Help needed please! Which course IAB or ICB - The Book-keepers Forum (UK)

clairew · Member

Help needed please! Which course IAB or ICB

beancounter · Newbie

Ho Clairew and welcome to the board, eww you have asked a question there

Ok I am IAB and so will say come with us,

hang on to your hat for the ICB guys give you their take on things

I would suggest you do manual before computerised so you get a good grasp of the principles of Double Entry etc...

As to Training providers I recommend the following as being extremely good...

Woodgrove

Holmes Training

Also have a look at both the IAB and ICB websites

IAB

ICB

Hope this helps, Good Luck..

clairew · Member

Thanks for the help, I think IAB seems to be a higher qualification ( shoot me down if i am wrong !) We also may go to france in a few years to live and i think that the IAB may be recognised over there.
Will keep looking for courses and comparing prices, package etc, maybe I will start with level 1 and see if the grey matter still works before trying to do 2&3 with exams. I wish there were a comparison site for this ! Maybe some one could start on. Thanks again.

corinne · Member

Hi Claire,
I am studying with Ideal Schools for ICB manual levels 1 and 2 which cost me £289.00, which includes membership of the ICB. I think this is really good value and have been happy with everything. The course material is very easy to understand and assignments that I have sent in have all been returned within a week. I recently went on an excellent revision day/exam prep. which was very informative and brilliant value at only £20! It is only when you complete level 2 that you can obtain a practicing certificate to work as a book-keeper. But it sounds like you will not have many problems because of your previous experience.

When I was deciding which course was best for me I obtained advice from Ideal Schools because they offer IAB, ICB and AAT.

I hope this might be of some help.

Best wishes, Corinne

clairew · Member

Thanks corinne...it is just so confusing. I suppose, it shows comittment just to perseveer and find the right course. Yours sounds very good value. But exams make me scared !! It has been a long time since the o levels. I like the idea of ICB though , as the first part is just asssment based and will up my confidence ( if i pass) to get to an exam centre and grin and bear it.

Jones · Newbie

I looked into both the ICB and IAB and in the end opted for the ICB. There wasn't much in it though, and my mind was made up because my local college offered the ICB. I've found the ICB to be really helpful and I'm hoping to obtain my practicing certificate soon. I must say though that I have a friend who is IAB and runs a successful book keeping business and has said the IAB offers a lot of support to book keepers in practice.

clairew · Member

Thank you all for being so hopeful, I think i am swaying the ICB way, just coz the first part is non exam !...I dont suppose I will ever properly practice, just for friends and family, but it will be good to get the grey stuff working, and have letters after my name, other than MUM !!!
Ok, I shall price check everything now and then take the plunge !

x b x · Newbie

hi there,,,, im glad theres someone else as confused as me! iv just completed icb level 1 and 2 computerised accounts and am waiting to sit exam...

have been adv by ideal schools that employers look for manual and computerised qualifications at equal levels so if u complete level 2 manual its a good idea to complete at least the same level in computerised for max impact..

as for which body to study with i chose icb and have found this quite easy,,if you do it through distance learning shop around as i paid £1100 for my course only to find i could of got it for£389

check out ideal schools web site ther pretty good or the main icb or iab web pages for more info on course layout..
hope this helps you out a little and good luck! smile

clairew · Member

Thank you x b x . I have enrolled on an ICb 1 and 2 with ideal schools at £329,( as a direct result of the advice given on this site)... So far, so good, their e mail response has been fab and very friendly, I have already done assignment 1 and nearly done 2...BUT I cant get to grips after so many years in the bank as a debit now being a credit and vice versa...double entry so far seems very confusing and a lot of bother !! I am sure it will all become second nature though soon and make sense. I am enjoying using my brain again. Good luck with the exam.

corinne · Member

Hi Claire
Glad to hear you have made a start and I'm sure you will soon get the hang of the double entry system.
Best of luck with your next assignment.
Corinne

AnnieJones · Newbie

Hi,

I am a member of the ICB and I really wouldn't recommend them. They really do treat you as if you are a lower life form than pond scum.

Take care to take your time in choosing. I paid for a course with Ideal Schools, these again I wouldn't recommend. They really are only interested in taking your money, then dumping you should you require help, advice or customer service.

I don't know anything about the IAB but hopefully someone else can fill you in on this.

I've read where other members, like myself, have paid a lot of money for courses and memberships when we really wish we had made a different choice.

I hope this helps hmm

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Hi Annie,

fellow pond slime here. (or at least according to the ICB).

I'm actually ACCA but I'm also ICB to cover me for MLR. When the ICB changed the practicing certificate rules in a revenue generating direction they refused to acknowledge the ACCA qualification which really peeved me off with them.

I contacted the IAB who unlike the ICB were helpful, courteous and professional.

I was even impressed that the website was aimed at both students and members rather than the ICB's that seems purely aimed at harvesting as many new members as possible.

I've spoken with the ICB several times this year and each time come away from the experience even more shocked at their total disregard for their own membership.

If you speak with them you are hit with statistics but they will not give you the data on which the statistics are based.

Personally I'm swapping allegiances. I've been accepted by the IAB but haven't done the paperwork yet as a bit too busy answering my fan mail on here (lol).

How far have you got with the ICB so far? The IAB do recognise the qualification although it's best to contact them directly to clarify what exemptions they will give you.

Peasie · Expert

I went with the ICB and Ideal Schools. I phoned this morning to book a Level 1 Manual exam and the told me they would email it out on Friday and I do it online. I have two weeks to get it done but have two hours to complete it in once started. I had thought it was posted out to me and had two weeks to do the exam and post it back. I suppose it is more of an exam condition being forced to complete the thing in two hours. Kind of wasted my time doing the mock exam the old way. The good thing is I find out straight away if I have passed.

