ECDL how quickly could I complete the course

BERFFRO

Just signed up to do an ECDL course at my local college. I believe i'm a very competent computer user and hoping to blitz the course. Has anyone done this course before and how quickly did they manage to complete the course?

Guitar

[FONT=&quot]I used to be an ECDL invigilator for my company that offered the courses to employees. I know some people that already knew how to use the office suite that skipped straight to the exams and so got the qualification in weeks.

If may be different for college as it cost money for each time you sit an exam. If you can pass the sample exams they may let you do the exams.[/FONT]

Vader123

BERFFRO wrote: »

Just signed up to do an ECDL course at my local college. I believe i'm a very competent computer user and hoping to blitz the course. Has anyone done this course before and how quickly did they manage to complete the course?

My expereince with providing ECDL training on-site is that sometimes the "competent" users struggle the most.

ECDL requires you do things in certain order and by the book. I remember when I did it (years ago, probably not valid now) I got pulled up using control+c instead of highlight text, edit menu-copy etc.

Vader

anamenottaken

Vader123 wrote: »

My expereince with providing ECDL training on-site is that sometimes the "competent" users struggle the most.

ECDL requires you do things in certain order and by the book. I remember when I did it (years ago, probably not valid now) I got pulled up using control+c instead of highlight text, edit menu-copy etc.

Vader

Sounds as though you did online, computer-marked tests rather than the more realistic paper tests (exam questions were printed on paper that is). The paper tests would allow you to achieve the result in any way - so Ctrl+c was taught by me as could be quicker than using the mouse.

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Re Guitar's comments about the cost to the college, I haven't taught ECDL for a couple of years now but when I did I set and marked the papers in the time I was already being paid for to cover teaching sessions too. Additional cost was for the verification check (also by someone in their regular paid time) and photocopying of papers and duplication of disks. Problem would only arise if the learner had failed four times and we had to get an additional test from ECDL. However, things may well have changed and it could be different if there are now only computer-marked tests.

meames_2

Thats probably if you do automated tests ( were you have a virtual version of the software and you are asked to perform a task, that registers the key strokes) we use manual tests which means we have to look at the result and if you have used the right tool.

I have found that sometimes, especially with Excel, those who have used it have got terrible habits. If the college will let you you can get through it in a couple of months. I would look at the syllabus and check I could do what was required. Hopefully the college has sample tests. i did my word, excel and powerpoint all in 1 day and Access, internet, and managing files the following day.

laurel7172

I did mine in two weeks, school hours.

I was already reasonably competent in Word, but I'd never done databases or Powerpoint before.

sickofusernames

Can you take the tests online, I've googled some companies but they seem to charge a lot of money for the whole package. To be honest, I think i'd only need to practice the Database module as the rest I'm pretty confident I can pass.

I just need to put something else on my CV to look like I'm competent at training and learning.

RobertoMoir

Took me two whole mornings to do the lot and pass with some passing grade or other, but then I was doing just the tests in order to test our testing software and processes when we'd just been certified as a ECDL exam centre. Good long while ago now though so its probably changed.

Vader's point is well made: experienced users who do things 'their way' instead of how the exam environment sees as the "correct" way may actually struggle more than they expect with computerised testing, this is a case with a lot of electronic testing to be fair but it's worth keeping in mind.

Also, it's worth looking at the course material and making sure you really know the stuff as well as you think. A lot of people who say "I know Word inside out" can easily be stumped by "Ok, so do a mail merge, no help or wizards..." - arguably not realistic as you always have the help prompts to refer to in the real world, but it does make the point about not knowing it as well as you think.

anamenottaken

sickofusernames wrote: »

Can you take the tests online, I've googled some companies but they seem to charge a lot of money for the whole package. To be honest, I think i'd only need to practice the Database module as the rest I'm pretty confident I can pass.

I just need to put something else on my CV to look like I'm competent at training and learning.

There has to be an invigilator to ensure that the person doing the test is the person in whose name the qualification is to be issued.

You can however get a little practice material from the ECDL website - but in reality that is not enough to really give you an idea of everything that could be covered. Each of the practice test material samples used to be the equivalent of half a real test.

For learning material, try ALISON.

Kaleidoscope27

I'm doing an IQT Level 2 which my Learn Direct centre told me was the same thing. (I asked to do an ECDL)

I've only done the Word Processing module so far and I complete it in less then 2 hours. I had some trouble with the online simulations for the tasks as some of them wouldn't work in FireFox (wow that was annoying) and I lost a couple of marks here and there on the tasks because I tried to use shortcuts that I do automatically (ctrl+c, double click to open a file etc) and got pulled up on it. I've not done a test yet though (trying to get that sorted at the moment - emailed my tutor over the weekend asking to be booked in, it's marked as being read but they haven't replied. Sigh! But that's another discussion.)

Anyway, OP: if you're good with computers / Office etc, you should blitz the course. You have to do a test at the end of each module so as soon as you finish a module, you can book in for your test. Depending on how the college handles tests (do they only do them on certain days etc) you could clear the course within, say a month (a module + test a week.)

Good luck!

anamenottaken

Kaleidoscope27 wrote: »

I'm doing an IQT Level 2 which my Learn Direct centre told me was the same thing. (I asked to do an ECDL)

I've only done the Word Processing module so far and I complete it in less then 2 hours. I had some trouble with the online simulations for the tasks as some of them wouldn't work in FireFox (wow that was annoying) and I lost a couple of marks here and there on the tasks because I tried to use shortcuts that I do automatically (ctrl+c, double click to open a file etc) and got pulled up on it. I've not done a test yet though (trying to get that sorted at the moment - emailed my tutor over the weekend asking to be booked in, it's marked as being read but they haven't replied. Sigh! But that's another discussion.)

I don't think much of your LD centre.

ITq is not the same as ECDL. They shouldn't be assessed in the same way though the learning material may be the same.

It is wrong if they are "pulling you up" for doing something which is perfectly legitimate (unless all they are concerned about is that their computer system is not sophisticated enough to deal with alternative ways of achieving the same end). For the ITq what is important is that you can get the results that are required by an employer - and getting those results more efficiently is certainly not something they should be trying to stop!