A knowledgeable and specialised consultant (vs a salesperson) will want to thoroughly discuss your current experience level and abilities. This is paramount to calculating your study start-point. Occasionally, the level to start at for a trainee with experience will be vastly dissimilar to the student with none. Working through a user skills course first may be the ideal way to get up and running on your computer program, depending on your current skill level.

It's not uncommon for companies to offer inclusive exam guarantees - inevitably that means paying for the exams at the very beginning of your studies. Before you jump at a course with such a promise, why not be aware of the facts:

Thankfully, today we tend to be a little bit more aware of sales ploys - and generally we grasp that it is something we're paying for - they're not just being charitable and doling out freebies! Passing first time is everyone's goal. Going for exams when it's appropriate and funding them as you go has a marked effect on pass-rates - you take it seriously and are conscious of what you've spent.

Doesn't it make more sense to hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you're ready, instead of paying a premium to the college, and also to sit exams more locally - rather than in some remote centre? A great deal of money is made by some training companies who incorporate exam fees into the cost of the course. A number of students don't take them for various reasons but no refunds are given. Believe it or not, there are companies around that actually bank on it - as that's how they make a lot of their profit. It's also worth noting that 'Exam Guarantees' often aren't worth the paper they're written on. The majority of organisations won't pay again for an exam until you have demonstrated conclusively that you won't fail again.

Spending hundreds or even thousands extra on an 'Exam Guarantee' is short-sighted - when hard work, commitment and the right preparation via exam simulations is what will really see you through.

'In-Centre workshop days' can be portrayed as a great facet by many training schools. After talking to the majority of computer industry hopefuls that have tried them out, you'll discover that they're really a major negative because of many things:

- Periodic driving or public transport - hundreds of miles a lot of the time.

- Asking for time off work - typical companies only offer Mon-Fri workshop availability and group several days in a chunk. This can be hard for a lot of working people, especially if you include the travel time on top.

- Usually, we think twenty days annual leave doesn't go very far. Spend a big chunk of this for study days and see how much more difficult it makes things.

- Classes often reach their maximum intake very quickly, giving us the only option of a less-than-ideal slot.

- The 'pace' - workshops invariably contain trainees of varying skill, so tension can be created between the quicker-learners and the ones who need a little longer.

- Never forget the extra financial outlay of driving or accommodation over-night either. This may well run to hundreds and even thousands of pounds extra. Do the maths yourself - it'll shock and surprise you.

- The majority of attendees want their studies to remain private and therefore avoiding all come-back in their work.

- Posing questions in the presence of other class-mates often makes us feel nervous. Surely, at some point, you've avoided asking a question just because you didn't want to look foolish?

- Where students have to occasionally work elsewhere in the country for several days at a time, imagine the trouble involved in reaching the needed workshops, as time is now more scarce than ever.

An altogether more elegant solution is by viewing a pre-filmed workshop - providing direct instruction any time of the day that suits. Study from home on your computer or out in the garden on your laptop. If you have any questions, then logon to the 24x7 support facility (that should've been packaged with any technical type of training.) Note-taking is gone forever - all the lessons are prepared and laid out for you - ready to go. Any time you want to repeat something, just do it. Although this won't remove every little difficulty, it undoubtedly removes stress and makes things simpler. You also have reduced hassle, travel and costs.

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