Distance Learning - The Book-keepers Forum (UK)

Rhianrach · Expert

Distance Learning

additionsbookkeeping · Veteran Member

I used FTC Kaplan, I found them very good. I have also used BPP, again they were very good.

If you wanted to you could cut them out of it to a degree. I did once I got to intermediate. You can buy the books yourself and then BPP will let you sit the simulations with them for £75.00 each. If you pass first go its a pretty hefty saving you are looking at, however the £75.00 only covers one sim so if you fail you may end up forking out more than the course would have been.

I am doing my Tech level like this as well so I don't know how much they currently are the courses. I would definitely recommend one of these two if you are going to pay for the course, some of the smaller ones get terrible reports on the AAT forum.

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Hi Steve,

also try Premier Training. Very good prices and service.

Rhianrach · Expert

As far as I can tell so far the cheapest is Kaplan surprisingly, Premiere training is coming in at £480 plus 2 exams at £44 each plus as usual membership to the AAT, Kaplan is £423 plus 2 exams at £44 each plus as usual membership to the AAT, and BPP are £475 plus etc etc so I suppose the question is who offers the best support.

As Additions says I could just do it off my own back for less but I think the tutor support is important for me and don't mind paying as long as the support is good. The Kaplan tutor Vee sounds nice plus you get a direct line.

Steve

amz27 · Veteran Member

Hi Steve,

I have just started Advanced Certificate stage of the Diploma route and after alot of research I chose Premier Training. I have to say so far I am very pleased with their service. I have already phoned my tutor twice who has been very polite, and the books I am studying from are the Osbourne books and are very straight forward and easy to follow.

I work Monday - Friday until 5pm, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays your tutor is available until 8pm on a direct number which is really helpful for me. I must say though I did try and contact my tutor via email first before phoning and it took him about 2 days to reply so I would definately say if you want a quick answer then give them a call.

I also have a tailored timetable which gives me dates to roughly stick to that I like, but you can change these if needs be.

Hope this has been of some help,

Amy

Rhianrach · Expert

amz27 wrote:

Hi Steve,

I have just started Advanced Certificate stage of the Diploma route and after alot of research I chose Premier Training. I have to say so far I am very pleased with their service. I have already phoned my tutor twice who has been very polite, and the books I am studying from are the Osbourne books and are very straight forward and easy to follow.

I work Monday - Friday until 5pm, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays your tutor is available until 8pm on a direct number which is really helpful for me. I must say though I did try and contact my tutor via email first before phoning and it took him about 2 days to reply so I would definately say if you want a quick answer then give them a call.

I also have a tailored timetable which gives me dates to roughly stick to that I like, but you can change these if needs be.

Hope this has been of some help,

Amy

Two votes for premier training then.

Thanks for your advice Amy, I'm waiting to see what will happen with the new syllabus at the moment, cant decide whether to book now and go for the old syllabus or book after august and go for the new syllabus.
But I think I'll end up with premier as two votes seems like a good thing :)
Thanks again.

Rhianrach · Expert

It appears that they are scrapping the skills tests when the new syllabus kicks in so I think I might sign up for the old syllabus, I like the skills tests, biggrin

camster · Member

Steve,

You can try to call, say, Kaplan or BPP Reading/London/etc. and see if they can fit you in one of their classes (to see if they are a good fit as a training provider). I asked them and they were happy to accommodate. You can make a better gauge then.

Amanda · Expert

Hi Steve,

Premier are good, I rang them the other day about Technicians and they said that if I book by June and do the old syllabus I will have until June 2011 to complete all of it, which for me is an impossibility as don't have enough time to study that hard, so I am going for the new one in Aug/Sept, as there is no time restrictions. I suppose it depends on how much time you have to study really.

HTH Amanda

amz27 · Veteran Member

Hi Amanda,

I didnt know that you were under a time frame to complete the old syllabus? I have just started Advanced certificate through the diploma route and I didnt know the syllabus was changing? I know that I have a choice in how I want to take the exams, either the paper based exams in June and December or you can take the computer based exams anytime, whenever you feel ready.

