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GDPR Essentials training

Seven microlessons on GDPR's scope, data roles, lawful bases, breaches and individuals' rights, with situational tests and a certificate of completion.

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GDPR Essentials (Global) course preview
7Short, TikTok-style microlessonsIn the browser or the iOS and Android apps

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  • 3Assessments
  • 7Microlessons
  • IncludedCertificate of completion
About this course

What the GDPR Essentials course covers

This course covers the essentials of the General Data Protection Regulation in seven microlessons. It's built for anyone who handles personal data at work, and covers GDPR's scope, controllers and processors, lawful bases, technical measures, data breaches, impact assessments and data subjects' rights, including how EU GDPR and UK GDPR differ.

Learning outcomes

What your people will be able to do

  • Understand the fundamental GDPR principles and compliance requirements
  • Tell the difference between EU GDPR and UK GDPR, including their specific obligations
  • Identify the roles and responsibilities of data controllers and processors
  • Recognize the lawful bases for processing and apply them in different scenarios
  • Put technical measures in place to protect data and support GDPR compliance
  • Manage data breaches effectively, including notification and response
Course contents

7 microlessons

Each microlesson is a short, TikTok-style video lesson, with knowledge checks along the way.

1Introduction to GDPR and its Scope
2Who are the Parties Under GDPR
3What is the Legal Basis of GDPR?
4Technical Measures for GDPR
5Understand Data Breaches and GDPR - Article 33
6Mitigating Risk With PIAs and DPIAs
7GDPR Data Subjects

  1. Introduction to GDPR and its Scope: What GDPR is, who it applies to and the kinds of processing it covers.
  2. Who are the Parties Under GDPR: The parties GDPR names, including controllers and processors, and what each one is responsible for.
  3. What is the Legal Basis of GDPR?: The lawful bases for processing personal data and when each one applies.
  4. Technical Measures for GDPR: Practical technical measures that keep personal data secure.
  5. Understand Data Breaches and GDPR - Article 33: What counts as a personal data breach and how Article 33 notification works.
  6. Mitigating Risk With PIAs and DPIAs: How privacy and data protection impact assessments help you spot and reduce risk.
  7. GDPR Data Subjects: Who data subjects are and the rights GDPR gives them.
A 5Mins certificate of completion for GDPR Essentials (Global), lying on a desk next to a laptop
Certificate

A certificate for every learner who completes it

Learners finish every microlesson and pass the assessments with a score of 80% or more. 5Mins then issues a certificate of completion for GDPR Essentials (Global).

  • Certificates and e-signatures stored against each learner
  • Audit-ready records, ready whenever an auditor asks
  • Completion shows on the Compliance Dashboard in real time
Audience and regulation

Who it's for and the law it covers

Who it's for

  • Every employee who handles personal data, from HR files to customer records
  • Teams in organizations that process the personal data of people in the EU or the UK
  • Managers who are accountable for how their teams collect, use and store data
  • New joiners who need a clear GDPR baseline in their first weeks

Laws covered

  • EU GDPR, Regulation (EU) 2016/679. The core rules on scope, data roles, lawful bases, security, breaches and data subjects' rights.
  • UK GDPR. The UK's version of the GDPR, which sits alongside the Data Protection Act 2018. The course explains how its obligations differ from EU GDPR.
  • Article 33. Notifying the supervisory authority of a personal data breach without undue delay and, where feasible, within 72 hours of becoming aware of it.
How it runs in 5Mins

Assign it once, then let 5Mins do the chasing

Every course in the 5Mins library runs on the same zero-admin engine.

  • EnrollAuto-enroll

    Enroll people automatically from your HR system, with 100+ HRIS platforms supported.

  • RemindReminders

    Nudges by email, Slack, Microsoft Teams and push until the course is done.

  • RepeatRecurrence

    Set the course to repeat, for example every 12 months, and 5Mins re-enrolls people for you.

