BCS Professional Examinations

Certificate in IT

This is the foundation level of BCS Professional Examinations.

This level is the academic equivalent to Year 1 of a UK university honours degree and is recognised by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) as Level 4.

The Certificate in IT focuses on the following core modules:

• Information Systems
• Software Development
• Computer & Network Technology

BCS recommends a minimum of 200 hours study per module and the course culminates in a 2 hour written exam focusing on all three core modules.

Completion of the Certificate in IT level means you are eligible to apply for BCS Associate Membership (AMBCS).

Diploma in IT

This is the Diploma level of BCS Professional Examinations.

This level is the academic equivalent to Year 2 of a UK university honours degree and is recognised by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) as Level 5.

By beginning the Diploma in IT level course BCS assumes knowledge of the Certificate in IT level modules (or exemption) and focuses on the following:

• Professional Issues in Information Systems Practice (Core Module)
• Computer Networks
• Database Systems
• IT Project Management
• Object Oriented Programming
• Systems Analysis (Last ever exam October 2010)
• Principles of Internet Technologies (April only)
  (this module has replaced The Internet & World Wide Web and is not available for online registration)
• IT Service Management April only
• Software Engineering 1 (April only)
• Systems Design (April only - Last ever exam April 2010)
• Principles of User Interface Design (April only)

BCS recommends a minimum of 225 hours study per module. The course culminates in a 2 hour written exam focusing on the one core module and each of the three optional modules of your choice.

Completion of the Diploma Examinations level means you are eligible to apply for BCS Membership if you have 3 years' experience as an IT professional.

Professional Project

In order to finish the Diploma in IT level candidates must complete a project. Recommended minimum study time of 200 hours.

Successful completion of the project and examination enables you to apply for selected degree courses with universities and means you are eligible to apply for BCS Membership (MBCS) if you have 2 years' experience as an IT professional.

Professional Graduate Diploma in IT

This level is the academic equivalent to Year 3 of a UK university honours degree.

It is recognised by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) as Level 6.

By beginning the Professional Graduate Diploma in IT level course BCS assumes knowledge of the Certificate in IT and appropriate Diploma in IT level modules (or exemption) and focuses on the following:

• Advanced Database Management Systems
• Management Information Systems
• Software Engineering 2
• Computer Services Management
• Distributed and Parallel Systems (April only)
• Knowledge Based Systems (April only)
• Network Information Systems (April only)
• Programming Paradigms (April only)
• Realising the User Interface (April only)
  (this module has replaced User Interface Design and is not available for online registration)
• System Design Methods (April only)
• Web Engineering (April only)
  (this module has replaced WWW - Beyond the Basics and is not available for online registration)

BCS recommends a minimum of 250 hours study per module and the course culminates in a 3 hour written exam focusing on four of the above modules of your choice. Please be aware that practical experience is required to answer some parts of the exam.

Completion of the Professional Graduate Diploma Examinations level means you are eligible to apply for BCS membership if you have 2 years' experience as an IT professional.

Professional Project

In order to finish the Professional Graduate Diploma in IT level candidates must complete a project, which will be the academic equivalent of a UK university honours degree project and has a recommended minimum study time of 300 hours.

Successful completion of the project and examination enables you to apply for selected postgraduate courses at university and means you are eligible to apply for BCS professional membership (MBCS

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