With the festive season in full swing, plans and resolutions for 2018 are rapidly approaching. If your 2018 ambitions include a return to study via distance learning, why not use the next few weeks to identify a course that offers the support you need?

For distance learners, support offered by their course provider is key to shaping the overall learning experience. Gaining access to the right support from registration through to collecting your results will transform your 2018 learning experience from ‘good’ to ‘great’.

From registration to results, our top tips for comparing course provider support…

1. Registration: Access advice and support from day one

A good course provider will offer lots of support to ensure you choose the right course, before you register. Once you’re enrolled, guidance should be on-hand to help you get started.

NEC’s approach

As well as information and downloadable course samples, our course advice team are happy to talk through any questions you have prior to registration. We want to ensure you make an informed choice, that’s right for you. When you enrol on an NEC course you’ll receive a confirmation email, plus immediate contact from your personal tutor.

2. Learn: Expect quality in both teaching and materials

When considering course providers, explore how they ensure the quality and depth of their teaching support and course materials. These elements will shape your entire learning experience.

NEC’s approach

NEC tutors are experts in their subject area and the majority have a degree in their field of study, plus a teaching qualification.

NEC course materials are specially written and structured for independent study by our team of expert writers. They are carefully structured to build knowledge and skills in a way that meets assessment and exam requirements.

NEC materials include:

• Engaging content develops interest in the subject
• Getting started guidance and videos
• Course plans, activities and quizzes
• Guidance on answering exam questions
• Assignments to submit to a personal tutor
• Personal learning journal

Visit the courses section of our website to request sample materials.

3. Learn: Use expert knowledge to enhance learning

Some course providers use a pool of tutors to support students and assess work. Others provide a named, personal tutor for every student – offering consistent expert support throughout the course.

NEC’s approach

We feel it is important to provide one-to-one tutor support for students, throughout a course. This approach offers consistency, as well as the opportunity to build a teacher-student rapport. As soon as you register on an NEC course you will be assigned a personal tutor who will offer support, guidance and feedback throughout and mark your assignments and coursework.

4. Assess: Ask if your exam place will be guaranteed

Booking an exam at a suitable centre can be tricky, stressful and time-consuming. Finding a course provider that manages the exam process will allow you to focus on studying for exam success.

NEC’s approach

We are the only course provider to guarantee an exam place for all our students. We also provide an Exam Booking Service to take care of the entire process on behalf of students. Our experience as an exam centre, alongside long-term partnerships with 15 centres around the UK, allows us to resolve any issues, to deliver a professional, stress-free service on exam day.

5. Results: Review past results – does the course deliver?

Although distance learning is not all about hard results – a lot of people study our courses for leisure purposes or simply to gain more knowledge in a subject they are passionate about. It is good to have an understanding of what the pass rate is for the course you’re interested in before you choose a provider – after investing all that hard work and study, you may want to achieve the best results possible.

NEC’s approach

We have a very high pass rate. To give you an example, for the summer 2016 exam session, we received a 100% pass rate for our IGCSEs and GCSEs. We hope these tips help you to plan your next learning adventure.

If you have any further questions please contact us on our free advice line – we’re here to help.

Call: 0800 389 2839
Monday to Friday: 8.00 – 19.00
Saturday & Sunday: 8.00 – 17.00
Or access our Course Guide.