  • CertifyCertificates

    Certificates and e-signatures are issued and stored for every completion.

  • ProveAudit-ready records

    See who is complete, at risk or overdue on the Compliance Dashboard, and prove it any time.

Customer stories

Compliance teams that swapped chasing for results

Compliance, HR and L&D leaders on what changed when they moved their training to 5Mins. Pick a team to see what changed.

ComplianceCompliance Training Insurance, 205 colleagues 100%

compliance completion and pass rate since go-live

  • ~1 day saved on each compliance course (HR estimate)
  • Automated reminders and reporting

Since go-live, our compliance completion and pass rates are 100%, and it's the quickest we've ever got there. Automated reminders and reporting save us about a day per course.

Laura ChappellLaura ChappellHR Director, Collingwood
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ComplianceCompliance Training Insurance and emergency accommodation 87%

less session time, from 2.5-3 hour sessions to modules of 25 minutes at most

  • 12 monthly sessions a year, up from 3-4
  • 95% content creation time saved

Our compliance sessions used to be two and a half to three hours in a room, and we could fit in three or four a year. Now we cover one topic a month, and I can see exactly what people are retaining.

Lucy WybornLucy WybornDirector of Learning and Development, ICAB
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ComplianceCompliance Training Legal services 80%

completion on mandatory training, up from 20%

  • Mobile microlessons finished between calls
  • Manager view of each team's progress

We were sitting at 20% completion on our mandatory training. We're now at 80%. People finish short lessons between calls, on mobile, and managers can see where their teams are, so chasing completion is no longer a one-person job.

Jamie WaltonJamie WaltonGroup Learning and Development Officer, Winn Solicitors
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ComplianceCompliance Training Fintech and digital banking On demand

training log showing who did what, when, and the pass rate

  • Any device phone or laptop, at their own pace
  • Rolling refreshers through the year

When I engage with the FCA, I can show that every team has had training tailored to their role, that it's up to date, and that it runs throughout the year, with a full log of who's done what.

Abdul GofurAbdul GofurHead of Compliance & Anti-Financial Crime, nsave
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★ Free sample lesson

See 5Mins in action with a free sample lesson

Interested in GDPR Essentials training? Request a free sample lesson, book a short demo with our team, and we'll share your sample lessons after the call.

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  • A short demo with our team
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Free course catalogues

Take the catalogue with you

Free PDF catalogues to share with your compliance lead, your managers or your board.

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Compliance

Global Compliance Catalogue

Stay compliant across every market you operate in, with regulatory training covering GDPR, data protection, workplace safety and more.

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Your questions answered

Questions about GDPR Essentials training

How long is the GDPR Essentials course?

It's made up of 7 microlessons, each under 5 minutes. Learners can finish it in one sitting or spread it over a few days, and 5Mins sends reminders until it is done.

Is there a certificate?

Yes. Learners get a certificate of completion once they finish the microlessons and pass the situational tests with a score of 80% or more. The record is stored in 5Mins for audits.

Does the course cover UK GDPR?

Yes. The course covers EU GDPR and explains how UK GDPR differs, including its specific obligations. For the latest UK changes, UK teams can also take UK GDPR & Data Law: The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 Update.

How quickly must a data breach be reported?

Under Article 33, a controller must notify the supervisory authority without undue delay and, where feasible, within 72 hours of becoming aware of a breach, unless it is unlikely to result in a risk to people. In the UK, that authority is the ICO.

Who needs GDPR training?

Anyone who handles personal data at work. GDPR doesn't set a training curriculum, but its accountability and security duties mean organizations must show appropriate measures, and training people for their role is a common way to do that.

How often should staff take GDPR training?

There is no fixed frequency in GDPR, so your organization sets the schedule. In 5Mins you can set the course to repeat, for example every 12 months.

Can I try the course first?

Yes. Request a free sample lesson and book a short demo with our team. After your demo, we'll share sample lessons with you so you can see the format for yourself.

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