AICB · Senior Member

I got into bookkeeping with ICB. I have to say I haven't detected any of the disregard or incivility from them as mentioned by others. (Kaplan, since we're also talking about schools, took my money, sent me the pack and then left me alone. The most hands-off, arms-length relationship I've ever had. I think my course fee was mainly for subsidising their Christmas party or something).

Ideal Schools won the Trainer award at the last ICB conference, which is why I am now with Ideal for my Level III manual studies.

By all accounts, I'm doomed!!

andy

Brian McVean · Senior Member

Peasie,

Please don't worry re the exam as we've been assured that the style of questioning is going to be very similar to the Paper Based Mock exam you have attempted. The ICB are working on an online practice paper, but are a couple of weeks away from it.

Good luck with your exam.

Andy,

Welcome aboard. I'm certain that your studies will run smoothly and get in touch with the college whenever you need any assistance.

Regards
Brian smile

Alison · Senior Member

I was a member of the ICB for a couple of years, they started out ok then they became money grabbing and very rude, did not send me practising certificate claiming because they sent it I must have received it (they would not believe that sometimes Royal Mail lose post) and took months of me chasing ICB before they reluctantly sent another certificate out.

I changed to the IAB, who deal with problems properly - I had been misquoted price by £37.50 for IAB membership and was going to leave and get cover for MLR from Inland Revenue but unlike ICB, IAB corrected the mistake because I was misquoted and honoured the amount of membership I was quoted.

Alison

Marky65 · Guru

Hi

As there seems to be quite a lot of anti ICB on this thread (I am not saying that it isn't justified) I would just like to add that I have been a student and now associate member with Practising Licence with the ICB since November 2008 and have always found them to be very helpful and polite and to be honest I have not relly encountered any problems at all with them.

Good luck with whoever you decide to go with

Regards

Mark

-- Edited by Marky65 on Friday 9th of April 2010 02:46:59 PM

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Hi Alison,

Not saying that the ICB were right (wild horses couldn't drag that sentence out of me!) but I know where the ICB are coming from on their argument. It's called the postal rule which basically states that an item is deemed to have been received as soon as it is posted, not when it is actually received.

That one comes up in case law over offer and acceptance.

The actual phrase from the postal rule is :

Where the use of the post is within the contemplation of both parties, the acceptance is complete and effective as soon as the letter is posted, even though it may be dalayed or even lost altogether in the post.

Case law in question is Adams v Lindsell 1818.

From experience so far I agree totally over IAB being a far superior supervisory body.

I wonder how many people the ICB are going to lose before they realise the huge errors of judgement that they've made!

Wella · Expert

I've been a member of the ICB, in one form or another since Sept 2007 and can hand on heart say that I have never had bad service from them. There has been mistakes made and delays on orders but they have always been resolved with a phone call or email. Admittedly, response time can be a bit slow.

My main dissatisfaction with them echos Shauns, insomuch as they seem to focus most of their energy on generating revenue. If I could see any sign of it being invested in promoting its members to the those that matter, I would not have anything bad to say about them.

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

It was the ICB attitude to the ACCA qualification that broke the camels back for me Bill.

Twice this year they managed to redeem themselves only to shoot themselves in the foot with silly comments about lesser organisations and use of unsubstantiated statistics in their replies.

I have found them to be rude and condescending but I've dealt with people like that in business before and it's often a front that people adopt when they feel threatened.

Whats the old saying, if you raise your voice you've already lost the argument.

In my case I feel that I am a member of an organisation that takes money from me but does not represent me.

The IAB on the other hand do recognse the ACCA (and vice versa) and their syllabus (which is wider than the ICB's) includes international financial reporting standards.

And you know how I harp on about my belief that everyone should know more than just the keeping books side of our work.

Personally I can really appreciate the IAB and their courtesy and professionalism is just the icing on the cake.

There you go, managed another one! now two to go.

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Hi Bill,

hit a thousand and I'm still a Guru so looks as though that might be as high as it goes?

steve12 · Veteran Member

With many years bookkeeping experience the IAB are the recognised professional organisation for bookkeepers both in the field of commerce and industry and in the academic world also. The ICB, I would agree, are more of a money making organisation and and cannot be compared with the professionalism of the IAB. Furthermore, their qualifications are not recognised by the UK qualifications authority. One good point about them -- they are very good at marketing themselves, they have a good website, but that's about all.

Steve.

AICB · Senior Member

steve12 wrote:

Furthermore, their qualifications are not recognised by the UK qualifications authority.
Steve.

You are quite wrong there, I believe.

The FSSC has approved a set of National Standards for bookkeeping and these embrace the ICB examinations at levels I, II and III. (That recognition also distinguishes bookkeeping as a profession which is distinct from accounting).

The only area where the ICB syllabus departs from the FSSCs Standard is exceeding it on the topic of VAT. The ICB requires Level II competence to include full proficiency in raising VAT returns whereas (oddly) the FSSC only requires this as part of Level III exam.

andy

attilabenko · Guru

hi andy,

IAB is recognised by QCDA thequalifications and curriculum development agency what is the thing to be approved by...
Don,t get me wrong i am with ICB...

Attila

semsley · Guru

As part of the Accounting and Payroll NOS Review by the FSSC which were approved by UKCES in July 2009 all awarding bodies were consulted and gave feedback before approval. Therefore, I guess all syllabuses will conform to National Standards. Following on from this the FSSC is now consulting on the draft Sector Qualifications Strategy.

-- Edited by semsley on Monday 12th of April 2010 08:24:45 PM