Like many students, you may be considering the option to take a distance learning course. This is an important decision and choosing the right provider can mean the difference between a pass and a fail.

The benefits of distance learning include a structure to your studying, a support group/tutor for questions, additional training materials, and flexibility. I studied for one of my qualifications by myself at home and it can get very tough, especially when you are stuck and don’t know what to do.

The benefits have to be compared to the costs of course but apart from price there are other factors to think about that students often overlook:

Factors to consider

There are a 7 main factors to consider when choosing a distance learning course. They may vary in priority for you but are:

Price

Choosing the cheapest provider is not necessarily the best thing to do. You need to look at the additional factors below before making a decision.

Format

Distance learning can be offered in a variety of formats using any combination of the following formats: paper-based, online study material, online lectures, tutor support, and an offline option to attend lectures/do practice exams. Choose the one that fits your needs best.

Style

Different providers have different styles of teaching, and it’s up to you to pick the right one. Make sure you look at example materials and demos e.g. of the online lectures, to get an idea.

Quality of Provider

The large providers all have some sort of stamp of certification from the qualification they are providing training for, check to see what this is for. Smaller providers may not have achieved this level of recognition yet, but it doesn’t mean the training is any worse. Check to see the background of the tutors - often they are former employees of a larger training provider.

Coverage of Qualification

As some companies are only recently setting up full distance learning and online courses make sure they cover or will cover all your qualification. If you find a style of teaching you like and that works you want to stick with it!

Additional Services Included

These can vary but include additional options such as extra practice exams, the options to come to classroom lectures for revision courses etc. and a pass guarantee (see below). Again review these to see what you need versus what they offer.

Pass Guarantee

Some training providers provide guarantees on you passing your exams. This doesn’t mean they guarantee that you will pass! Rather that if you fail you will be able to take the course again for free. Check that the guarantee applies to the course you are taking, and check the terms and conditions - for example additional learning materials may cost extra.

Training Providers

There are a number of providers now available for distance learning varying from international companies to smaller “start-ups”. Each has it’s own advantages and disadvantages. For example a smaller provider is often cheaper and more modern in it’s delivery - but can lack coverage in terms of products provided - e.g. only ebooks and no video lectures etc. The larger providers can provide an excellent range of products but can be too expensive for some.

There’s not enough space here to go into all the providers - I am setting up a review site to do just that - but please use the above factors in making your decision.

Our Choice

For me the best provider currently is BPP with their Class of the Future service (for ACCA and CIMA students). Apart from the fact BPP is a world-class provider of training, for me it stands out with one feature - you're assigned your own named tutor, who you can access throughout your course.

This means that the same person gets to understand you and your challenges - so you get better, more focussed support and training. For more on what other students are saying click here

Make sure you pick the course that suits you and your needs best. However you choose to learn I wish you the best of luck for your exams!

Soul

Choosing a Distance Learning Course is a post from: Pass 1st Time

Start at the End and Know Your Outcome

Have you ever gone on a long journey by car, or bus or by foot? Did you ever set off without knowing where you had to get to, or by what time?

I bet not! But that's exactly what some accoutancy students do when they start learning for their exams. They dive into the study materials without first knowing their outcome - where they want to end up. The problem with this is that they set off, but don't know where they are going, and therefore can't tell if they are on track or not! Worse still, they don't even know if they have reached their destination! Let me explain...

What Are the Pass Marks You Need For Your Exams?

Most students should be able to tell this immediately. For example "I need 50% to pass this particular exam". But how many focus on Pass Rates?

Pass rate is the percentage of students who passed the exam out of all the students. So if this is 70%, then 70 out of a 100 students passed the exam.

Now the question is, do you know the pass rate for each of your upcoming exams?

Why Pass Rates Matter

Pass rates matter because they tell you two things:

1) How effectively students work for the exam and/or

2) How hard the exam is

For example if the pass rate is only 40% that tells you one of two things:

1) Either students are not preparing effectively for this exam and/or

2) This is exam is very difficult

So if you understand this you can react by looking at the way other students are preparing for this exam and knowing you have to either be more effective than them, or work harder! And you will know to work even harder for this exam because it could be that the exam is particularly difficult.

For one of my qualifications the average pass rate was around 45% FOR ALL EXAMS. Guess what? I knew to work my butt off for those exams!

So please do pay attention to pass rates, they can be the key piece of information you need to get you through your exams.

Know Your Outcome – Pass Rates for Accountancy Exams is a post from: Pass 1st Time

There are three proven steps to effective learning.

Immersion in the Topic

Human beings learn best when immersed, or fully involved. It's better to learn one new skill with full focus instead of learning five different things at once. Use this when studying - only focus on one topic or area for an extended period of time.

Spaced Repetition

When you learned something new and then didn't look at it again for a week, what happened? Yes, you forgot most of it. The human brain works on the principle of spaced repetition, which means that you have to review what you learned at regular intervals to fully remember it. If you make sure that you keep the intervals short at the beginning, you'll be able to space them further apart as time goes on.

Peer Group

The final step to effective learning is to have a peer group, or group of friends, around you for support. Successful teams work on this principle, team members support each other during difficult times and challenge each other to be their best when necessary. Find a group of people who have the same aims that you do so you can help each other achieve what all of you want to achieve.

For a powerful peer group of people who understand the principles in this report see the Pass1sttime.com Mastermind Group and join the community.

The Three Steps to Effective Learning for Accountancy Exams is a post from: Pass 1st Time

This section will cover information on intelligent learning techniques you can learn and apply to make your learning more effective.

These posts will cover the use of your own psychology to your advantage; combining effectiveness with efficiency; and how to take care of yourself whilst learning.

Intelligent Learning – Introduction is a post from: Pass 1st Time