CAMPBELL'S COLLEGE

CSQS November 2011 exam results

2012-01-17T16:14:00.002Z

I have just had a look around the ICSA website and note that results for the Nov exams will be released on 6th February.

Free Course for new syllabus COFA Investment

2012-01-03T16:42:00.002Z

GOOD NEWS FOR COFA STUDENTS – NEW TEXTBOOKS AND NEW SYLLABUS FOR JULY 2012

ICSA is introducing an updated syllabus and textbooks for the July 2012 examinations.Campbell’s have rewritten our courses to match the changes and these will be ready to go after the February 2012 examinations.

AND We are offering FREE TRAINING for the JULY 2012 COFA INVESTMENT exam

How will it work?

a. We are providing twelve free online lectures by Alan Campbell running once a week using our WizIQ virtual classroom. These are by invitation, which is free and can be accessed in real time or your own time.

b. We will email a full set of course notes – free.

c. We will email a full set of test questions free and we will email the answers for you to self-mark.

d. During the course if you have any questions just email us and we will answer during the internet lectures.

e. Detailed descriptions of the lecture dates, times, contents, notes and questions will be posted on our website after the publication of the ICSA textbooks.

What will the cost be?

a. With us – no payment, just register so we can email your notes and invite you to the lectures. With registration we have some idea of numbers and where you are so we can adjust the lectures to suit you.

b. With ICSA – you will have to enrol for the July 2012 exam and buy their textbook. But don’t forget there is nothing to stop you and friends clubbing together or getting the firm to buy you the book and sharing.

Why are we doing this?

a. Firstly – because we can: this course will be subsidised by other courses.

b. Secondly – because of a promise Alan made some time ago. The Investments course has had the worst textbook and worst pass rate of all the COFA subjects. One year, no one passed from Belize to Gibraltar to Mauritius with the sole exception of a mysterious lady in Guernsey!! Students have tried again and again and failed. There are many COFA students who have passed three subjects and given up on the Investments. We have told you to wait until ICSA changed the book. And you have waited and waited and waited. Now the waiting is over and we have not forgotten. There is a new book, a new syllabus and a new year ahead – time for one more go!!!

c. Thirdly – this is also a business experiment. We are making the course open to anyone – not just those who failed before. If you are interested in the International Finance Community and want a qualification recognised internationally across the offshores, here is your chance to try without a huge financial commitment, especially those of you having to pay in foreign exchange. You can walk away or perhaps continue with other subjects, hopefully using us or your local provider.

Please pass the word around especially to those who nearly made it – your time has come.

And if you have any questions just email us. enquiries@campbellscollege.com

Details and registration form (pdf)

Seasons Greetings

2011-12-22T10:42:00.000Z

Alan, Jane and all at Campbell's College wish you a very merry Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous new year.

Jobs and Recruitment

2011-12-16T12:08:00.001Z

Details of a vacancy for a part qualified Co Sec in London can be found on the recruitment page. http://campbellscollege.blogspot.com/p/wanted.html

CPD for ICSA Members

2011-12-02T16:26:00.000Z

As you may know, it is now mandatory for ICSA members to undertake at least 20 hours CPD per year.
Following a meeting with ICSA I can now confirm that studying one of the new CSQS modules by distance learning with Campbell's College will provide you with the full 20 hours necessary for your CPD - you just need to submit 4 assignments and we can sign your CPD evidence sheet.

ICSA CSQS Course provision for 2012

2011-11-29T09:45:00.001Z

Now that CSQS exams are over for another six months we hope tutors and students will take a well earned break! Upgraded courses for the June exams will be ready to start in January. As always, there is no set start date as everyone works to their own timetable from the date of enrolment. We always run courses for all 8 modules for every exam session so you have the flexibility to choose the subjects you want.
Note - the exam week is later than usual in June 2012 due to the extra bank holiday for the Queen's Jubilee celebrations at the beginning of the month.

Coming soon - we are in discussion with ICSA concerning CPD for qualified ICSA Professionals. Details to be announced.

COFA and DOFA: We have received advance copies of the new textbooks for COFA and will be upgrading our courses accordingly ready for the July 2012 exams.

Keeping in touch with other Campbell's Students: our googlegroups community is one method and LinkedIn is the other. If you have not already signed up, details can be found on the website.
http://www.campbellscollege.com/contacts.htm

Online Lectures: Following the success of our pilot schemes for Governance, Corporate Law and FRA, we will be including online lectures with our distance learning courses for other subjects for the June 2012 exams.

Good Luck in the ICSA CSQS Exams

2011-11-18T11:58:00.000Z

Everyone at Campbell's College would like to wish all students the best of luck in the exams next week.

June 2011 exams: Prize Winners

2011-11-04T10:49:00.002Z

What a great start to the weekend! I have just found out that one of our students won the ICSA CR Heathcock Award for best paper in Financial Reporting and Decision Making, in the June 2011 examinations. Flowers will be on their way.
Update: And another prizewinner - for the best paper in Corporate Governance. Congratulations!

Message from Alan

2011-11-01T10:29:00.000Z

I am delighted that we are running a full set of revision courses for CSQS including one for the final case study module. Thank you to everyone who has returned their course appraisal forms - the positive feedback will spur us on even further!

