Who provides the best Investment Management Certificate (IMC) training in the UK?

holidaylover

I am from a non financial background and don't have much knowledge of the sector. I'm planning on studying to gain the IMC qualification and was hoping for some insight on who the better providers are.
The CFA website mentions the providers to be Kaplan Financial Markets, Fitch Learning, Quartic Training and BPP Professional Education. I cant find any recent forum posts or blogs entries that answer this question so I would really appreciate any advice.

How about textbooks and learning material? What are the more highly regarded study books?

Thank you in advance!

bowlhead99

The company I work for has (or has had) plenty of students with BPP and Kaplan, both have been decent over the years with the occasional hiccup. This is not for IMC but for other qualifications. But their reputations are fine and they're both used by major banks and accounting firms who have millions to spend on training, so you would assume their textbooks and materials in general are not terrible.

Pincher

Pay BPP? The course fees are designed for companies with tax deductible training budgets.


If you can't get a free deal, check somebody has a pile of BPP course folders and books. Borrow and work some examples.


I passed my IMC around 2002, without even knowing the syllabus.
Just registered for the exam and did it. IMC is a doddle, CFA is hard.

holidaylover

bowlhead, thanks for the info.

Pinche r, What do you mean by free deal? Also, do you think the material on the IMC is straightforward enough for someone without the background? I am a Law grad.

Thanks both of you for your time!

Pincher

Free as in your company pays for you.

A CFA is a stripped down accountant, the IMC is a stripped down CFA.

holidaylover

Cheers Pincher

bowlhead99

Presumably the reason you want the certificate is as part of a career in the sector. The best way to get professional education is to work in the sector and have your employer pick up some or all of the tab for the training. Any employer who thinks it's a valuable qualification for its staff, will know where to buy it.

Simply having a paper qualification without any practical experience is not a lot of use to an employer - if you're going to have to work and train with them to get good at their job, you might as well be picking up the qualifications then while you are doing the job,, rather than waste your time and money buying an entry level qualification before you even start working for a business that would want you to get it.

gmgmgm

I did my IMC with Fitch. BPP are also rated highly.

Consider *why* you want to do the course... if it's just for general information, it might not be the best way to go.

Pincher

holidaylover wrote: »

Pinche r, What do you mean by free deal? Also, do you think the material on the IMC is straightforward enough for someone without the background? I am a Law grad.

Go on eBay, search for IMC or CFA Level I




http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IMC-Unit-1-Syllabus-Version-12-Review-Exercises-Paperback-9781472716163-/131566296953?hash=item1ea1f65f79




http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CFA-Schweser-Kaplan-Level-1-2012-/321818853671?hash=item4aede60127


They look like they are just the CFA Institute books re-branded.


If your university library has them, even better.

holidaylover

You guys are awesome, thank you for all your help!

Yes, it is because I am hoping to get into the sector. I was thinking that getting the qualification beforehand would strengthen my applications in the first place.

Lokolo

Sector doing what though?

I have done the IMC. I work in the city for a financial institution. But I am a software developer. The IMC has been useless for me.

If I were to be a fund manager assistant, trade, analyst etc. then it would be different.