCTO Accreditation Free

The QCTO Landscape: Who Does What

Learn how the QCTO system fits together — the roles of the QCTO, an SDP, an AQP and a SETA, and how an occupational qualification is actually built.

12 min · beginner · certificate
QCTO Accreditation R29

Build a Quality Management System That Holds Up

Learn which policy areas a training provider needs, what turns a document into a controlled policy, and how to keep a QMS alive instead of letting it expire quietly.

14 min · intermediate · certificate
QCTO Accreditation R29

Legal Entity and Institutional Readiness

Get the organisational foundation right — registration, tax, levies, governance, financial standing and the right to occupy your site.

13 min · beginner · certificate
QCTO Accreditation R29

People, Material and Facilities

Get the resource evidence right — qualified and current staff, learning material mapped to the curriculum, third-party rights, and facilities that match the practical component.

14 min · intermediate · certificate
20 min R29

Respect in the Workplace

Build a workplace where everyone is treated with dignity: understand diversity and bias, choose respectful language, spot microaggressions and know how to speak up. About 20 minutes.

20 min · beginner · certificate
25 min R29

Sexual Harassment Awareness

Understand what sexual harassment is — in person and online — how consent and power play a part, what bystanders can do, how to report it and how to support someone who discloses. About 25 minutes.

25 min · beginner · certificate
QCTO Accreditation R29

Staying Accredited — Scope, Expiry and Change

Accreditation is granted for a scope and a period. Learn to track what you actually hold, spot the date that expires first, and handle change without drifting outside it.

14 min · intermediate · certificate
QCTO Accreditation R29

The Accreditation Journey, Stage by Stage

Walk the whole accreditation path from legal entity to site visit, see which stages block which, and learn where applications actually stall.

14 min · intermediate · certificate
QCTO Accreditation R29

Workplace Arrangements and the Work Experience Component

Secure and evidence the workplace side — agreements, mentors, logbooks and learner placement — the part of an application that depends on someone else.

14 min · intermediate · certificate
20 min R29

Workplace Ethics

Make the right call at work: spot conflicts of interest, handle gifts, keep information confidential, keep honest records and report wrongdoing through the proper channels. About 20 minutes.

20 min · beginner · certificate
30 min R49

POPIA Essentials

A practical guide to the Protection of Personal Information Act: personal information, responsible parties and operators, the eight conditions, lawful bases, data subject rights, security compromises and the Information Regulator — about 30 minutes.

30 min · intermediate · certificate

Cyber & Digital Safety

Cyber & Digital Safety learning path →
10 min Free

Spot the Phishing Email

Learn to check the sender, links, urgency and attachments in an email, so you can spot phishing before you click — and know how to report it. About 10 minutes.

10 min · beginner · certificate
10 min Free

WhatsApp Scam Awareness

Learn how scammers hijack WhatsApp accounts, spot "new number" and fake job or investment messages, and lock your account with two-step verification — in about 10 minutes.

10 min · beginner · certificate
15 min R19

AI Privacy Essentials

Use AI tools without leaking personal information, client data, passwords or confidential work. Learn what never to paste, how POPIA applies and how to use AI safely at work — about 15 minutes.

15 min · beginner · certificate
15 min R19

Password Safety Essentials

Create strong passphrases, use a unique password for every account, let a password manager do the remembering and add two-factor authentication — in about 15 minutes.

15 min · beginner · certificate
25 min R29

Cybersecurity Essentials

The everyday habits that keep you and your workplace safe online: updates, phishing, passwords, public Wi-Fi, device locks, backups and reporting incidents — in about 25 minutes.

25 min · beginner · certificate

AI & Digital Skills

AI & Digital Skills learning path →
15 min Free

AI in 15 Minutes

What generative AI is and isn't, why it sometimes makes things up, how to check what it tells you and where it genuinely helps — explained simply in about 15 minutes.

15 min · beginner · certificate
15 min R19

Prompting AI Essentials

Get far better results from AI chat tools: give a role, task, context and format, show examples, improve the answer step by step and check it before you use it — in about 15 minutes.