Steve, no problem, good luck in whatever provider you use. I think most of the well known providers dont vary too much so you will be fine with whoever you choose. I think this may be the same with all providers but also with Premier you had the option at Intermediate/ Advanced Certifictate to have the complete SAGE package which gives you a seperate SAGE certificate. (If you did foundation I think this might have been covered here, but where I started straight from Intermediate I opted for this).

Thanks,

Amy

Amanda · Expert

Hi Amy,
Maybe it sounds like you are already on the new syallus? In the AAT Tech the old syllabus there isn't a computer based one at the mo. Maybe someone on here can correct me if I am wrong. Mybe I ge tthe wrong end of the stick the other week, I was sure he said it was June 2011, as I commented that that was a impossiblity due to work committments and family etc.

I didn't do SAGE with my intermediate as I had already done it a few years earlier at college, best qualification I did though, its very useful.

Cheers
A

camster · Member

http://financial.kaplan.co.uk/TrainingandQuals/Accountancy/AAT/Pages/AATsyllabuschange2010.aspx

http://www.bpp.com/courses/examination-courses/accounting--finance/aat/aat-new-standards/new-2010-levels-and-papers.aspx

Rhianrach · Expert

Amanda wrote:

Hi Amy,
Maybe it sounds like you are already on the new syallus? In the AAT Tech the old syllabus there isn't a computer based one at the mo. Maybe someone on here can correct me if I am wrong. Mybe I ge tthe wrong end of the stick the other week, I was sure he said it was June 2011, as I commented that that was a impossiblity due to work committments and family etc.

I didn't do SAGE with my intermediate as I had already done it a few years earlier at college, best qualification I did though, its very useful.

Cheers
A

As far as I can tell the old syllabus doesn't end till july when the new one kicks in.

The exams are either or at the moment as it depends on the centre your taking them in, some do them computer based some paper.

It appears they have got rid of simulations then and made the intermediate purely exam based, I definately will stick to the old syllabus then.

Apparently there is a big meeting in a couple of weeks where all the tutors will know exactly what is going to happen so it's best leaving everything till then.

-- Edited by Rhianrach on Thursday 22nd of April 2010 03:46:49 PM

Amanda · Expert

Hi Steve,
So are they getting rid of the Skills test for the Tech as well? Are you talking about the Intermediate at the mo, sorry can't remember which level you are on?

regards
A

camster · Member

Steve,

I was told that the old two tracks and exams will end next June. Or is this info now wrong? Please advice.

Rhianrach · Expert

Amanda wrote:

Hi Steve,
So are they getting rid of the Skills test for the Tech as well? Are you talking about the Intermediate at the mo, sorry can't remember which level you are on?

regards
A

It appears so but like I say they will know more in the next few weeks after the big pow wow and I'm just finishing foundation and moving on to intermediate.

Rhianrach · Expert

camster wrote:

Steve,

I was told that the old two tracks and exams will end next June. Or is this info now wrong? Please advice.

If you take a level on now say for example intermediate, you have until june next year to complete it, there is a bit of confusion as to what happens if you don't but from what i've been told any units that you have yet to pass by june 2011 will have to be taken under the new syllabus with the new exam. However as far as I can tell they won't be greatly different to the old syllabus.

I think the new structure just involves a few extra units i.e excel and more in depth sage and they start to look at costing in the foundation so you have a minor idea of what it is about before doing it at intermediate as there has been a lot of students really struggling with costing at intermediate level. The personal effectiveness is being replaced with work ethics etc etc, the core learning though will pretty much stay the same just a bit more up to date.

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

OMG I'm in love with Amanda!!!!

camster · Member

Thanks Steve!

I must say... I find it amazing that these training providers advise to NOT do anything new until after July (see their very own links), but were ever so ready to get me to sign up!

Rhianrach · Expert

Like I say I'm hoping to get on the old syllabus to avoid the exams but then maybe the new syllabus will be easier. i'll know more over the next few weeks.

I know what you mean about the providers desperately getting you to sign up but I just refuse to till I know what is happening.

Peasie · Expert

Shamus wrote:

OMG I'm in love with Amanda!!!!

These posts are going to look quite funny when the avatars change again. Unlesss you really are in love with Amanda.