College of the Sea

The key benefits of undertaking ECDL are:

• Raises level of competency in information and communication technology

• It is of benefit to even experienced users as it teaches the correct way to use equipment

• Improves productivity at home and work

• The course assumes no prior knowledge of computers

• Provides you with an internationally recognised qualification

We provide you with a CD-Rom based self-teaching package (referred to as ‘courseware’) which is easy to use, assumes no prior knowledge, and is tried and tested. You work through the lessons at your own pace and in your own time. It really is that simple.

We make a small charge of £20 for this courseware. The fee is refundable upon successful acquisition of the ECDL qualification.

You sit the tests for each of the ECDL modules at a testing centre local to your home (see below). When you turn up at the centre you will be given an ECDL Logbook. This is used to maintain a record of your achievement. As you pass each test, the centre assessing you stamps your logbook accordingly.

You only need to obtain a logbook as and when you wish to undertake the ECDL tests. You do so by contacting the test centre and arranging it through them . We can advise/help, if necessary. The logbook costs about £30.

Remember: the logbook fee will be reimbursed, along with the courseware and test fees, upon successfully getting the ECDL qualification.

Once you have obtained a logbook it is valid for a period of three years from the date of your first test.

A list of test centres can be obtained from the BCS. There is a searchable database on the BCS website www.bcs.org so you can identify the testing centre nearest to your home or place of work. There is at least one in most towns throughout the UK.

All test centres are accredited by the BCS to ensure common standards of testing wherever you take the exams. If in doubt, we’ll help you to identify a suitable testing venue.

The exams can be taken any number of times. No record of exam failures is published and there is no stigma in failure.

Details of successful tests are recorded in the logbook. When you have passed all seven tests the logbook is sent to the BCS. They will then issue your ECDL certificate.

To use the self-teaching CD-Rom package and complete the ECDL course you need to have access to the following computer hardware equipment:

Pentium 166 Mhz or faster computer

32Mb RAM (min) - 64Mb or higher recommended

Windows 95 or later

Double speed CD-Rom drive, or faster

16 bit sound card

640 x 480 resolution display with 16-bit colour depth

Please note that the courseware does not support the Apple Mac platform.