Hello, I've been reading several of the threads related to choosing a course to get started on bookkeeping and found them all very useful and interesting. And also leaving me feel just as confused about my choice of first course.
I'm looking at doing a book-keeping course to add to my skill-set (I'm an administrator). If I get the opportunity to earn some money doing somebody's books that would be great; and if I enjoy the learning and want to progress to accountancy skills that too will be a bonus. But I'll cross that bridge if and when I get to it. For now it's just the bookkeeping.
What I've picked up so far is to take care with the training provider. I want to do distance learning so I'll avoid HomeLearning and look instead at organisations like Kaplan, BPP, Premier Training and the OU.
But as for the actual course, my question is, ifI want a solid grounding in the basics of bookkeeping does it really matter whether I choose the AAT's ABC, the OU's B190 or the first level certificates offered by the IAB and ICB?
Any help and advice much appreciated. (All the brochures and websites are going round in my head and I just want to get on with it.)
at this level it's very much a six of one half a dozen of the other type situation.
Its a common misconception pushed by the training providers that you have to study specifically for the ICB and IAB exams (with the addition of doing a couple of mock papers).
If you take either the BPP AAT ABC or OU B190 you would be in a good position to take the ICB or IAB level I and II exams.
Also, if you really enjoyed the basic bookkeeping the AAT ABC would give you exemptions from some of the lower level AAT exams for when you want to progress further.
Hope that this helps,
Shaun.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Thanks for the welcome and for the sound advice. I think I just needed someone to say 'yes it's six of one and half a dozen of the other' as you have said. A big thing for newbies like me is the concern that by taking one course instead of another I might miss something, so it's good to know the ones I'm looking at are much the same.
Your advice has really helped me to clarify that for me it's down to the OU or the AAT ABC. I've studied previously with the OU and I know that their materials, learning structure, etc are excellent. They would usually be my first choice. But the OU is time-limited whereas, if I understand correctly, I can do the ABC course at my own pace. And at this time in my life (with a six month old baby to occupy my attention) that's an important consideration. I'm also not too concerned about the absence of tutorial support for the ABC course as studying with the OU has given me a lot of focus and self-discipline when it comes to distance learning.
