Student Course Guidance

COURSE DURATION

An advantage of studying with ILSPA is that you can do so at your own pace and submit your coursework when you are ready. The more time you dedicate to the course, the sooner you will complete it. Students take an average of 3-6 months to achieve our qualifications. Students who are enrolled on our online classes are able to complete the course within the class time period or take longer if they wish. There is a one year deadline for the submission of coursework for all Students. You are informed of your deadline date when you enrol.

COURSE MATERIAL

Everything you need for your course is provided through the Student and Member area of our website. You will find your study material and coursework, be able to track your progress and results, and have access to help and support. You are required to learn your study material and then complete the relevant coursework after the completion of the unit. The coursework consists of multiple-choice achievement tests, practical assessments, or assignments, depending on the subjects studied.

If you are studying the Legal Secretaries Diploma course, we recommend that you download one unit at a time as you work through it, rather than downloading all of the units at once. Law and procedure continually changes and our course material is regularly updated to reflect these changes. When completing your coursework, you must study the current version of the course.

ACHIEVEMENT TESTS

ILSPA's achievement tests are designed to test your knowledge of the subject area you are studying. Once you have read the study material and gained a good understanding of it, you can complete the test.

You may refer to your course material during a test, as you can leave and go back to it at any time. The tests are not timed so you can take as long as you need to provide your answers. The answers to the questions you have completed will be saved in our system. We test you on what you understand rather than what you can memorise.

Make sure that you are confident in your knowledge of the subject before completing the tests as your results will go towards your final grade. After submitting your test answers online, you will receive your results straight away. You need to achieve 16 correct answers to pass the test, which equates to 80%.

If you fail a test, you will have the opportunity to retake it one more time, but we can only award you a maximum result of 80% if you pass on your second attempt. If you do not pass your retake, you will fail the unit. It is necessary for you to pass all the coursework included in your course to achieve the qualification. If you are studying our Legal Secretaries Diploma course and fail a unit, we can award you certificates for the other subjects you pass which include both achievement tests and assessments/assignments.

ASSESSMENTS

ILSPA's practical assessments involve the production of legal forms, documents and letters. You can start these after studying the subject and completing the achievement test. Performing these tasks enable you to become competent in Legal Secretary work. Full instructions and examples are provided to enable you to complete the coursework. You will need to ensure that you have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer to open and edit the PDF documents provided. You can download a free version here: https://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/.

The blank legal forms which you need to complete in respect of certain assessments are also provided. To aid your learning experience, we have included examples of completed legal forms. Please note that some of the scenarios may differ to your assessment instructions on these forms so that they are not copied.

It is very important to proofread and check your work carefully before you submit it as it will greatly improve your chance of receiving a good grade. A list of common errors is included in the Student Resources section of our Student and Member area.

Through completing the assessments, you will show how well you are able to follow instructions and apply word processing skills to a variety of documents commonly found in legal practice. Follow the instructions for each assessment criterion carefully, as high attention to detail and accuracy is required to pass the course and achieve a good grade. 

You must submit your assessments when you have completed and uploaded all the coursework in a unit and you will receive your results within 14 days. If you do not complete your assessments to the standard we require, you will have the opportunity to redo your work one more time. We can only award you a maximum result of 80% if you pass on your second attempt. Your Course Assessor will provide comments on your work, including guidance on how to correct it.

ASSIGNMENTS

Some of our course units include assignments in which you need to submit your answers to questions in essay form. The purpose of these are to test your understanding of a subject as well as apply the knowledge you have gained to a real-life scenario and explain it in practice. It is best to complete these after you have read the study material and completed the achievement test (if one is included).

You can find guidance on writing assignments in the Student Resources section of our Student and Member area.

COURSEWORK PORTFOLIO

When you have completed the course, you can print off your assessments and create a portfolio of your work. Not only is this beneficial to show to recruiters when attending interviews, it can also form a valuable source of reference during your career as you will be able to refer back to the tasks you completed for guidance.

COURSE EXTENSIONS

You have up to one year to submit your coursework. If you are not able to complete your studies within the one year time frame, you can apply for a three month extension. We are able to grant exemptions in extenuating circumstances. To apply for an extension, please put your request into writing by emailing us at info@institutelegalsecretaries.com and explain why you have been unable to complete the course within one year. Please note that you must do this before your course deadline.

COURSE RESULTS

Students are given a percentage for each of their pieces of coursework. An average percentage is taken from these results and the following grades are awarded for the overall result:

Pass: 80% to 89%
Merit: 90% to 94%
Distinction: 95% to 100%

When you pass all your coursework, you will be awarded ILSPA’s qualification. Our pass rate is very high - 95% of Students who complete their coursework achieve the qualification. 

Please note, it is necessary to pass all the units in the Legal Secretaries Diploma course to achieve the qualification. If you fail one of the units, we will award you qualifications in the individual practical units you pass. We do not award qualifications for units which only have achievement tests.

HELP AND SUPPORT

You have access to help and support during your studies. You can submit queries online which will be promptly answered by a member of our team. Please use this facility whenever you would like assistance, as it can make all the difference in you successfully passing the course. You might need clarification on a test question or guidance on an assessment. Whatever it is, we are here to help you. You will find the course help and support area on your course home page. You can also request help with specific assessments/assignments as you work through them. Please note that queries are answered within office hours, which are Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 5.00pm (excluding bank holidays).

STUDENT RESOURCES

The Student and Member area includes some useful resources for Students. You can find guidance on how to stay focused and motivated during your studies, read about other Students' experiences, and apply for a TOTUM Student discount card to receive discounts at high street stores and restaurants throughout the UK. There is also a Glossary of Legal Terminology that complements your studies.

If you are looking for work, please take a look at the Guidance to Secure Employment section. It includes helpful advice on how to improve your CV and apply for positions. You can also find details of our Continuing Professional Development programme, useful legal resources, our Legal Secretary Blog, our social media and there are discounts available for those who want to advance their Microsoft Office or legal skills.

Good luck with your studies and please do not hesitate to contact us if you require assistance.