GUIDANCE NOTES FOR APPLICANTS FOR FULL-TIME
2010-11 CPE/DIPLOMA IN LAW COURSES
COURSES AND PROVIDING INSTITUTIONS
Recognised Courses
The Common Professional Examination (CPE) and Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL).
Click here for a list of Institutions (with links to Institutions' own Web sites) providing full-time attendance CPE/GDL Law Courses and participating in the CAB System for 2010-2011 Courses. Details of any Institution's Course may, of course, also be obtained by contacting the Institution direct.
A list of Institutions providing other types of CPE/GDL, e.g. part-time, distance learning etc., is available on the Law Society's web site at http://www.sra.org.uk/students/conversion-courses/cpe-gdl-providers.page.
Admission to Courses
• Each Institution selects those applicants to whom it wishes to offer places. A statement of an Institution’s admissions criteria may be obtained by writing direct to the Institution at the address given in the Schedule.
• Please note that the role of the CAB is to provide a centralised applications system to participating Institutions. The CAB has no role in the admission processes of individual Institutions.
• Applications for full-time attendance courses at the Institutions listed in the Schedule are only accepted through the CAB: applications must not be sent direct to the Institutions.
Course Fees
• These are revised annually. Each Institution will notify those applicants to whom it offers places of that Institution's fees for Courses.
• If in doubt as to whether you will be classified as a U.K. or Overseas Student, please contact the Institution(s) at which you plan to attend the course.
COMPLETING THE APPLICATION FORM
If you have any disability, special need or medical condition, e.g. you are blind or partially sighted, which either affects your ability to complete, or totally prevents you from completing, this application form, please contact the CAB on 01483 451080 for assistance.
- To be considered in the initial selection, offer and acceptance process the online application form, including the reference, must have been received by the CAB by Monday 1st February 2010.
General Notes
We aim to make the form as self explanatory as possible and there are notes on the form which give additional explanations where it was thought necessary.
These guidance notes provide some additional comments on each section.
Whilst completing the online form you can refer to these guidance notes by clicking on the link on the left hand side of the page. This will open a new window.
After you have completed each page you are required to save it before continuing to the next page. If you have not completed any of the mandatory fields (marked with a *) these will be highlighted and must be completed before you can move on to the next page.
You can log out of the site part way through completion of the form and come back to it, using your login ID, if necessary.
If you would like further advice on completing the form please ask your Careers Advisory Officer or the CAB. Please note that Institutions do not under normal circumstances interview applicants, and that the success or otherwise of an application will therefore be based on the quality of the applicant as evidenced by the completed application form.
When you submit the application form, you agree that the CAB and its member Institutions can process your information and keep a copy of your form to collect statistics, and to detect and prevent fraud. The Data Protection Act allows you to ask us for a copy of your application.
Institutions you have applied to may contact you to invite you to open days or other events which relate to the course you have applied for. They may also contact you if they have any queries about your application.
SECTION A : DETAILS OF APPLICANT
"Correspondence address" means your term-time address if you are currently at University or College. "Home address" means your permanent/family/parental address.
All communications from the CAB will be sent to your correspondence address. CPE/Diploma in Law Course providing Institutions considering your application may use whichever address they feel to be appropriate at the time.
If after submitting your application you change your contact details please notify the CAB immediately in writing giving both former and new names/addresses. It is important to inform the CAB of any change of address otherwise important correspondence from an Institution considering your application might not reach you. The postal address can be found on the home page of this website.
Institutions making offers to certain applicants born outside the UK or EU are required to gather additional information about the applicants to meet the UK Borders Agency requirements relating to student visas. This is not an area which CAB can advise but for more information please refer to the UK Borders Agency website www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/.
Disabilities, special needs, medical conditions
Institutions providing CPE/Diploma in Law Courses are committed to helping students with disabilities, special needs and medical conditions. In order to enable Institutions to provide the best available support for you they need to know about the nature of your disability, special need or medical condition and how it might affect your studies.
If you have a disability, special need or medical condition, you should contact the Institutions you wish to apply to now to discuss any support needs.
(a) & (b) Disability/Special Need/Medical condition.
Please select from the drop down list of statements which is most appropriate to you, and expand upon any needs you might have in the space provided. The information you provide will not affect judgements concerning your academic suitability for a course, and will be treated confidentially by Institutions. However, it will enable data to be collected from which the progress of equal opportunities for students with disabilities, special needs and medical conditions can be monitored.
