CLAIT Plus is the replacement for the very popular Integrated Business Technology Stage 2 (CLAIT Plus) course from the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations board.

The course has been developed in response to the significant changes that have occurred in the fields of information technology since the original CLAIT Plus syllabus was drawn up.

It is a natural progression from New CLAIT, but it is not necessary to have achieved the New CLAIT certificate before attempting CLAIT Plus. Students who feel they can competently carry out all of the objectives of New CLAIT may find it a more profitable use of their time to start immediately on the CLAIT Plus course. This can be discussed in more detail at the informal preliminary interview which all prospective students undergo.

CLAIT Plus is taught at the City Learning Centre through a system called resource based learning.

Essentially, each student is given their own work pack of notes and exercises to complete. There is one work pack for each module of work and each pack includes all of the syllabus requirements for the end of module assessment. Of course, at all times there is a qualified tutor on hand to give assistance when it is needed.

This means that it is very difficult to give a precise time for the length of the course, as different individuals will take more or less time to complete depending on their previous experience. However, the nominal duration of the course is 120 hours. Resource based learning is a very flexible way of studying, because it means that students can start the course at any time of the year and the occasional missed class will not cause concern.

Dates and times of these courses are on the Enrolment Form. Please read the rest of this information before applying.

CLAIT Plus comprises four modules of work. The first, Using a Computer and Integrating Files, is compulsory and lays down the essentials of file management which will be built upon in the rest of the course.

The other three modules are optional and students may choose from any of the following:

• word-processing
• spreadsheets
• databases
• graphs and charts
• presentations
• desktop publishing.

At the end of each module of work students complete a practice assessment and use worked answers to compare to their own results. If both student and tutor are satisfied with the practice assignment, the student attempts the live assignment.

Once this assignment has been marked by the tutor and an interim pass mark awarded, the student proceeds to the next module of work. When the compulsory module and three option modules have been completed, the course is over and the students' work is sent to the examination board for second marking and certification.

Each student’s assessment is marked by the class tutor. The examining body lays down strict guidelines over what is and is not acceptable in a student’s work. If a student completes an assessment task without making any critical errors and with less than three accuracy errors they are deemed to have passed that assessment task and can move on to the next module.

Each module has only a ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ outcome -- there are no grades or other classifications such as ‘merit’ and ‘distinction’. This is also true of the CLAIT Plus certificate itself.

Students should be aware that all marking is subject to scrutiny by a second marker, who is nominated by the examining board and is not connected in any way to the Centre. This means that results are interim until confirmed by the external examiner.

If the student is unsuccessful in the assessment for a particular module of work, the tutor is permitted to give generalised feedback about where the errors were, and the student attempts a resit at a different paper.

This is not the same as the old IBT 2 qualification where students attempted the same paper. Although the content of the CLAIT Plus resit paper is different, naturally the skills being tested are identical.

CLAIT Plus can stand alone as a valuable qualification in itself, or as an advancement of the skills laid down by the New CLAIT course. It is also a useful precursor to the CLAIT Advanced course (which will be offered at the Centre from September 2003, subject to demand).