15 min · beginner · certificate

Business & Money

Business & Money learning path →
15 min R19

Budgeting in 15 Minutes

Make a simple monthly budget, split your money into needs, wants and savings, start an emergency fund and stay away from debt traps — in about 15 minutes on WhatsApp.

15 min · beginner · certificate
20 min R29

Cash Flow Essentials

Learn why a profitable business can still run out of cash, build a simple 3-month cash-flow forecast, get paid faster and keep stock and credit under control.

20 min · beginner · certificate
20 min R29

Understanding Your Payslip

Read your payslip with confidence: gross vs net pay, PAYE, UIF, medical aid and retirement deductions, what to check every month, how to query a mistake and what an IRP5 is.

20 min · beginner · certificate
30 min R49

Starting a Small Business

Go from idea to first sale the smart way: test your idea, write a one-page plan, choose sole proprietor or company, understand CIPC and SARS registration, price for profit and keep records.

30 min · beginner · certificate

Careers & Communication

Careers & Communication learning path →
10 min Free

Tell Me About Yourself

Nail the first interview question with a clear present–past–future answer that lasts 60 to 90 seconds and shows why you fit the job. Free, in about 10 minutes.

10 min · beginner · certificate
Smart Decision Training Free

Think Smart, Make Smart Decisions, Act Smart

Smart Decision Training rests on three rules — think openly, compare options, act ethically. Learn each one and what goes wrong when one is skipped.

10 min · beginner · certificate
Smart Decision Training Free

Thinking as Information Processing

Having an idea is not the same as thinking. Learn how Smart Decision Training defines thinking, and how wishes and assumptions quietly replace it.

10 min · beginner · certificate
Smart Decision Training Free

What Is a Decision?

A decision is more than a preference or impulse. Learn what Smart Decision Training means by a decision and what should happen before you choose.

10 min · beginner · certificate
Smart Decision Training R19

Data Integrity Analysis

Before you act on a message, report or rumour, check where it came from, how it travelled and what changed on the way.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Smart Decision Training R19

Decision-Making Under Emotion, Excitement and Pressure

Anger, excitement, alcohol and "last chance" deals all squeeze your thinking. Learn simple safeguards that keep big decisions calm and informed.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Smart Decision Training R19

Good Intentions Can Still Produce Bad Decisions

Meaning well is not the same as deciding well. See why kind motives still need correct information, clear thinking and a look at consequences.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Smart Decision Training R19

How Information Sources Shape Decisions

Your sense of right and wrong came from somewhere. Learn the sources Smart Decision Training names, and how to check that a source fits the issue.

10 min · beginner · certificate
Smart Decision Training R19

Information, Facts and Decision Quality

Not everything you are told is a fact. Learn to separate information from fact, see past slick packaging, and choose the right information for a decision.

10 min · beginner · certificate
15 min R19

Professional Email Essentials

Write work emails people read and act on: clear subject lines, the right greeting, one purpose per email, a clear ask, a professional tone, attachments and a before-you-send check.

15 min · beginner · certificate
15 min R19

Professional WhatsApp Messages

Use WhatsApp at work without the awkward moments: when to use it and when not to, introducing yourself, voice notes, work groups, response times, privacy and screenshots.

15 min · beginner · certificate
Smart Decision Training R19

Protect Decisions from Peer Pressure

Is it your choice, or the group's? Use simple self-check questions to test whether a decision fits your goals or is mainly about fitting in.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Smart Decision Training R19

See the Bigger Picture with Systems Thinking

A fix in one place can cause a problem somewhere else. Learn to see each decision as part of a system of connected parts, so a local win does not become a wider loss.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Smart Decision Training R19

The Action Process: Imagination, Thinking, Decision and Action

Every action starts as a thought. Learn the four-stage Action Process — imagination, thinking, decision, action — and how to stop impulses skipping straight to the end.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Smart Decision Training R29

Broader Perspective, Open-Mindedness and Objectivity

The Toolkit's questions only work with the right mindset. Learn Broader Perspective, Open-Mindedness and Objectivity, and how to spot when one is slipping.

