The Basics

1) Are there any entry criteria to the Advanced Certificate in Employment Law programme?

This programme is pitched at Masters level (although not resulting in a Masters qualification) and therefore some previous experience/basic knowledge of employment law is required. The entry criteria are the same for both routes.

2) Why are there two routes?

The idea of two routes is to cater for student’s different learning styles and preferences. From listening to current and previous students it was felt by some that a qualification route that did not involve an examination was required.

3) What is the difference between the two routes?

Both routes follow the same syllabus and involve attending the same course modules – the difference is the method of assessment and ultimately the awarding body of the qualification.

Successful completion of the exam based route leads to the CIPD Advanced Certificate in Employment Law and meets the requirements of the CIPD’s Employment Law Elective of the Professional Development Scheme. Assessment is by one assignment followed by the CIPD’s National Employment Law Examination.

Successful completion of the new continuous assessment route leads to the Post Graduate Certificate in Employment Law, awarded by the University of Surrey. Assessment is by four assignments.

4) When do I have to choose which route I want to follow?

We ask students to indicate their preferred route on the initial booking form, however you can still indicate “not sure” at this stage. The Introductory Workshop is the same for all students and a final decision should be made within one month of attending the Introductory Workshop.

5) Can I change route after I have started?

You may change your mind about the route you want to follow at anytime after booking up until one month after the Introductory Workshop. If you wish to switch between the first month and six months you will need to discuss this with your personal tutor and the programme manager. It is likely this will be allowed. However you will not be able to switch after the first 6 months.

6) What do I have to do in order to complete the exam based route?

You must attend all 10 course modules plus the Introductory Workshop. We highly recommend you attend the Introductory Workshop first, but all subsequent course modules can be taken in any order.

In addition, you must successfully complete one 3,000 word assignment and pass the CIPD’s national employment law examination (open-book format). Two workshops are offered to assist with exam preparation – the exam skills workshop and the revision day. Both these workshops are optional but strongly recommended.

7) What do I have to do in order to complete the continuous assessment route?

You must attend all 10 course modules plus the Introductory Workshop and the Assignment Skills Workshop and complete 4 assignments. The courses have been arranged into 4 programme modules and assessment of each module is by an assignment.

Each Programme module must be completed in a 6 month period and done in a sequential order. Programme module 1 must be completed before programme module 2 etc. By the nature of continuous assessment there is a progression through the programme over the 2 year period although you can complete faster if you wish. However there is less flexibility in terms of the order in which course modules are done and timescales than with the exam based route.

8) How long does it take to complete the Advanced Certificate in Employment Law?

To a certain extent it depends on individual needs and commitments as to how long it takes, but it should be completed over a period of up to 2 years from the date of the first module to the examination date or submission date of the last assignment.

Exam Based Route
The certificate is made up of 11 modules, which is 14 days face-to-face training in total, a written assignment and the CIPD’s National Employment Law examination. Each course module runs several times a year to give flexibility in planning your study. However the National Examination is twice a year in May and November. It is possible to complete the programme in one year.

Continuous Assessment Route
Because each course module runs several times a year there is flexibility in planning your study. However the whole point of this route is that assessment is continuous so we would expect students to complete one programme module every 6 months. It is possible to complete the programme in a year, in which case one programme module would need to be completed every 3 months.

9) Can I get an extension if I need longer than 2 years to complete?

Yes, you can get an extension in certain circumstances, although this needs to be discussed and agreed with the programme manager in advance of the deadline.

10) How much personal study time do I need to put into the Advanced Certificate in Employment Law programme?

This varies from person to person, but an average of 5 hours per week is a good guideline. More time will be required when preparing for the assignments and/or studying for the examination.

Certificate Course Modules

11) Can I change my course module dates after booking onto the programme?

Yes, providing the request is received 11 or more working days before the start of the certificate course module. Requests to transfer 0-10 days before the start of the each certificate course module will be subject to a transfer fee as per the standard terms and conditions.
All bookings, transfers or cancellations must be done through our Registrar, please contact eventsregistrar@cipd.co.uk

12) Are any of the certificate course modules held on Saturdays?