There is a new syllabus for the COFA exams in July 2012 and for DOFA in February 2013. Once we receive copies of the new textbooks we will update our courses and this is the time for all students who have failed the Investments paper to consider finishing the qualification. We will be offering internet lecturing - especially for the COFA Investments paper. Watch this space!
Alan

October Updates

2011-10-25T11:18:00.002+01:00

As we are now into 'revision season' for the November 2011 ICSA CSQS exams, I thought I would remind our students that there are some general exam technique tips on this blog site - see tab above. The first two revision courses went well and the only slightly worrying comment received so far was that the mini muffins promised on day two did not appear and students had to have strawberry tartlets on two days running! It's a tough life being a Campbell's student! As the Governance course was larger than we would normally allow, Alan distributed Campbell's bags as compensation. On the other hand, the Strategy in Practice course ran with only three students. Proof that we do our best not to let our students down!
I am following up suggestions regarding an alternative or addition to our googlegroups forum and am in the process of setting up a LinkedIn profile. We hope students past and present will connect to us and join the group. Look for 'Campbell's College' in the groups section of LinkedIn or Jane M Hamilton in the profile section. There will also be a company page when I can figure out how to set one up!
That's about all for now - we are off to the printroom to sort out the revision notes for Corporate Law and Financial Decision Making.
Jane

ICSA Exam Case Studies

2011-10-12T13:17:00.000+01:00

Case studies for the ICSA CSP and SIP exams are now available for download from the MY ICSA area of the ICSA website but the one for the final CSCS module has yet to appear. Students on our distance learning courses for these subjects will receive suggestions from their tutors regarding topics to revise in preparation for this element of the examination. Revision courses for Governance and Applied Business Law are now fully booked, but there are still places available on all other courses.

Website updated

2011-10-05T14:58:00.001+01:00

Whilst updating the Campbell's Website, I decided to include a list of countries in which we currently have CSQS students. Here they are, in no particular order: The UK, Switzerland, Ireland, Channel Islands, The Isle of Man, Malaysia, Dubai, Mauritius, Tanzania, Ghana, Bermuda, Trinidad, South Africa, Nigeria, Singapore, Luxembourg, Malawi, Cyprus, Oman, Gibraltar, The Netherlands, Uganda, Abu Dhabi, British Virgin Islands, Uruguay, USA, St Lucia, Jamaica, Kenya, Cambodia,

I hope you like the new look website - hopefully I have made it easier to navigate. Let me know if you find any links that don't work or if there are any other features you would find useful. www.campbellscollege.com
Deferrals: If you are not sitting your exams in November, please let us know ASAP so we can arrange for extended support and updates.

ICSA exam week June 2012

2011-09-23T11:37:00.000+01:00

For info: June 2012 ICSA Chartered Secretaries Qualifying Scheme exams will be held from 12 - 15 June

Charities

2011-09-22T12:09:00.000+01:00

This coming year we will be supporting 'Contesa Charity' - an organisation which is working hard to feed and educate orphans in Zambia. See our Charities Page (see tab above) for more details about their work and the range of Children's books produced to raise funds.

Free online lectures

2011-09-16T12:13:00.000+01:00

All students registered with us for Corporate Governance or Corporate Law distance learning for the November exams should have received an email from me about free forthcoming online lectures. Alan will cover the approach to take to these subjects in the light of the June 2011 examiners' reports. Corporate Governance is on 22nd September at 12.30pm and Corporate Law is on 29th September at 12.30pm. If you did not receive your invitation, contact me and I will resend!
Jane

Exam Entry Reminder

2011-09-14T11:39:00.002+01:00

Just a reminder - the deadline for registering with ICSA for the November exams is 1st October.

September 9th Update

2011-09-09T14:37:00.000+01:00

ICSA have now published the suggested solutions/examiners comments for the June 2011 CSQS exams on their website. Alan will shortly be commenting in these on this blog - so watch this space!
We have produced our pass rate statistics and I am pleased to announce that Campbell's students yet again achieved a higher pass rate than the ICSA overall rate. Well done!
All statistics going back for years and years can be found on our website:
http://www.campbellscollege.com/results2011.htm

We are again running study days for the two subjects that students usually tackle first when starting on the CSQS programme - The study day for ABL is now full but there are still places on the Financial Reporting and Analysis course. See the booking page for details. http://www.campbellscollege.com/shop12.htm

Coming soon - more online lectures for Governance, Corporate Law and CSP - details will be emailed to students when dates have been set.

Our new course for the final module of the scheme is now up and running - the Chartered Secretaries Case Study. This module requires knowledge of all the other seven modules - so keep hold of your study notes! Alan has devised a course which will cover the essentials and give practice at tackling case studies.

Revision courses in London - courses for all eight subjects will run, and yes, I have requested the yummy strawberry tarts for the afternoon tea break!

Have a good weekend! Jane

Corporate Law textbooks

2011-09-03T18:20:00.000+01:00

We note that ICSA Publishing has run out of textbooks for Corporate Law.

Here is Alan's advice on what to do during the reprinting of the ICSA Corporate Law textbook.

Available on Amazon is “Unlocking Company Law” by the same author as the ICSA text, Susan McLaughlin. The book has the same coverage as the ICSA text with the following plus and minus.

Plus: it has extremely useful summaries called “Key Facts”.

Minus: it does not cover the following syllabus topics in the ICSA text: Part Four: Meetings and Resolutions (ICSA Chapters 14 and 15) and Part Five: Company Restructuring ICSA (Chapter 16), Takeovers (ICSA Chapter 17) and Corporate Rescue (ICSA Chapter 18). It does cover Winding up (Chapter 19 in ICSA and Chapter 15 in Unlocking Corporate Law).

For those of you who really like the subject, the ex-chief of ICSA examiners, Nicholas Grier, has Company Law (3^rd Edition) available. For me this is one of best books on the subject, indeed one student told me she read it like a novel it was so enjoyable!!

Alan

Results update

2011-08-18T10:34:00.000+01:00

Congratulations to all students who were successful in the June exams. I don't have a full set of results yet, so cannot comment on pass rates, but notable results achieved by our students include distinctions in Financial Reporting and Analysis, Financial Decision Making, Corporate Secretarial Practice and Applied Business Law.

