If you are too young to participate in bronze DofE, then there is pre DofE which consists of completing the same 4 sections as the full award. From this you can them move onto bronze
If you are old enough to do bronze, you are required to do volunteering, physical and skills for 3 months each, with a practice and a live expedition both of which last for 2 days and 1 night. There are different ways to complete for example kayaking. There is also eDofE where you can upload documents and the status of your progress. The eDofE website also gives ideas of what you can do for each section.
When completing silver DofE, much like bronze, you are required to do the volunteering, physical and skills sections, however now for six months. With a practice and a live expedition, with the practice lasting for 2 days and 1 night, and the live for 3 days and 2 nights.
For Gold, you’ll need to do your programme for at least 12 months if you have already achieved your Silver Award, or 18 months if you have started at Gold level without doing your Silver – even if you’ve done Bronze. The big difference at Gold is you’ll also do a Residential section – staying away from home for five days and four nights doing a shared activity with people you don’t know. The Volunteering section is 12 months, combined with the Physical and Skills sections. You can choose to do one of the two for 12 months and the other for 6 months. The Expedition section is 4 days and 3 nights. Finally, the Residential section is where you undertake a shared activity in a residential setting away from home for 5 days and 4 nights.
If you didn’t do Silver, you must undertake a further 6 months in either the Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections.
Once you have completed your Gold award, you will be invited to a Gold Award Presentation (GAP), attended by a Member of The Royal Family, to receive their certificate at London’s St James’s Palace and in Buckingham Palace Gardens.