12 min · beginner · certificate
20 min R29

Customer Service Essentials

Make a good first impression, listen properly, make promises you can keep and fix things when they go wrong — in person, on the phone and on WhatsApp. About 20 minutes.

20 min · beginner · certificate
Smart Decision Training R29

Fundamental Congruence and Alignment

A choice can look great alone and still clash with everything around it. Learn to check purpose, relevance and connections before you commit resources.

12 min · beginner · certificate
20 min R29

Handling an Angry Customer

Stay calm, listen, acknowledge feelings and find a way forward when a customer is upset — and know when to escalate and how to keep yourself safe. About 20 minutes.

20 min · beginner · certificate
20 min R29

Job Interview Essentials

Prepare for any job interview: research the employer, answer with the STAR method, ask good questions, handle online interviews and follow up properly afterwards.

20 min · beginner · certificate
Smart Decision Training R29

Recognise Fundamental Incongruence

Some decisions fix one problem and quietly create three more. Learn to spot Fundamental Incongruence — friction from connections nobody checked.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Smart Decision Training R29

Smart Decision Toolkit: Questions 1–3

Before you judge anything, understand it. Use the first three Smart Decision Toolkit questions — what it is, what it does and how, and why — on a real decision, step by step.

13 min · beginner · certificate
Smart Decision Training R29

Smart Decision Toolkit: Questions 4–7

Knowing what something is does not tell you how much it matters. Use Toolkit Questions 4–7 to test failure risk, position, importance and the impact of removing or changing it.

13 min · beginner · certificate
Smart Decision Training R29

Smart Decision Toolkit: Questions 8–10

A decision nobody owns and nobody measures quietly fails. Use Toolkit Questions 8–10 to name who is accountable, decide how success is measured and think through the wider consequences.

13 min · beginner · certificate
30 min R49

First-Time Supervisor Essentials

Move from colleague to supervisor with confidence: set expectations, delegate, give useful feedback, recognise good work, handle conflict fairly and manage your time. About 30 minutes.

30 min · intermediate · certificate

Industry & Trades

Industry & Trades learning path →
25 min R29

Milling Safety Essentials

Work safely in a mill: respect machine guards, lock out before you reach in, protect your hearing, control dust and hot work, and never enter a silo or bin without the right controls.

25 min · intermediate · certificate

High School

High School learning path →
Mathematics P2 Free

Analytical Geometry: Midpoints, Gradients and Lines

Master the four core formulas — distance, midpoint, gradient and the line equation — and use gradients to prove shapes and angles.

14 min · beginner · certificate
Geography Free

Geography Exam Verbs: Know What the Question Wants

Learn what common Geography instruction verbs are actually asking you to do, so your answer matches the task instead of losing marks you already knew.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Geography Free

Mapwork Essentials and GIS

Build a mapwork checklist covering scale, bearings, coordinates, contours and orthophotos, plus the GIS ideas that go with them.

13 min · beginner · certificate
English FAL Free

Read Smarter: Before, During and After

Turn reading into a three-step routine. Learn how to prepare before you start, read closely for meaning, and make sense of a text after you finish.

12 min · beginner · certificate
English FAL Free

Skim, Scan or Read Closely?

Learn three reading speeds and when to use each one. Stop reading every text in exactly the same way, and stop running out of time in comprehension.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Mathematics P1 Free

Solve Equations and Inequalities with Control

Work through quadratics, the formula, surd equations and inequalities with a method you can trust under pressure, and learn where marks are usually lost.

14 min · beginner · certificate
English FAL Free

Summarise Without Copying Everything

Find the main idea, keep what matters and rewrite it briefly in your own words — without losing the meaning or blowing the word count.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Mathematics P1 R19

Arithmetic and Quadratic Number Patterns

Tell arithmetic patterns from quadratic ones using differences, build the general term for each, and read sigma notation without panic.

13 min · beginner · certificate
Geography R19

Berg Winds, Heat Islands and Urban Air

Understand how berg winds warm and dry the coast, why cities build their own heat island, and how a valley inversion traps the air we breathe.