All statistics will be added to the results section of the website as soon as possible and we will be sending our own certificates and a Campbell's College mouse mat to all our students who qualified by passing their final exam in June.

Alan and Vivien will be back from their travels in Canada next week when normal service will be resumed!

August update

2011-08-12T13:08:00.000+01:00

Exam results are due to be released on Monday 15th August on the ICSA website - You need to log in to the 'My ICSA' area to access them. Do let us know how you got on!

July Update

2011-07-13T11:53:00.000+01:00

I have just had another look around the ICSA website and note that the results from the June 2011 CSQS exams are due to be released on Monday15th August.
Updated course notes for the November exams are now ready - so if you want to get going on your studies before receiving your results you can enrol now. Give yourself as much time as possible to study!

Bookshop updates

2011-06-21T10:12:00.000+01:00

Just a reminder - there are links to books recommended by our tutors in our Amazon bookstore.
Also - links to the official textbooks.

http://www.campbellscollege.com/BOOKSHOP.htm

A new book by Riches and Keenan is due to be published this month - Vivien recommends this as additional reading for Applied Business Law.

If you have come across any particularly useful books which you would like to recommend to your fellow students, let me know and I will add them to the list!

JUNE 20th News update

2011-06-20T11:40:00.000+01:00

Our summer holidays are coming to an end - thank you to all who sent best wishes to me on the occasion of my marriage earlier this month. Everything went perfectly - the sun shone and it was a really joyful and special day followed by a few wonderful week in Dubrovnik. Alan and Vivien return from their holiday today as does our resident artist and print-room manager Alex. Normal service will soon be restored!
The courses for the November exams are currently being updated but students who enrol early are welcome to have some of the June notes sent by email to get started. I have already done the timetable for revision - see the main website for details.
June exam results will be available on the ICSA website in the 'My ICSA' section about 8 - 10 weeks after the exams - so early August.

NEW POST FROM ALAN

2011-05-27T15:10:00.000+01:00

Saturday 4^th June is going to be a special day this year.

Why?

Jane is getting married to Paul in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire

All of us at the college wish them much happiness and good fortune.

Besides their day jobs, they are both experts on Ancient Egypt, so we expect the odd new tomb or pyramid as they mount their camel and ride off together into the desert sunset… on second thoughts we may have to wait for the discoveries!!

Alan

(Life, prosperity, health)

Good Luck in the Exams

2011-05-24T10:41:00.000+01:00

Good luck to all students sitting exams in June. Alan's examination technique suggestions on this blog page http://campbellscollege.blogspot.com/p/exam-technique.html

Planning ahead: Once the revision courses are over, our tutors will be taking a break from marking and concentrating on updating the distance learning notes for the November exams. If you have deferred a course or started early for the November exams, please note that support for some subjects may not be available until the new term starts in July.

We have experimented with online lectures for some subjects - recordings of these will be incorporated into the updated courses. We hope to have at least two audio, recorded or live lectures available for every subject. Thank you to all our pioneer students who participated in the first live online sessions with Alan!

I am not sure how effective the google groups student forum has been - let me know your thoughts. I may look around for a different format if you found it awkward to use.

Finally - congratulations to Carol Tennant for winning the ICSA world prize for Business Strategy and Planning in the November 2010 exams - flowers will be on their way!

Jane

Friday 6th May update

2011-05-06T10:52:00.000+01:00

Dear Students
I do hope you enjoyed the two long weekend breaks for Easter, the Royal wedding and the May Day holiday. I certainly made the most of the time to catch up on house restoration projects and unfinished essays!

Our London revision classes start tomorrow with Corporate Governance which has a record numbers of enrolments this time. I visited Hatfields this week to finalise all the arrangements and to make sure the ever popular strawberry tarts were on order for the afternoon tea breaks. All courses start at 10am but coffee will be available if you arrive earlier.

I hope those of you on our Governance, Corporate Law and Financial Reporting & Analysis distance learning courses are making the most of the online lectures on WiziQ. There are now two lectures available to download or watch online for each of the above subjects. More will be introduced for the November exams.

That's all for now - Jane

Easter Break

2011-04-21T15:54:00.000+01:00

The Campbell's College office will be closed over the Easter weekend and will re-open on Tuesday 26th April.

CSP and SIP students - the case study is now available on the ICSA website. I have emailed copies to all of our distance learning students.

Online lectures - the second Corporate Governance lecture is now available to view or download.
Coming soon - Jim will be recording some lectures for FRA after Easter - more info to follow.

That's all for now - Enjoy the Easter break and the sunshine!
Jane

Additional Reading

2011-04-11T12:05:00.003+01:00

FRA students should have received a copy of the guidance notes published by ICSA relating to the textbook
along with some additional study resources.
We note that two additional books are mentioned by ICSA as they cover elements of the syllabus which the official textbook misses out. I have put links to these two books on our bookstore.

http://www.campbellscollege.com/BOOKSHOP.htm

The bookstore also has links to books recommended by our lecturers to supplement your studies.

News Update

2011-04-08T12:10:00.000+01:00

Corporate Governance and Corporate Law students who attended or watched our first online lectures will be pleased to hear that more sessions have been timetabled. Our distance learning students for these subjects should be receiving invitations to join the class. If you cannot attend the live class, you can watch the recording or download later.

COFA DOFA results: Has anyone received their results from the February exams yet? The ICSA website says that results will be available from 4th April.

London Revision: At the moment there are places available on all courses but the ABL and the CG classes are nearly full.

Google Groups: I am delighted to see that students are contacting one another and setting up study groups - Let me know how the first meeting in Croydon goes!