Disability, special need, medical condition codes
0. None
1. You have a specific learning difficulty (for example, dyslexia).
2. You are blind or partially sighted.
3. You are deaf or hard of hearing.
4. You use a wheelchair or have mobility difficulties.
5. You have Autistic Spectrum disorder or Asperger Syndrome.
6. You have mental health difficulties.
7. You have a disability that cannot be seen, for example, diabetes, epilepsy or a heart condition.
8. You have two or more of the above.
9. You have a disability, special need or medical condition that is not listed above.
SECTION B : FULL-TIME CPE/DIPLOMA IN LAW COURSE PROVIDING INSTITUTIONS
Certain Institutions offer a choice of locations in which to study. If you select one of these institutions please indicate in order of preference the centres at which you would be prepared to accept a place in the appropriate drop-down list(s).
Reasons for Choice of Teaching Institution(s): If there are special reasons governing your choice of teaching Institutions set out in (A) above, please tick the appropriate box or boxes provided, particularly if they preclude you from accepting a place at any other Institution.
Please do not expand your answer beyond the space provided; additional information, if required, will be sought by the relevant teaching Institution(s). The Institution(s) may ask you to supply supporting evidence.
Fees: This information is required so that the Institution at which you obtain a place can issue invoices and other payment requests.
SECTION C : EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
(B) Examinations taken or to be taken
(a)(c)(d)(e) Examinations for which results are known:
Applicants must give all relevant details including resits or referred marks.
(c) Postgraduate Qualifications (excluding CPE/Diploma in Law Courses). Please include any courses, which have not been completed.
(d) CPE/Diploma in Law courses previously attended or Examinations previously attempted: If you have ever attended a CPE/Diploma in Law course or had any previous attempts at the examinations, details of the institution, examinations, dates and results must be given. No student is permitted to take any part of a CPE/Diploma in Law course on more than three occasions. An attempt at the examinations at any institution counts for this purpose.
(f) Exemptions obtained or expected . If you have studied and passed at degree or equivalent level any of the subjects listed you may be entitled to exemption(s) from the equivalent Examination head(s). It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to apply for such exemption(s). Please read very carefully the note of the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Requirements.
SECTION E : EMPLOYMENT
Legal Employment. This can include work in a local authority or company legal department, in the Magistrates Courts Service, or in similar occupations. References will not be taken up under this section without your permission first being sought.
SECTION F : OTHER INFORMATION
(B) Further Personal Information.
This section should be used to provide the following information:
General Attainment(s) and other supporting comments. If you have some general attainments (not necessarily academic) to which you wish to draw attention, please set them out. Please do not repeat matters, which you have included elsewhere on the form. If you have any further comments you wish to make in support of your application, please set them out here.
You are automatically limited to 3000 characters, including spaces, in completing this section. There is a counter on the form which shows you how many characters you have remaining. The form will allow you to cut and paste your statement from Word.
SECTION G: REFEREES
A reference must be provided. A suitable referee would be a tutor, Professor, etc., who taught or is teaching you during your most recent degree, postgraduate and/or professional course, or, for mature students, an employer (not being a relation) if an academic would no longer be appropriate. Friends and relations are NOT normally regarded as suitable referees.
Mature Students: If you were awarded your degree before 2005 and feel that a tutor's assessment would on its own no longer be appropriate, or if you are applying as a mature student under Regulation 10(1)(iii) of The Law Society's Training Regulations 1990 (as amended), you may as an alternative or in addition to the tutor's assessment provide an assessment of your suitability for the course from, for example, your employer (not being a relation). However, you should try to obtain a reference from a person with first hand knowledge of your academic ability.
Please ensure that you allow sufficient time for your referee to complete the reference before the closing date of Monday 1st February 2010 if you wish your application to be considered in the initial selection and allocation process.
Your nominated referee will be contacted by email once you have submitted your application. They will be asked to log into the referees section of the website to add their comments. If we do not get a response from them you will be contacted weekly for 3 weeks so that you are aware of the situation. If they have still not responded after that time you will be contacted and asked to nominate another Referee.
SECTION H: DECLARATION AND PAYMENT
Once you have completed the form you are required to recheck each page and then tick the declaration box.
Your application will then be submitted, you will be emailed a copy of your application and your referee will be contacted.
If you do not receive the email copy of the form please contact CAB to confirm that your form has been accepted.
Application fee: A non-returnable application fee of £10.00 (incl. VAT) is payable on submission of the application form. The web page links to a Barclays Bank payment page allowing payment by most credit or debit cards. If you are unable to make a payment in this way follow the instructions on the page for submitting payment by cheque.
Your application form will not be processed further until both the payment and reference have been received.