12 min · beginner · certificate
English FAL R19

Build a Paragraph That Makes One Clear Point

Turn loose sentences into a focused paragraph using a topic sentence, supporting detail and clear links between the ideas.

12 min · beginner · certificate
English FAL R19

Build a Prepared Speech That Lands

Plan, organise, practise and deliver a speech with a clear purpose, a real audience and a structure your listeners can follow in real time.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Mathematics P2 R19

Coordinate Circles and Tangents

Read a circle's centre and radius from its equation, complete the square when it is not in standard form, and find the tangent at any point.

13 min · beginner · certificate
Mathematics P1 R19

Derivatives — First Principles and the Rules

Differentiate from first principles when asked, apply the power rule everywhere else, and know what a derivative actually tells you about a graph.

13 min · beginner · certificate
Geography R19

Drainage Basins, Patterns and Density

Learn to recognise dendritic, trellis, radial and rectangular drainage patterns, and read what drainage density tells you about the rock and soil beneath.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Mathematics P2 R19

Euclidean Geometry: Circle Theorems and Reasons

Learn the circle theorems that carry the marks, and write proofs the way they are marked — a statement with a reason on every single line.

14 min · beginner · certificate
Mathematics P1 R19

Geometric Sequences and Infinite Series

Work with the common ratio, find any term or sum, and know exactly when an infinite series converges and when it does not.

13 min · beginner · certificate
English FAL R19

Give an Opinion and Support It

Move from "I think" to a clear viewpoint backed by reasons and evidence, and learn to answer an opposing argument without attacking the person.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Mathematics P2 R19

Grouped Data, Ogives and Box-and-Whisker Plots

Estimate a mean from grouped data, build and read an ogive, and draw a box-and-whisker plot that shows skewness and outliers.

14 min · beginner · certificate
Geography R19

High and Low Pressure Cells

Learn how Highs and Lows differ in pressure, vertical air movement and surface circulation, and why each brings the weather it does.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Geography R19

Interpret Physical and Human Features on Maps

Practise reading evidence off a map — climate, river stage, economic activity and settlement — instead of answering from memory.

13 min · beginner · certificate
English FAL R19

Listen for Meaning, Not Just Words

Build a simple listening process — prepare, listen with a purpose, take useful notes and respond afterwards using what was actually said.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Geography R19

Local Climate: Aspect, Inversions and Valley Winds

Understand why opposite slopes heat differently, how cold air collects on a valley floor, and how anabatic and katabatic winds develop.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Geography R19

Mid-Latitude and Tropical Cyclones

Separate mid-latitude cyclones from tropical cyclones by where they form, how they are built and the weather each one brings.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Mathematics P1 R19

Optimisation and Rates of Change

Turn a word problem into one equation, differentiate it to find the maximum or minimum, and interpret rates of change in real units.

14 min · beginner · certificate
Mathematics P1 R19

Probability — Rules, Venn Diagrams and Counting

Apply the addition rule, tell independent from mutually exclusive, read a Venn or tree diagram, and count arrangements without listing them.

14 min · beginner · certificate
Geography R19

Read a River Hydrograph

Learn what a hydrograph shows, how to read discharge, flood peak, time lag and the receding limb, and what makes the shape steep or gentle.

12 min · beginner · certificate
English FAL R19

Read Between the Lines: Inference, Tone and Attitude

Learn how writers reveal meaning through clues, word choice and tone, even when they never say it directly — and how to prove it from the text.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Geography R19

River Profiles, Meanders and River Capture

Learn to read river profiles, explain how a meander erodes and deposits, and recognise the features left behind by river capture.

13 min · beginner · certificate
Mathematics P2 R19

Scatter Plots, Regression and Outliers

Describe a scatter plot properly, interpret the correlation coefficient, use the least squares line to predict, and know when a prediction is worthless.

14 min · beginner · certificate
Mathematics P2 R19

Similarity, Proportion and Geometry Proofs

Prove triangles similar, use the proportion theorem correctly, and set up ratios that give the right answer every time.