Finally - have a lovely weekend. It looks as if the sun will be shining here in Kent and in Hertfordshire!
J

Online lectures & an unexpected consequence

2011-03-30T10:46:00.000+01:00

Thank you to all Corporate Law and Corporate Governance students who participated in our first online virtual classroom lectures. They were a great success and we will incorporate more such sessions into our training courses. If you missed attending 'live' on the day, you can watch the recording by logging into WizIQ. It was great to have such an international class - including students from Dubai, Jamaica, Luxembourg, USA, Isle of Man, London, Scotland and Croydon!
One very exciting and unexpected consequence is that we have reunited a family - One of our UK students has been reunited with the family of her Great Uncle in Jamaica.

ABL and FDM - note, I have emailed all students with copies of the new guidance notes issued by ICSA regarding these subjects. They can also be found on the ICSA website

Exam entry - remember, the deadline is April 1st

Jersey Branch Dinner & Graduation ceremony

2011-03-17T10:54:00.001Z

Last Friday I flew out to Jersey to attend the ICSA Jersey Branch annual dinner dance. This year the branch organised an award ceremony for prize winners and a graduation ceremony fo students from the island. The evening was a great success and it was lovely to see so many ex -Campbell's students who now have successful careers in the Channel Islands. As a follow up to meetings held on the Saturday morning, I will be communicating with representatives from the local branches in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man to see how our course provision can offer alternative training methods for students who cannot easily travel to London for our study days and revision. We are planning to extend the provision of internet lectures when we update our courses for the November exams and also provide more interim study days- details to be announced.

Exam Entry Reminder

2011-03-17T10:46:00.002Z

Just a reminder - if you are sitting your ICSA CSQS exams in June, the deadline for exam entry is 1st April.

New Ventures!

2011-03-07T15:27:00.000Z

It was lovely to meet some of our students on Friday at the first of our new study days in London. The day was a great success and the delegates found Jim's tuition very helpful (Financial Reporting and Analysis). I found it very useful to find out your views on how we can develop our training to meet the needs of today's CSQS student.
The study days for Applied Business Law and Financial Decision making are coming up and there are still a few places available to our distance learning students.
Also new this month - our first online Virtual Classroom lectures for Corporate Law and Corporate Governance.
Is there no end to this innovation! Watch out for more new features in the second half of the year.
J

November pass rates and Bags

2011-02-25T13:37:00.000Z

We have just received details of the national pass rates for the Nov 2010 exams and are absolutely delighted to see how well our students have done in comparison! Well done everyone!

SUBJECT	Campbell's pass rate (Distance learning & revision) %	compare with the ICSA national pass rates
Corporate Financial Management	63	38
Corporate Administration	74	51
Corporate Governance	68	35
Corporate Secretaryship	79	36
Financial Accounting	50	45
Corporate Law	52	45
Management Accounting	91	63
Strategic & Operations Management	100	63

The Campbell's College bag is now available to buy - http://www.campbellscollege.com/bag.htm
Carry all your notes in style!

On the ICSA/BPP Press statement yesterday

2011-02-25T10:47:00.002Z

Some of you have contacted us regarding the decision by the ICSA to award “preferred status” to the BPP.
We were unaware of this status until it was announced in the press statement.
We have asked the ICSA for the procedures to apply for preferred status and are awaiting a response.
We will continue to offer our distance learning and revision to ICSA students across the world – the only people we need to prefer us are you!

Alan

Pass Rates

2011-02-22T14:13:00.000Z

We have now had a chance to look at our pass rates statistics for the November 2010 exams. At the moment ICSA have not released the national pass rates, but our results can be seen in the results section of the Campbell's website:
http://www.campbellscollege.com/results2010.htm
Corporate Governance, which has caused so much heartache in the past, looks far more respectable with a 68% pass rate.
Other achievements worth noting:
79% of our Corporate Secretaryship students passed.
Half of our Management Accounting students obtained Merits,
Half of our SOM students obtained Merits
Half of our Marketing students obtained Distinctions,

Well done!

Study Days

2011-02-17T14:24:00.000Z

Due to popular demand, we are running interim study days as follows:
Financial Reporting and Analysis on Friday 4th March
Applied Business Law on Monday 14th March
These study days are in addition to our regular London revision classes.
The courses will be held at our usual London venue, 15 Hatfields, and are open to students who are studying with us by distance learning. Enrolment forms have been emailed to students - if you have not received a copy and would like to attend, please contact me.
Jane

2011-02-11T11:32:00.000Z

Dear Students

Now that the November 2010 exam results have been released, we are delighted to be hearing from so many of you about your success. To those who did not make it this time, don't despair - with hard work you will get there in the end!

To all of you who have qualified - Congratulations! We will be sending out our own certificate and a small gift to remember us by. We wish you every success in the future.

Welcome to all new students who are joining us for the first time. I hope you will enjoy your studies with us and will utilise the lecturer support and marking service which is available to you. Don't be shy about calling your tutor or emailing for advice if anything is unclear. These are all new courses, so if you find a 'typo' which our editing team missed, please let us know!

I am pleased to see that a lot of our new students are now making contact with each other via the Campbell's College Google Group page. I hope this is useful and you find that distance learning need not be too lonely!

We are currently awaiting delivery of our brand new 'Campbell's College Bags' - the ideal way to carry your folders and books around. The bags are black with a white logo and will sell for £10 plus VAT. You will be able to order one from the website as soon as we have them in stock - alternatively email me to pre-order.

