How long does it usually take to complete the course?

Many students complete the course in five months. But you can do it as quickly or slowly as you want. That's one advantage of distance learning.

Do I need to finish the course within a certain time?

You can take as long as you want. Unlike other organisations, we don't set any time limits.

What does the course cost?

Click here to go to the enrolment page, which has the course costs.

Does the cost for the course include everything I need? Or are there any extra fees?

There are no other costs or fees.

Can I spread the cost of the courses over a period of time?

Yes. You can pay over five months. This costs 20% more. You can find the cost by clicking here.

How could I get my money back if I don't like the course?

Just return the course in good condition within 60 days of receiving it, and we'll send you a full refund.

And if, after seeking work at the end of the course, you don't earn at least the cost of the course inside three months, we'll also refund your fees.

Can I start the course at any time?

Yes.

Is the course all from home, or do I have to go to a test centre?

It's all from home.

I live in the USA, UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Borneo etc. Is the course suitable for me?

Yes. We have students in 28 countries. And we have two two editions of the course. One is for North America and countries that are influenced by the US and Canada.

The other edition is for the UK and Europe, and countries influenced by them.

How can I contact my tutor or the Institute?

There have two types of people you can contact - your tutor and a course advisor.

The tutor marks your work, and helps you with any problems. You can fax, e-mail or post assignments to your tutor, whenever you want.

We don't give out the tutor's phone number, because a few people would spend all day talking to their tutors, who would never get any work done.

But sometimes students get stuck, or have an urgent query. If so, you can phone a course advisor at the Institute at any time during work hours. If you leave a message out of work hours we'll ring you back the next day. You can contact course advisors as often as you want, and about anything to do with catering.

Can I contact other students?

Yes, we have a student database. You can add your contact details and get in touch with other students. You can swap ideas, or solve problems together.

Is the course accredited? And by whom?

Our course is fully accredited by the national awarding body NCFE, and on completing it you get a national award equivalent to Level 2 of the National Learning Framework.

NCFE is recognised as an awarding body by the qualification regulators ('regulators') for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The regulators are the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual) in England, the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) in Wales and the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland.

To read more about NCFE please go to www.ncfe.org.uk

We are registered with NCFE under our corporate trading name of 'Home Study Courses Limited'.

Will the course give me credits towards a degree or some other study?

No. But it will help you set up and run your own business. And we encourage all students to continue their studies after completing the course.

Are the tutors practising caterers?

Yes, all tutors are practising caterers. Some other organisations use college lecturers, which means you don't get the information from the real 'coal face'.

Will you show me how to find work?

Yes, the course includes practical guidance on getting work. You can also discuss this with your tutor or a course advisor.

Plus, you can get on our list of expert caterers, which clients will consult to find home-based caterers.

Is there a final exam?

No, there is no final exam. The course is based on continuous assessment, through assignments you send to your tutor.

And continuous assessment lets you check all the time that you're on course to succeed.

So you should look on the assignment as an exciting challenge. No, it's true! You'll enjoy them. We promise you!

What happens if I fail an assignment?

You do the work again! 80% of students complete the course without ever failing an assignment. But you might misunderstand the question, or produce an insufficiently detailed answer. So the tutor will explain the problem and ask you to send in the assignment again. When you do this, your work will be much better.

Can I submit hand-written assignments?

Yes. That's no problem.

Can I submit assignments by E-mail?

Yes. That's no problem.

Can I join the course without prior experience?

Yes. That's no problem. We make no assumptions about people's prior knowledge. However, you need a reasonable grasp of English and an ability to write.

Can I tackle the topics in any order I choose?

Yes, you can. So, if you want to tackle a particular topic, you can go straight to that module. This is useful if you have a job or a client that requires you to know about a particular subject. You might note that some other organisations supply only one or two modules at a time.

I haven't studied for years. The thought of returning to study makes me nervous.

