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Hi Everyone,
I am currently a Civil Servant looking to leave the service. I have dealt with accounts type jobs over the years. I now would like toward a qualification in Book Keeping, now i have looked on the internet and there are loads of courses avaliable. I have seen a course offered by a company called Ideal Schools which I am interested in ICB Career path. Have anyone completed this course or could someone point me in the right direction. Thanks so much Sam
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- Member PM.Dip
- Practice Licence
- 115 posts
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Sam
I was a civil servant too, until I had my children and went back to my job after my 1st to find it was part of someone else's job and they failed to notify me of the new post, unknown to them I had been doing (there was change of senior staff whilst I was on maternity leave)!
I used Ideal schools once and what a waste of money, the materials they provided didn't make sense, studied for it on my own and passed. I've used training link many times and passed all their exams, always had responses to emails within hours even at weekends. Infact it was their MD who encouraged me to go for level II without any studying (which I passed) and also to set up my business and within 2 weeks of doing it I had 4 clients.
Good luck. I really enjoy what I do.
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- Fellow PM.Dip
- Practice Licence
- 115 posts
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Hi Sam
I took the ICB package from Training-Link - Level 1, 2 & 3 plus Payroll, which I'm currently working on. I think Ideal schools are pretty similar, they do offer tutor support which is fairly basic.
If you're sure you want to do all the qualifications then a package is great since it's cheaper than buying each one seperately. If you already have experience then you can just buy the Kaplan text books from this site, the only down side with that is when you take the computerised courses you will have to find some software, whereas most course providers give you a version of Sage 50 for training purposes as part of the course fee.
Good Luck
Mike
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Hello Sam
I have been studying the ICB Career Path with Ideal Schools and they have so far got me to Level II Computerised with my lowest mark in any exam being 97%.
They have been really helpful and I found that the course overprepares you for the exams so that you find the actual exam no trouble. They can be a little slow to respond to email questions, but if you give them a call they can answer all of your questions there and then. Their marking of assignments is also thorough and helpful.
I would highly recommend using them as by the time you have finished the career path, you will have most of the exams you could possible take under your belt. I looked into another distance learning provider and they wanted to charge an extra £1300 for only half of the exams.
Whichever way you decide to go - Good Luck with your studies.
Sandra
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Hi Sam
I am currently studying with Ideal Schools on the ICB Career Path. I am only on the Level 2 Manual exam so I do not know what the entire course will be like though!
I have found them extremely helpful and supportive. I have emailed them questions and the longest I have had to wait for a response was 20 minutes! They take longer to mark the assignments which can be a little frustrating though if you are trying to complete the courses as quickly as possible.
As with any distance learning, whether Ideal Schools or another training provider, you need to ensure you have the self discipline and self motivation to see you through.
I have found Ideal Schools pricing structure for the ICB Career path very reasonable and would be happy to recommend them, although I appreciate the financial commitment to pay for the career path can be daunting for some!
Good luck in whatever you choose to do Sam.
Karen
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- Companion
- Accredited Training Provider IS
- 435 posts
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Hi Sam,
You are doing the absolute correct thing by shopping around for the best package suitable for you. I work for Ideal Schools and if you would like to call (0141 248 5200) and discuss the Career path option, amongst others, then we'll be only too pleased to help you.
I'm pleased that Sandra & Karen are enjoying their studies so far and I hope that that continues. We have been working on assignment marking turnaround times, and we now have this down to an average of 4 days. We have many students and it is impiortant that each peice of work is given the necessary attention and quality of feedback to ensure proper exam preparation.
Regarding MrsS, I am sorry that you've had a bad experience, but I cannot comment on this as I don't know who you are or what course you were on. I am sure that if our materials were as confusing as you state then, firstly, they would not have been accreddited by ICB and, secondly, our pass rates would not be high enough for us to have been awarded the ICB Training Provider of the Year award.
Good luck with your search Sam and I hope that you find a provider that suits your needs.
Kind regards
Brian
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Thank you so much everyone - I have to collect my course from the post office after
work very excited !!!!!!. I did decide to go with Ideal Schools and thank you Brian, Sandra and Karen for your comments which put my mind at rest
Thanks again everyone for your advice, and no doubt i will be speaking to you again soon.
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KLA said:
“Hi Sam
I am currently studying with Ideal Schools on the ICB Career Path. I am only on the Level 2 Manual exam so I do not know what the entire course will be like though!