Useful links:
Enrol for Distance learning:
http://www.campbellscollege.com/shop1.htm
Enrol for London Revision
http://www.campbellscollege.com/london%20revision.htm
News Page
http://campbellscollege.blogspot.com/

Exam Dates

http://www.campbellscollege.com/icsaexams.htm

Bookshop - for additonal recommended reading

http://www.campbellscollege.com/BOOKSHOP.htm

That's all for now
Kind Regards

Jane

Results out on Monday

2011-02-04T15:16:00.000Z

November 2010 ICSA exam results are now due to be released on the ICSA site at 2pm on Monday 7th Feb.
Fingers crossed for you all - let us know how you got on!

Updates

2011-01-28T10:10:00.000Z

Dear Students

Good luck to all our COFA and DOFA students who are sitting exams next week. Remember, keep calm, answer the right number of questions and allocate your time sensibly. Look at Alan's exam tips on this site for more techniques.

Thank you to everyone who replied to me about the 'Campbell's College' bag! We have some on order - they will be black with one of Alex's designs in white on the front and are big enough to accommodate two sets of folders and books. I will keep the price as low as possible, (cost price plus post and VAT) - details and online purchase will be available soon. Ideal for carrying your notes to work!

Finally - I don't usually put links to youtube on this site, but this made me laugh so much:
The One Ronnie, Preview - BBC One
My Blackberry is not working -on youtube
enjoy!

Jane

November exam results

2011-01-13T15:41:00.003Z

News from ICSA:
The November 2010 examination results will be released on Monday 7 February 2011 at 5pm GMT.

You will be able to view them by accessing your MyICSA at this time.

ICSA will also be posting the results and they should reach you within the following day or two.

Revision Courses

2011-01-13T11:11:00.000Z

Just a quick note - London revision course details for CSQS subjects are now online. You can either print out a form or can book and pay through the website. We are holding the courses at 15Hatfields again.
http://www.campbellscollege.com/london%20revision.htm

All distance learning courses are now ready to go and first mailings have been posted to students who are already enrolled. As always there is no deadline for starting a course of study with us, as students work to their own timetable from the enrolment date.

New Year news

2011-01-05T11:42:00.000Z

A very happy new year to you!

On January 6th we are going to start printing and posting the first mailings to those students who have already enrolled with us for ICSA CSQS distance learning.

Corporate Law textbooks: I know a lot of you are waiting for your law textbook but we have been in touch with ICSA and are trying to find out what has happened to these books.

Campbell's Foundations: I am pleased to tell you that the Campbell's Foundations course for Introduction to Financial Accounting is now ready. These non accredited courses are designed to fill in gaps in your knowledge or to prepare for CSQS if you do not have a degree. http://www.campbellscollege.com/Foundation.htm

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our students

2010-12-17T12:21:00.000Z

Dear All
As 2010 draws to a close and the snow begins to fall again, we would like to wish all our students, past, present and future, a very merry Christmas and a peaceful, healthy and happy new year.

Christmas Closure: the office will be closed over the Christmas period from 23rd December until January 3rd.

ICSA CSQS news: The new course notes for CSQS are being finalised and proof read and will be ready by our target start date of 10th January. We plan to have first mailings in the post to those students who have already enrolled by this date.

Finally I would like to thank all our tutors for their hard work over the past year.
Jane

Snow and Ice update

2010-12-08T12:48:00.000Z

It has been a difficult week. The road outside the Campbell's College office is just a sheet of ice but the postman is getting through to us again.

Snow

2010-12-01T13:52:00.001Z

Today the Kent office is snowed in. We can't get out to post anything and the postman cannot get down the road to deliver, so if you have sent us anything or are waiting for something from us please be patient.
I do hope all our students are coping with the adverse weather conditions - if you want to share photos of the snow where you are, send me a low resolution picture and I will add it to the site.
Jane

Here's one to start things off - The River Stort in Hertfordshire. Not a lot of snow here yet! Maybe our students overseas could send in some lovely tropical scenes to cheer us up!

Developments

2010-11-29T17:11:00.001Z

Dear Students
Now that the November exams are over, you can relax and enjoy a break before starting on your next subjects.
We have not yet seen copies of the exam papers so cannot comment, but I hear that the Diploma Business Strategy was a bit of a problem. Students sitting Corporate Secretaryship in London also had problems - apparently the lighting was poor, the heating had gone wrong and there was music in the room next door. You have our sympathy!

Looking ahead, the first mailings for Applied Business Law and for Corporate Law are nearly ready and will be sent to students as soon as possible.

New for 2011, as well as the printed version, you can have the notes as pdf files or ready formatted for the Amazon Kindle book reader. I bought one of these myself this week and have been experimenting! I think it would be the ideal way to carry your notes around for reading on the train or when travelling. We will probably make files available through an online file sharing service to which all students will be invited when they enrol. Details to follow.
That's all for now - must dash and cook dinner!
Jane

News Update

2010-11-05T09:52:00.001Z

Dear Students
I can't believe how quickly time is passing this year; we are already almost half way through our London revision courses for ICSA and the exams are fast approaching. We wish all our Business Practice and Professional Level students the best of luck in the exams later this month. You will find a page devoted to exam technique on this blog.

Revision Courses
There is still time to enrol on the following revision courses: Financial Accounting, Management Accounting, Business Law, Corporate Administration, Corporate Secretaryship. So far we have had some wonderful feedback from students attending courses earlier this month - I am sure the student concerned would not mind me quoting this:
'Just wanted to drop you a quick line to say thank you for such a wonderful revision weekend. It was fantastic. Mr Campbell is an amazing lecturer and I learnt so much'
http://www.campbellscollege.com/shop.htm (revision booking is at the bottom of the page)

Looking to the future:
The new ICSA scheme (CSQS) is generating a lot of interest and a number of new students have already enrolled with us, ready to start their courses 'hot off the press'. Welcome to all students taking their first course with us! Course notes are being finalised and most courses should be ready to start before the published start date in January.

