To both gsm31 and firebird
Without wishing to be “smart” I’d say that it all comes down to some serious soul searching. (Do this in front of a mirror and look yourself in the eye)
The first question I’d ask you to consider is: Are you of the right calibre?
(I don’t need an answer to that BTW.) My advice: Be honest with yourself.
The fact of the matter is that the CPC we’re discussing is a Level3 qualification. Relating that to academia, it means that it’s the same degree of difficulty as an “A” level. I’m afraid that the time taken to do it is irrelevant.
So that’s your first question. From my own experience teaching it, I’ve seen people in tears by lunchtime on the first day, because they’ve realised it was too difficult. All decent training providers should offer a “taster” day so that they, and you can come to an informed decision as to whether you should commit to doing it. Also, from experience, I’ve seen people who have struggled with home study for various reasons, come to a classroom and say I wish I’d done it this way right from the start.
It really is a matter of personal choice
Next question: Home study Vs classroom? My answer will always be: it depends on the type of person you are. For example, if you have small children or a busy social life, you’d probably be better in a classroom. You’d still have to do some study at home in the evenings though. On the other hand, if you live alone with fairly fixed hours, you would probably cope with home study. My advice: Be honest with yourself.
Then there’s the pros and cons. With home study, you can take as long as you like. In a classroom, it’s all over in typically 5-7 days. Although there is a set syllabus, there isn’t a set timetable. This is a strange qualification, because the tutor doesn’t have to be qualified either 
The examining body leaves that to market forces However, the exams can ONLY be done at an approved premises.
I know of people who do one module at a time- that works for them. Nobody has to do the whole thing in one go. The exams are held on a set day four times per year. Credits gained are “saved” and when you’ve got the full set, you cash them in for a full certificate. Logically, you could do the qualification in 3 shots then you can focus on each bit at a time. Currently, two of the exams are multi-choice and don’t generally cause many problems. The third part is called “case study” and, if you’re going to fail something, it’ll most likely be that one.
Case study fails are usually caused by candidates not taking notice of instructions. Sorry, but from my experience that’s just the way of it.
I’d advise caution with regard to the book on eBay AND buying it from Amazon. Not because either of them are dodgy, but my totor’s instinct tells me that you’ll have NO WAY of knowing whether the book you have is “in sync” with the exam that you’ll take. Especially if you take the module-by-module option, because it is almost certain that there’ll be changes over a nine-month period. However, doing this module-by-module approach in a reputable trainer’s classroom removes that risk.
The awarding body, OCR, makes changes to the exams to reflect changes in the law, sometimes quickly, sometimes more slowly. A high quality course provider also feeds information to their customer, the training providers, of when any changes to law will end up being included in the exam. (Training providers don’t normally write their own courses, Mr Friendberry does, for example.)
Finances: As a very rough average, I’d expect to pay £600-700 for full tuition then there may be exam fees and VAT. You should check carefully and compare on a like-for-like basis. As I’ve pointed out, there is funding available at SOME colleges- it just so happens that the NW region was first off the mark, so many other regions are still playing catch-up. There are always ways and means and this situation is continuously developing. Colleges also have specialist staff and would quite quickly know whether a candidate is of the right calibre. Colleges also have student support systems. External providers don’t often have these.
I know of one candidate, who chose home study. That person took the three exams at one take. 1 pass + 2 fails. Next exam (three months later) two exams 1 pass and 1 fail. Next exam (another three months later) 1 exam and 1 fail. Now repeat that for the next three attempts = Still hasn’t gained a full certificate. I’ve known this person for 10+ years and gave advice which was ignored. Still doing home study, last I heard. 
Loads of cash wasted. You just can’t tell some people
Last point: The cheapest doesn’t necessarily represent the best value, you’d be very unwise to compare on price alone.
I hope this helps (Please PM me, if you’re still unsure.)
, passed module 6 first time 