I have found them extremely helpful and supportive. I have emailed them questions and the longest I have had to wait for a response was 20 minutes! They take longer to mark the assignments which can be a little frustrating though if you are trying to complete the courses as quickly as possible.
As with any distance learning, whether Ideal Schools or another training provider, you need to ensure you have the self discipline and self motivation to see you through.
I have found Ideal Schools pricing structure for the ICB Career path very reasonable and would be happy to recommend them, although I appreciate the financial commitment to pay for the career path can be daunting for some!
Good luck in whatever you choose to do Sam.
Karen ”
Hi Karen,
Thanks for the reply. When you ordered your complete package to you get each level seperatley ? and also i can remember did your fees include ICB Membership. Thanks Karen
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- Companion
- Accredited Training Provider IS
- 435 posts
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Hi Sam,
I can see that James has already answered you in another email, and I hope this is ok. I'm glad that you've received your course work safeley and look forward to seeing how you progress through your studies in the coming months.
Remember, if you need any help please don't hesitate to contact us directly on 0141 248 5200.
Kind regards
Brian
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In relation to this thread, Ideal Schools are the distance learning provider I am seriously thinking of using.
SJD200, how has your experience been to date?
I am aware that i need to pay for exams seperately but is the ICB membership included?
How have you found the study materials?
Is the Sage software only for use during the course or is it a licensed copy for me to keep?
Brian, perhaps you can shed some light on this (I know you have emailed my already about my initial course information request).
Many thanks.
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- Member PM.Dip
- Practice Licence
- 481 posts
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You get a full copy of Sage Instant Accounts which is yours to keep.
I was happy with them (Ideal Schools) and have got Distinctions in all the exams I have sat so far using them. Still waiting on the Computerised Level III but I am fairly certain I WON'T get a distinction in that. Nothing to do with I.S. - more to do with me not being good at putting things into English - which takes up 30% of the exam.
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- Companion
- Accredited Training Provider IS
- 435 posts
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Hi Prav,
The softyware we supply with our computerised bookkeeping & payroll payroll courses are fully operational and registered to the student.This ensures they can continue to be used upon completion of the study. We supply Sage Instant Accounts and Sage 50 Payroll.
As I've said before on this thread it is important you are aware of all aspects of this method of study. You are doing the absolute correct thing with your level of investigation and if you need any further help don't hesitate to get in touch again, eother directly or via the forum.
Kind regards
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- Fellow PM.Dip
- Practice Licence
- 336 posts
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Can I also just add my endorsement of Ideal Schools - I did levels 1 and 2 manual and computerised with them and got 100% in 2 of the exams and 96% in the third. Like an earlier post, I also feel that they over prepare you which is good - the exams feel a lot easier in this way. I have just completed Self Assessment with them too and am waiting for my results (anxiously!). The support was excellent throughout, the response times were in the main excellent, and I was also looking for a quick completion of the first three modules in quick succession. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to a new student - just remember if you're prepared to commit to several levels at a time the cost savings are immeasurable. I contemplated only signing up to one course at first, as I didn't know how I'd take to home study after 20 years, but I'm so glad that I committed to the courses for AICB level.
Good luck Sam, and P Liyanage.
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Thankd for replying to my query, I have decided that I will go with Ideal Schools. The price is reasonable and the positive feedback from others has been assuring.
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- Companion
- Accredited Training Provider TL
- 115 posts
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The Sage software question never seems to go away and for people new to the industry it can be confusing. There are a lot of posts on here in relation to the diferences between Instant Accounts and Sage 50, but in a nutshell the Instant Accounts are of no use to a professional Bookkeeper unless they have only one client. The software is the cheapest available from Sage and for that reason most training providers use it for the ICB courses.
At Training Link we have always based our training on the Sage 50 Professional package because it is far more comprehensive and consists of three levels of learning compared to just one with Instant Accounts. thus prioviding the learner with an understanding of the software package more likely to be used professionaly. It saves having to learn again when the big day comes. Imagine starting a job with just Instant Accounts knowledge and being asked to do something that you had not learned! I doubt the boss would be happy if you asked for help.
I feel strongly that new students are being slightly misled into believing that a fully licenced version of a basic software package is better than having a limited version of the top package. The top package costs over £1000 to buy and as such would be too expensive for learning purposes. for this reason Sage developed a training version which we have been using since 2004.
The Instant Accounts package is however sufficient for students to complete courses and pass ICB exams so we do offer this as an alternative.
I am open to questions on this subject and will be more than happy to clear up any misunderstandings.
Regards
Gary
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