Textbooks
As ICSA are not including the text book in the fee you pay to them, we are giving students the option of having the nominated textbook included in our distance learning package or you can purchase it independently. I have put up links to the correct book on Amazon on our online booking page. Some of the textbooks are specifically written for the modules by ICSA publishing but some modules have an existing textbook as the nominated textbook. http://www.campbellscollege.com/shop1.htm

Preparing for CSQS
If you wish to start on the CSQS but do not have any relevant background knowledge, we can help. A new range of short distance learning courses are being introduced to provide an introduction to subjects you will encounter in the CSQS. Ready to start now: Campbell's Foundation's - Introduction to Law
The course should take you about 3 weeks and includes a self marked test plus questions to send in to Alan for marking. http://www.campbellscollege.com/Foundation.htm

Fast Track CSQS
Certain qualifications will entitle candidates to 'fast track' to ICSA graduation taking just two modules in the CSQS. http://www.campbellscollege.com/csqsFT.htm

I think that's about it for news today -have a good weekend!
Jane

Exam Dates for 2011

2010-11-05T09:20:00.000Z

The 2011 ICSA examination dates are as follows:

CSQS: 07 - 10 June
22 - 25 November 2011

COFA / DOFA: 01 - 04 February
12 - 15 July 2011

NEW Campbell's Foundations

2010-10-19T11:35:00.000+01:00

We are delighted to launch the first module in our new series of short courses - Introduction to Law and Trusts is now available to book online. This new series of distance learning courses entitled 'Campbell's Foundations' is designed for students who are preparing for ICSA CSQS or other professional level qualifications. The courses can also be used by those who just want a comprehensive introduction to the subject matter for their own interest or to help understand aspects of their job. Students will be able to book just one, or the entire series depending on need and interest.
Coming soon:
Introduction to Governance, Introduction to Company Secretarial Practice, Introduction to Strategy, Introduction to Accounts.
Each course costs just £59 and has self test questions and an assignment to send to us for marking in addition to the notes.
Find out more and book a course http://www.campbellscollege.com/Foundation.htm

Cert and Dip in Business Practice

2010-10-12T12:55:00.002+01:00

The case studies for the November 2010 Cert and Dip in Business Practice are now available on the ICSA website. Our tutors will be preparing some guidance notes which we will circulate to our students in due course.

ICSA CSQS: New course status report

2010-10-04T14:36:00.000+01:00

As we have been overwhelmed with enquiries from keen students wanting to register for the new syllabus scheme, we have brought forward our launch date. Forms for distance learning course can now be downloaded from the website http://www.campbellscollege.com/csqs.htm
or you can book and pay online http://www.campbellscollege.com/shop1.htm
If you choose to enrol early, we will email appropriate reading material from the current scheme to you in advance of the official course start date ( early January 2011).

Corporate Governance

2010-10-04T13:52:00.000+01:00

Alan has now read through several script reports sent to us by students who unfortunately failed the June 2010 Corporate Governance exam. Putting information from these together with the suggested solutions, Alan has now prepared a guidance sheet which will be emailed to all current students studying for this subject. He will also go through his findings and suggestions during the revision course. Hopefully we can now offer advice on how to present your answers in the way that this examiner demands.

Bits and Pieces

2010-09-14T14:11:00.000+01:00

Just to let you know the suggested solutions for the June 2010 ICSA exams are now available on the ICSA website -we will also be including a copy with the 4th mailing of the distance learning notes. There are some very strange comments in the Corporate Governance suggested solutions and Alan will be writing to ICSA in the near future.

If you have not already booked for revision courses, it would be helpful if you could think about it soon as there is not long to go before the first revision weekend. Professional level revision courses can now be booked and paid for through the website: http://www.campbellscollege.com/shop.htm (revision courses are at the bottom of the page)

CSQS: We are getting a lot of enquiries about the new scheme - forms for enrolment on our distance learning will be online as soon as possible. Watch this space.

COFA and DOFA

2010-09-14T14:02:00.000+01:00

Exam results for the July COFA and DOFA exams can now be accessed in your student area of the ICSA website.

I know some of you have already contacted us with news of your results and we hope to hear from more of you in due course. Fingers crossed for good news!

Courses for the February 2011 exams can now be booked and paid for through the website, or you can print and return the form in the traditional manner!

http://www.campbellscollege.com/shopcofadofa.htm

Welcome message from Alan

2010-09-06T09:49:00.000+01:00

Welcome to all new students. Here is our first video message from Alan. You may have to turn up the volume on your computer as the sound is a bit faint, but we will try and get it right next time!
This video was first published in June 2010.

June exam result statistics

2010-09-01T16:40:00.000+01:00

Today we received our list of results from ICSA so I have been busy putting together our pass rate statistics for the June 2010 ICSA exams. These can all be viewed in the results section of our website: http://www.campbellscollege.com/results2010.htm
Well done to all students achieving distinctions - Top subject was CFM with five students achieving distinctions, closely followed by Corporate Administration with four.
Corporate Governance was a problem again - the national pass rate was a shocking 23%. Fortunately our students topped this with a not quite so dismal 37% of candidates passing - including a couple of merits and a distinction. We eagerly await the examiners comments on this paper.
The CG pass rate seems slightly less dismal when compared to the 9% national pass rate for Certificate level Business Environment. If ICSA were looking for a way to deter students, then this is it. We will analyse the examiners comments and will have advice ready for students who failed this exam, so don't give up without a fight!

The New Chartered Secretaries Qualifying Scheme (CSQS)

2010-08-20T12:07:00.000+01:00

ICSA tell me that letters will be posted sometime next week to current IQS students detailing changes to the fee structure for the new CSQS scheme.