Don't worry. We sympathize. But this course is nothing like your memories of being stuck inside a stuffy classroom on a summer's day with an old-style teacher droning on.

For a start, this is a subject that interests you (or you wouldn't have got this far).

And getting this deep into the website shows that you can absorb information and concentrate for long periods of time.

Also, you'll see that we write clearly and simply. And that's how we've written the course materials. It's true that some organisations write long and boring pages that make your eyes glaze over. We promise you that our course is nothing like that. You'll find this course is informative and enjoyable. In fact, many students are almost upset at finishing the course.

Do I get the whole course or individual modules at a time?

We send you the whole course when you enrol. This means you can study any topic you want to. You can also see what topics are coming up. Getting everything in one package makes it easier for you to get an overview of the course. As we mentioned above, some other organisations supply only one or two modules at a time.

How does this course compare with others?

We think this is the best course in the world. Bar none. But please examine other courses before making a decision. Consider these points:

1. Is it a catering course? There are lots of cookery courses, but few on catering.

2. Is the course comprehensive? In other words, does it cover outside catering, plus the marketing of speciality foods?

2. Will your studies be supported by a tutor? Research shows that people succeed much better on courses that include a personal tutor.

3. Is it interactive? That is, do the course materials regularly make you stop and think, and do exercises? Too many courses consist of page after page of boring lecture notes.

4. Does it teach you about setting up your own business? Many Internet courses are reasonably good at this, while college courses are often weak on this point.

5. Is it accredited?

6. Can you get a refund if you don't like the course?

7. Does it meet your needs? For example, do you need a local classroom course, or a distance learning course?

So, how can you find out about other courses?

1. See if any courses are available at your local college or nearby university.

2. Scour the Internet.

3. See if you can contact a careers advisor. Careers advisors know nothing about catering, as they would be the first to admit. And the careers books they consult will probably suggest getting a degree in hotel management. Which may (or may not) be a good thing, but probably isn't related to what you have in mind.

Can a newcomer break into catering and earn money?

Yes. People always need parties, events and other celebrations. And these days, more people are inclined to pay someone else to do it.

Are there any restrictions on me setting up as a caterer?

Yes. And the course covers this in detail. We have separate editions for the US and Canada, and the UK and Europe. We also cover regulations for australia and New Zealand in outline. In the US, you can't cook in your own kitchen. But there are several solutions to this, which we discuss in the course.

We also provide detailed advice on forming a company, keeping records and paying tax.

How are we different to other providers?

When you start comparing us with other course providers you might notice that:

• Some organisations limit the amount of time you have to complete the course. Many course providers only allow you 12 months to complete the course. And after those 12 months are up they may require you to pay a fee to continue. With our course you can take as long as you need, without paying additional fees.

• Some organisations will only give you 7 days to return your course if it’s not right for you. If our course is not what you expected and you want a full refund we allow you 30 days to return it and claim your money back.

• Some organisations will charge you an administration fee to return the course. We refund all of your fees.
  

How can I be sure that you're legitimate, and that you won't disappear with my money?

Here are some answers we hope will reassure you.

• We've been in operation since 1995; so we're very established.

• We publish our physical address at the bottom of each page - and you are welcome to visit us.

• We're audited by NCFE twice a year (you can phone them to verify they do that).
  

• You can read the Reviews of our students on the web site.
  

• You can ask us for the contact details of former students who will talk to you about their experiences.
  

• We publish an Ethical Statement here: www.inst.org/ethics.htm
  

• We're registered at Companies House: registration number 352 4886
  

• Our VAT number is 729 1528 23
  

• Our bank is NatWest, 7 High Street, Wells, Somerset (we have money in the bank and no loans or overdraft).
  

• We're registered with the UK government's Register of Learning Providers (www.ukrlp.co.uk); Number 10009490.
  

And finally, we love what we do; and we wouldn't do anything to jeopardise it.

Any other questions?

If you have a question, why not e-mail us now? We could add it to our list of FAQs.