14 min · beginner · certificate
Mathematics P1 R19

Simultaneous Equations and Algebraic Substitution

Solve linear and non-linear systems by substitution, keep your ordered pairs matched, and handle the exponent-law questions that look harder than they are.

13 min · beginner · certificate
Mathematics P2 R19

Sine Rule, Area Rule and Applied Trigonometry

Choose between the sine rule, cosine rule and area rule with confidence, and handle 2D and 3D problems without losing your way.

14 min · beginner · certificate
Mathematics P1 R19

The Hyperbola and Its Asymptotes

Read a hyperbola from its equation — both asymptotes, the shape, the axes of symmetry and its domain and range — and sketch it with confidence.

13 min · beginner · certificate
English FAL R19

Transactional Writing: Purpose, Audience and Format

Learn what makes practical texts work — a clear purpose, the right audience, the correct format, and every detail the reader needs to act on it.

12 min · beginner · certificate
Mathematics P2 R19

Trigonometric Identities and Reduction

Prove identities with a reliable method, reduce any angle to an acute one, and know which quadrant makes each ratio positive.

14 min · beginner · certificate
English FAL R19

Write Better by Using a Process

Stop treating the first draft as the final answer. Plan, draft, revise, edit, proofread and present — doing the big thinking before the small corrections.

12 min · beginner · certificate

For employers, schools and training providers

Train a whole team, one short step at a time

Toolbox talks, inductions, refreshers and revision that people finish, because each one fits in a tea break and runs on the phone they already carry.

Get MicroQuests for my team Print a QR poster

Need a topic we don't have? Request it. The topics people ask for most are the ones we write next.

  • Give MicroQuests or credits

    Your people get a WhatsApp message or an email link and learn on their own phones. No logins to manage.

  • Pin a QR poster

    Print an A4 poster for the canteen, staffroom or site office. A scan opens the MicroQuest.

  • Verifiable certificates

    Every completion has a numbered certificate you can check online, which is useful for toolbox talks and inductions.

  • Your own MicroQuests

    skillSYMS clients publish their own MicroQuests (policies, site rules, product knowledge) for their own people.

Questions about MicroQuests

What is LearnChat?
LearnChat is skillSYMS learning on WhatsApp. You send LEARN to 076 263 6000, choose a MicroQuest, and learn in the chat: short explanations, quick checks and a final challenge. There is no app to install and no password to remember — your WhatsApp number is your account.
What is a MicroQuest?
A short course that takes 10 to 30 minutes. Each one teaches one practical topic step by step, checks your understanding as you go, and ends with a short final challenge. Reach the pass mark, shown before you start, to complete it. If you don't pass, you can try again at no extra cost.
How much does it cost?
42 MicroQuests are free. The others start at R19. You can pay for a MicroQuest online with the secure link LearnChat sends when you reply PAY, or use learning credits from your wallet.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. When you complete a MicroQuest you receive a PDF certificate of completion in the chat. It has a unique number and a QR code, and an employer can scan it or open its verification link on skillsyms.com to check it is genuine.
Is it an accredited qualification?
No. MicroQuests are informal learning. They build practical knowledge and your certificate proves you completed one, but they are not an accredited qualification, a unit standard, a skills programme or SETA or QCTO credits — and the certificate says so.
Can I stop and carry on later?
Yes. LearnChat works 24 hours a day and remembers where you are. Reply CONTINUE to pick up from the same step, or MY LEARNING to see everything you have started and finished.
Can I learn without WhatsApp?
Yes. The same MicroQuests run in any browser at skillsyms.com/learn and in the skillSYMS app under More, then MicroQuests. You tap your answers instead of typing them. With no account, ask for a learning link by email: it signs you in on that device for 30 days, with no password to remember.
I want to learn something that is not on the list.
Tell us on this page. Every request is counted, and the topics most people ask for are the next MicroQuests we write. Leave an email address or WhatsApp number and we will let you know when yours is ready.
Can my company or academy use LearnChat for our people?
Yes. Employers and training providers can give their people MicroQuests or learning credits, and skillSYMS clients can publish their own MicroQuests for their own learners. Talk to us and we will set it up with you.