No, all course modules are held Monday to Friday. However the Revision and Exam Skills days are optional and are held on Saturdays 6 and 10 weeks before the exam, respectively.

13) If I have already attended certificate courses as a public delegate before enrolling on the Advanced Certificate in Employment Law programme, do I have to attend them again?

Any attendance during the previous 6 months is taken into account, so that you do not have to re-attend and the certificate fee reduces accordingly.

14) Where do the certificate course modules run?

All course modules are held at locations in Central London.

15) Do I have to do the course modules in a particular order?

The course modules do not have to be done in a specific order if you are following the exam route, however we strongly recommend for either route that the Introductory Workshop is done first. If following the continuous assessment route the mandatory workshop on assignment skills needs to be completed before you attempt your first assignment. Also for the continuous assessment route you need to plan the course modules in such a way as to meet the requirements to complete each of the four modules.

CIPD Membership

16) Do I need to be a member of the CIPD to study the Advanced Certificate in Employment Law programme?

If you are not already a CIPD member you need to register as a Studying Affiliate member before starting the Certificate.

17) What does Studying Affiliate membership entitle me to?

You are entitled to the full range of member benefits and services including:

• free subscription to fortnightly People Management magazine 
• access to comprehensive Library and Information Services 
• access to member only resources on the CIPD website, including the latest research, information and news 
• access to a national network of local branches and forums 
• discounts on CIPD conferences, publications and training courses.
  
  

18) How quickly is my application for CIPD Membership acknowledged and processed?

Membership can be completed online you will be sent an email once you have been approved onto the programme with details of an online webkey. Use this key to register online or update your information if you are an existing member.

Learner Support Site (LSS)

19) What is the Learner Support Site (LSS)?

It is a resource library and an online community, made up of your fellow Advanced Certificate in Employment Law students and tutors. It contains practical checklists, document templates (letters, policies, contracts), details of new and upcoming legislation, assignment information, revision tips, sample exam papers, examiner reports and much more.

20) What is EBSCO and how can I access it?

EBSCO is an online library service, which will provide you with an expansive, specialist and current research facility for the preparation of your assignment. When you log onto the CIPD, there is information on how to log into the EBSCO.

21) How do I go about contributing to a discussion or a debate on the LSS?

Once you are logged onto the LSS you can access the debate and discussion boards. More information is provided on the LSS about how to contribute.

Exam based route - the assignment

22) When must I complete my assignment?

It is recommended that you complete most of your modules before agreeing the topic of your assignment with your personal tutor. However, you must have submitted and passed your assignment within six months of attending your last module.

23) How long do I have to complete the assignment?

Once you have agreed the topic and scope of your assignment your tutor will notify CIPD of the title and you will then have 5 weeks to complete and submit the assignment.

24) How many words must my assignment be?

The assignment must be about 3,000 words, but this excludes the appendices, title page, contents page, footnotes and bibliography.

25) What is the subject of the assignment?

You decide on a suitable subject in conjunction with your personal tutor. The subject would usually relate to your work and real organisational issues. Some suggested subject areas for assignments are given in the Student Handbook at the start of the programme.

26) Can my assignment be a current project I have at work?

Yes, see the Student Handbook for more information.

27) What help will my personal tutor be able to give me with the assignment?

Your tutor will be able to assist with topic selection and provide advice on research methods and tools. They will be happy to look at a draft and give you feedback before final submission.

28) What happens if I fail my assignment?

You can resubmit your assignment once; however you will only achieve a pass.

29) What are the assessors looking for in the assignment?

Details of the Assessment Sheet are given in the Student Handbook, this shows the broad headings and the percentage of total marks given. For example Topic Choice – relevance, understanding the problem etc is 5% of marks, Legal Analysis is 40%, Research Competence 25%, Recommendations and Conclusions is 15%, Presentation 5% and Advice 10%.

30) How much time off might I need to complete the assignment and study for the examination?

