Amongst the services provided by the British Computer Society (BCS) are exam based professional qualifications.
BCS IT qualifications are aligned to professional and IT industry standards, examined at degree level and accredited by the UK regulator Ofqual and span a series of levels that correspond to the first, second and third years of a UK Undergraduate university course.
Studying for these qualifications is a viable alternative to taking a university course and has the advantage that study can be combined with a paying job. This is an alternative worth considering for those not willing to incur the substantial debts involved in full time study for a university degree.
Completion of HEQ Qualification exams provides a good starting point towards becoming a recognised IT Professional and acquiring Chartered status.
The HEQ Qualification Guide can be downloaded from the BCS website.
https://www.bcs.org/media/5831/heq-guide.pdf
It is possible to prepare to take the BCS HEQ exams entirely by private study, or by following a suitable course, or by combining private study with tutor led "progress coaching" based on focused study plans, regular tutorials and the use of recommended books and course materials.
The BCS HEQ exams are "closed book" written exams. Preparing for these exams involves developing the knowledge and skills to write well structured answers to typical exam questions.
Intensive private study coupled with effective "progress coaching" can be an effective way of preparing for the BCS HEQ exams.
When preparing for the BCS HEQ exams it is very useful to have an IT related job so as to be able to relate the subjects studied to real world experience. You can think of this as a kind of extended "work experience" or "apprenticeship" approach to becoming an IT professional.
It is our belief at Croydon Tutorial College that the approach of combining work, private and instructor led studies and/or progress coaching that combine preparing for the HEQ exams and for professional certifications can produce IT experts who will be very attractive "employees" as they will combine both work experience and academic study and will have substantial work experience at the time they complete their BCS HEQ studies and will have acquired skills that cannot, readily, be taught on a pure university course.
BCS Certification Levels :
BCS (British Computer Society) HEQ (Higher Educational Qualification) Course Units
In order to take the BCS exams it is necessary to become a member of the BCS.