Checking a filename means reading it against a short list of rules before you hand in an artefact: the right task name, no risky characters, a version label, and the correct extension. It is the final step in file organisation and evidence and takes less than a minute.
All names below are invented. If your task or centre gives a naming rule, that rule comes first.
What should the checklist cover?
- Follow any given name exactly. Copy it, do not retype it.
- Use letters, numbers, underscores or hyphens only. Avoid spaces and symbols such as
# % & / \ : * ? ". - Include the task and a version, for example
cafe_prices_v2. - Check the extension is the one the task asks for, and that there is only one.
- Keep it short and readable. Someone should understand it without opening it.
- Match the folder. Output files belong in
03_output.
Worked example
Invented task: submit a poster as a PDF named eco_poster_v1.pdf.
Candidate: Eco Poster (final) .pdf.pdf
Step 1. Given name? eco_poster_v1.pdf. The candidate does not match.
Step 2. Spaces and brackets: present, so remove them.
Step 3. Version: “(final)” is not a version. Use _v1.
Step 4. Extension: .pdf.pdf is doubled. Keep one.
Step 5. Corrected: eco_poster_v1.pdf, saved in 03_output.
The mistake to watch for
Aiman (invented) saves ICT task #2.docx and submits it.
Mistaken name: it contains a space and a
#, and does not say what the task is.
The # can be rejected by some systems, and a reader cannot tell which task it belongs to. The correction: ict_task_02_v1.docx.
Check yourself
1. Fix Sales Chart 2024!.xlsx using lowercase and underscores.
Show answer
sales_chart_2024_v1.xlsx removes the spaces and !, adds a version.
2. The task gives Report_Final.docx. You have report_final.docx. Do you submit it?
Show answer
No. Rename it to match the given name exactly, including capitals.
3. How many extensions should a file name normally end with?
Show answer
One.
Where this leads next
Put everything together in the mixed practice set. If you need a refresher on why the extension matters, see file type and visible extension. The ICT practical task and evidence checker can repeat this check for you.
A calm last-minute routine is easier to build with someone watching. That is part of one-to-one ICT tuition.