The article covers the issue of the use of competence-based approach concepts for solving the main problems of education, to one of which is the development of cognitive activity of the student. The main emphasis is on the correlation of the notions of «information competencies» and «cognitive activity». The author explains the bilateral nature of the relationship between the processes of informational competencies formation and development of student's cognitive activity. Informational competencies are considered as one of the structural elements of cognitive activity and factors of its development . The latter, in turn, are formed in the educational process, the effectiveness of which depends directly on the student's cognitive activity.