Revision enrolment online

2010-08-20T12:05:00.000+01:00

New this week: You can now book and pay for our ICSA Professional level revision courses online through the website: http://www.campbellscollege.com/shop.htm
As November will be the last exams for Cert and Dip in Business Practice, I will not be adding online booking for these subjects - sorry!

June exam results news

2010-08-20T12:01:00.000+01:00

Thank you to all students who have contacted us with news of their results. We will not know the full picture until we receive our results list from ICSA but so far there have been some stunning achievements. Well done to Lauren for passing all four Diploma courses in one sitting, with a pass, two merits and a distinction!

We will be saying goodbye to a number of students who have studied with us for some time and have now qualified. I think these exerts from emails received sum up the feeling of relief!

Jane, It’s finally over and I have my life back!!!! After getting a Merit for my final Corporate Financial Management Paper from the June 2010 sitting I have now passed first time all the ICSA Professional Exams. (5 passes and a Merit in my final paper).

Thank you Alan and Jane. Campbells has been a fantstic college to study with. I have had a 100 per cent success with this college! As I have said to you after each exam, I do recommend the distance learning to anyone wishing to sit their ICSA exams. I can not say I will miss it though! I look forward to the continuing celebrations tonight.

On the down side, it looks as if Corporate Governance has caused problems again. Some extremely bright students who have done very well in other subjects have unfortunately failed this subject. Our advice is to obtain a script report from ICSA (it will cost £60) and to contact Alan when you have this to discuss tactics for the next exam. We look forward to reading through the examiner's comments and suggested solutions when they are published.
Have a good weekend, Jane

Exam Results

2010-08-16T14:39:00.001+01:00

Exam results are now available on the ICSA website!
Good Luck everyone.

Email Newsletter

2010-08-10T13:49:00.000+01:00

Just in case you are not on our email list, here is a copy of a message sent out today:

Dear All

I do hope you are all enjoying the summer.I know a lot of students have chosen to start studying for the November exams already but many of you are waiting for your June results before deciding on your next course. ICSA tell me that results will be available on the 'My ICSA' area of their website from 5pm on Monday 16th August.

http://www.icsa.org.uk/my_icsa/login

We wish you the best of luck and as always do let us know how you got on. I will be here if you need advice on what to do next!

Distance learning courses with Campbell's College can be booked by post, fax, email and NEW last week - we have introduced an online booking and payment system for the 8 professional level subjects.

http://www.campbellscollege.com/shop.htm

Also new on the Campbell's website is an Amazon bookstore with useful books recommended by our tutors. Plus fiction for on the train!

http://www.campbellscollege.com/BOOKSHOP.htm

Planning ahead - our lecturers have started work writing our distance learning courses for the new syllabus Chartered Secretaries Qualifying Scheme which ICSA are introducing after the November exams to replace the current IQS. We will be ready!

That's all for now. Best wishes, Jane

Campbell's at work

2010-08-03T12:30:00.000+01:00

Here we are, hard at work on a sunny August morning!

Alan writing and updating notes

Jane visiting the print department with new enrolments to go out

Alex printing and preparing notes for posting

And here's one for Ruby's fans: on guard duty in the sun

The new ICSA CSQS

2010-08-03T12:16:00.000+01:00

As you will be aware, the November 2010 exams will be the last for the current syllabus ICSA International Qualifying Scheme (IQS). Students who have not completed all required modules will be transfered onto the new Chartered Secretaries Qualifying Scheme. We have asked ICSA to clarify the transfer arrangements, in particular, what will happen to students who need to resit a module or have deferred the exam for some reason.
I will post further information on this site when it is available.
Campbell's College lecturers have already started work writing their course notes for the new CSQS so you can rest assured there will be tuition available.

Bookshop

2010-07-30T11:48:00.000+01:00

New today: Our very own Amazon bookshop.

We will include links to recommended reading and reference texts as well as having a page of tried and tested books for reading on the train or on holiday. BOOKSHOP

Online Enrolment and Payment

2010-07-29T14:47:00.005+01:00

By popular request we have now added an online booking and payment facility for some of our distance learning courses.
IQS: Initially only distance learning courses for the 8 ICSA Professional Level subjects can be booked this way - but if it is successful we will add next year. If you require us to invoice your company, or want to pay in instalments then you will still need to download or print out a form - which you can scan and email to me.

Online booking for ICSA Professional Level distance learning courses can be found at:
Professional level distance learning online booking

Distance Learning for ICSA COFA and DOFA can also be booked and paid for online.

Payment is made using a secure shopping cart - you can either pay using a paypal account or by using a credit or debit card.

Exam Results

2010-07-20T11:00:00.002+01:00

ICSA tell me that the provisional date for the release of the June 2010 exam results (IQS) will be Monday 16th August at 5pm. You can view your results by logging into the 'MyICSA' area of the ICSA website.

COFA DOFA July exam results are due to be released on Monday 13th September - to be confirmed.

Distance Learning for November 2010 ICSA exams

2010-07-07T10:43:00.001+01:00

This week we have started to mail out the first instalment of distance learning notes to those of you who have already enrolled for courses for the November ICSA exams. Notes have been updated, books have been ordered, packaging delivered, Alex has completed his new cover design and the printer started to run yesterday. Note, all students work to their own timetables so if you want to wait until results are out (early August) then there is absolutely no problem. Once you receive your mailing, do give your tutor a call to say hello and to talk about your studies.

We are waiting for delivery of text books for Business Law in Practice - these had to be reprinted but as soon as we receive them we will mail them out to students who are waiting.

Cover Design for November 2010 courses:

This time we have chosen a swan - there is usually some reason for each choice and the inspiration this time was the swan family I love to watch on the river near my home. Last year the parents (who we call Tarquin and Isabella) successfully raised seven offspring, but this year they only have four.