This varies from person to person. Your personal tutor will be able to give you some individual assistance in this regard. Don’t forget to attend the Exam Skills Workshop and Revision Day, which have useful tips on the examination, and check out the Candidate Handbook and the online Learner Support Site for more information.

Exam based route - the exam

31) When does the examination take place?

In May and November each year.

32) When do I need to sit the exam?

The requirement is that you complete the Certificate within two years. However, it is advisable to sit the examination as soon as is practicable.

33) Can I sit the examination without completing the assignment?

No, the assignment must be completed before the examination can be taken.

34) Do I need to attend the Exam Skills Workshop and/or Revision Day?

These two study skills days are optional but it is very strongly recommended that you attend.

35) What does the exam consist of?

The exam is 2 hours long plus 10 minutes reading time. It consists of 2 compulsory parts. Section A is a case study with related questions. Section B consists of 10 questions from which you choose 7 to answer. Equal marks are allocated to each section of the paper and within section B equal marks are allocated to each question. You must achieve at least 40% in each section. Previous Exam papers are available in the Candidate Handbook and on the Learner Support Site. Examiner’s reports are also included.

36) Can I re-sit any modules in preparation for the examination?

Certainly! Contact eventsregistrar@cipd.co.uk for details on costs and available dates.

37) What does ‘open book examination’ mean?

It means you can bring your Statutes book into the examination. The book can have highlighting, underlining and post it notes but no written markings.

38) Do I have to sit the examination in London?

Students would usually sit the examination in London. Alternative arrangements can be made with another centre running the employment law examination in the UK if preferred. Please contact the Advanced Certificate in Employment Law Co-ordinator for more details.

39) What happens if I fail the examination?

You can re-sit the examination (this is subject to the additional cost of the Exam Enrolment fee current at the time you re-sit). Please see the Student Handbook for further details.

40) Is the CIPD Advanced Certificate in Employment Law exam the same one as the Employment Law elective of the Professional Development Scheme?

Yes.

41) Where can I find past examination papers?

Check the online Learner Support Site, which has a link to past examination papers and examiner’s reports. Copies of recent past exam papers can also be found in your Student Handbook. Copies are also provided at the Exam Skills Workshop.

Continuous assessment route - the assignments

42) When must I complete my assignments?

As the term continuous assessment suggests, you should plan your studies to include completion of each of the four programme modules at roughly equal periods of time through the programme.

Once you have attended all the course modules of each of the four programme modules you can complete the associated assignment for that programme module. The programme modules must be completed in sequential order 1 – 4. The first assignment must be submitted not more than 6 months after starting the programme, assignment 2 by 12 months from start assignment 3 by 18 months and the final assignment by 24 months from the start date. However they can be submitted sooner provided the course modules for each programme module have also been completed sooner.

43) How many words must the assignments be?

The assignment for module 1 must be about 2,500 words, for modules 2 and 3 the assignment must be 3,000 words and for assignment 4 it is 1,500.

In all cases the word count excludes the appendices, title page, contents page, footnotes and bibliography.

44) What are the subjects of the assignments?

The assignment titles for each module are prescribed and can be found in the Student Handbook. Each assignment is built around the content of the associated course modules and is in the form of case studies. You are required to give advice on the various scenarios.

45) What help will my personal tutor be able to give me with the assignment?

Your tutor will be able to assist with topic scoping and provide advice on research methods and tools. They will be happy to look at a bullet point draft and give you feedback before final submission.

46) What happens if I fail any of the assignments?

 In the event that you do not pass an assignment; you will be referred. A marking sheet with feedback will be sent to you and you can then resubmit your assignment once; however the maximum mark you can achieve is 50%, a pass.

Fees

47) What is the cost of the programme?

The full Certificate up front fees are £5,370 + £939.75 VAT.

48) Can you pay module by module?

Module by module fees are £5,580 + £976.50 VAT. You will be invoiced for the introductory workshop and the 10 modules on an individual basis.

49) Is there a difference in price between the two routes offered?

 No. The cost of the programme is the same no matter which of the two routes you follow.