ICSA Course News

2010-06-22T10:40:00.003+01:00

Distance Learning news: We plan to start mailing out to students already enrolled for courses on or around 8th July. As always, there is no official start date - your course starts when you enrol but this is the date when updates will be complete. Look out for Alex's stunning new cover design!

Revision news: Dates for the October/ November ICSA revision courses will be online soon - I am waiting for confirmation for one subject.

Jane

ICSA GRADUATION CEREMONY

2010-06-18T12:48:00.004+01:00

MANY THANKS TO ONE OF OUR SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS, SARA GUMPO FOR WRITING THIS ACCOUNT OF THE RECENT ICSA GRADUATION CEREMONY. WE WISH ALL NEW GRADUATES EVERY SUCCESS IN THEIR FUTURE CAREERS.

ICSA GRADUATION CEREMONY

On the 4th of June 2010 was my Big Day. I was very excited and looking forward to celebrate my ICSA Qualification with my friends and family.
Students who passed their final Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators examinations in 2009 graduated at Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London on this day.
It was a bright sunny lovely day and Graduates, Associates, Fellows and Members were dressed in their gowns and hats. Photos and videos were being taken by family members of those present.
The platform party was made up of the President, Mr R Anderson Cowe FCIS, Chief Executive, Mr David Wilson FCIS, who delivered closing remarks, Orator Mr Alan Theakston FCIS, Guest of Honour, Mr David Venus who addressed the assembly and ICSA past Presidents and other Members of the Institute.
The ICSA President of United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Associated Territories, Mr R Anderson Cowe FCIS also congratulated successful Graduates, Associates and Fellows together with their families, friends and supporters to the ICSA Graduation and Membership Ceremony 2010.
In his Speech the president said:-
“To our new ICSA graduates, I offer my sincerest congratulations on passing your examinations. I firmly believe ICSA’s International Qualifying Scheme provides a bedrock of skills and knowledge which is unique among the professions, particularly in these uncertain economic times. I wish all of you every success in your future careers.”
I thank God to see my dreams come true. It was not easy, although the course had often been tough but I never gave up no matter how tough it became. Studying, persistence, patience, commitment to the programme and encouragement and support from my dedicated tutors and prayer helped me to achieve my goals. Now I am celebrating my progress as an ICSA Graduate. To God Be The Glory!

Sara Gumpo

Website updates

2010-06-16T11:42:00.000+01:00

Apologies if you have been trying to access the website recently - last night the server was down plus I have been doing a bit of redesign. I hope you like the new look!
If you have any ideas about things you would like to see on the site, do let me know. Also if you find any links or pages with problems - let me know so I can fix it.

We have now received copies of the June exam papers so will be circulating to our lecturers. Updates on the course notes can then start.
Jane

New Pages and Links

2010-06-11T11:14:00.000+01:00

Use the links at the top to visit other pages which may be of interest.

New today: Study technique, exam technique and our caption contest page. This will be updated very soon with a new contest but meanwhile you can read through some of the more successful past competition entries.

Have a look at the links to other sites section on the right of the blog. These sites belong to current students, past students, friends and family. If you have a site you would like us to promote, email us with the details.

ICSA Course News

2010-06-10T14:31:00.000+01:00

ICSA Professional Levels:

As you will be aware, there are changes to the professional levels after the November 2010 exams. We will be developing new course material to cover the new programme so I am asking current students for feedback regarding the format of our courses and will take your views into account when we update. Thank you for everyone who has responded so far.
I attended an ICSA careers reception at Westminster earlier this year when I had the opportunity to talk to those responsible for the changes and to listen to how ICSA are promoting the profession. We are hoping that they will raise the profile of the Company Secretary and the importance of having people in a company with such a wide range of skills and knowledge.
November 2009 Exam results - again our professional level students gave us a pass rate that is much higher than the ICSA average. Well done! See the results page for details.

CAMPBELL'S COLLEGE

CSQS November 2011 exam results

Free Course for new syllabus COFA Investment

Seasons Greetings

Jobs and Recruitment

CPD for ICSA Members

ICSA CSQS Course provision for 2012

Good Luck in the ICSA CSQS Exams

June 2011 exams: Prize Winners

Message from Alan

October Updates

ICSA Exam Case Studies

Website updated

ICSA exam week June 2012

Charities

Free online lectures

Exam Entry Reminder

September 9th Update

Corporate Law textbooks

Results update

August update

July Update

Bookshop updates

JUNE 20th News update

NEW POST FROM ALAN

Good Luck in the Exams

Friday 6th May update

Easter Break

Additional Reading

News Update

Online lectures & an unexpected consequence

Jersey Branch Dinner & Graduation ceremony

Exam Entry Reminder

New Ventures!

November pass rates and Bags

On the ICSA/BPP Press statement yesterday

Pass Rates

Study Days

NEWSLETTER

Results out on Monday

Updates

November exam results

Revision Courses

New Year news

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our students

Snow and Ice update

Snow

Developments

News Update

Exam Dates for 2011

NEW Campbell's Foundations

Cert and Dip in Business Practice

ICSA CSQS: New course status report

Corporate Governance

Bits and Pieces

COFA and DOFA

Welcome message from Alan

June exam result statistics

The New Chartered Secretaries Qualifying Scheme (CSQS)

Revision enrolment online

June exam results news

Exam Results

Email Newsletter

Campbell's at work

The new ICSA CSQS

Bookshop

Online Enrolment and Payment

Exam Results

Distance Learning for November 2010 ICSA exams

ICSA Course News

ICSA GRADUATION CEREMONY

Website updates

New Pages and Links

ICSA Course News