Is Open Study College legit? Yes, they are legit. The concern is whether they are worth it or not. All the courses at Open Study College (OSC) are legit. Generally, there are two types of outcomes you can expect from the courses. Some of the courses provide qualifications accredited by organizations such as A Levels, GCSEs, AAT, and CACHE. These independent bodies conduct thorough checks to ensure courses meet their high standards.
For courses that do not have a regulated qualification, you will receive a certificate of achievement. This certificate can be used as evidence of your knowledge and skills when pursuing regulated qualifications in the future. Meanwhile, Open Study College is a community of over 120,000 students.
Is Open Study College Legit?
I mentioned that Open Study College is legit. You might find it interesting to take a look at the reviews from former sales employees on Indeed.
One former employee describes the company as “a complete and utter joke,” criticizing it for selling courses that offer no real value to students, despite costing them hundreds of pounds. The reviewer also claims that the company is primarily concerned with lining the pockets of its directors.
Another review adds that employees are encouraged to secure positive reviews to overshadow the negative ones. This same reviewer also speaks of frequent student complaints regarding the course materials. He notes that the sales team has instructions to keep selling, regardless of these complaints.
A third reviewer expresses moral qualms about working for a company that pressures students into paying exorbitant amounts for non-accredited courses. This reviewer considers it odd that none of the management team has any formal education.
Furthermore, it seems that tutor support is practically non-existent. so, tutors tend to be paid very poorly despite the high course fees charged by OSC. This likely explains why the courses offered by OSC are of such low quality as claimed by many. A former tutor reveals that they spent hours writing courses and responding to student queries without compensation, in addition to receiving low pay for grading assignments.
To add to the above, another reviewer mentions that their two-year A Level course only includes four Tutor Marked Assignments (TMAs). So, you would wonder just how poorly the tutors must be paid. This reviewer also notes that many people have commented on the unprofessionalism of OSC’s tutors, which is likely a result of their inadequate compensation.
All of these reviews are taken from 1-2 star reviews left by former OSC employees on Indeed.
Are All Courses Accredited?
All of our courses are officially recognized and approved by reputable awarding organizations. However, not all of the courses are formal qualifications. When you sign up for an online course, you’ll get a student guide in your welcome email from your tutor.
If you choose to get a study pack, you’ll receive a printed version of the student guide, which includes everything you need for the course. This includes activities and assignments that will be graded by your tutor.
Are A Levels and GCSEs Studied at Home the Same as Those in School or College?
At Open Study College, you can take the same A Level or GCSE courses as students in traditional schools or colleges but with the added benefits and flexibility of learning from home. You will study the same coursework, take the same exams, and earn the same qualifications. All these while having access to full tutor support via email throughout your course.
Difference Between Study Online and Study Pack
When it comes to the difference between studying online and using a study pack, here’s what you need to know:
- If you choose a study pack, you’ll receive all your study materials in printed format, along with a study guide, an OSC pen with a highlighter, a study planner, and a notebook.
- If you choose to study online, you’ll get access to our exclusive e-learning portal within 24 hours of your order being processed. This portal will have all your study materials in electronic format.
As for the delivery time of the study packs, it depends on the delivery option you choose:
- Standard delivery will get your course pack to you within 10 working days.
- Express delivery will get your course pack to you within 3-5 working days.
Is There a Time Limit for Course Completion?
Regarding the time limit for completing your course, it’s really up to you. While distance learning courses are flexible, there is still a time limit for completion, which varies by course. You can find this information on the course page under ‘course duration.’ Don’t worry, we always allow plenty of time for you to complete your course at a pace that suits you. If you need more time, you can extend your course duration for an additional fee by contacting Learner Services.
Is the Tutor Support Okay?
When you sign up for your chosen course, you will be given the details of your personal tutor. This tutor is there to help you with any questions you have and to provide further explanations about your course through email. Whenever you have a question, you can email your tutor, and they will respond with the help and support you need. But as many claim, you might not get the best from your tutor.
Your tutor will also grade your assignments and provide feedback, letting you know how you can improve. Since we are a distance-learning college, your tutor won’t check in on you unless you ask them to. It’s up to you to reach out to your tutor first.
How Exams Work for Distance Learning?
For courses that include exams, we have partnerships with certain exam centers. The details of these partnerships will be provided on the course page, so make sure you can travel to the exam center before you include this in your costs.
If your course includes exams, or if you choose to add them, you can contact us when you’re ready to take your exams, and we will arrange them for you. For some courses, external exams aren’t available, which means we don’t have partnerships with exam boards. In this case, you will need to contact the exam centers yourself and sit the exam as a ‘private candidate’. Also, you can study from anywhere in the world; Open Study College has students from all over.
Does Open Study College Refund?
If you decide to change your mind about studying with Open Study College, you can:
- Switch to a different course, although there might be some fees involved depending on how far you’ve progressed.
- If you want to cancel your course completely, you will get refunds for all study pack courses and course materials, as long as they are returned within 14 days from the purchase date.
How Long Does it Take to Receive the Qualification Certification?
The time it takes to receive your qualification certificate depends on the course you’ve completed. For most courses, it will take between eight to ten weeks for your certificate to arrive. However, CACHE certificates take a bit longer, around ten to 12 weeks, due to external moderation.
So, What’s the Tutors Like?
Usually, your tutor will respond to any questions or queries within 48 hours during working hours. However, providing feedback can take up to 10 days. After you submit your assignments, your tutor will grade them and provide feedback within 10 days.
If you have any questions about what you are learning in your course, you can send an email to your tutor. If you are not satisfied with the feedback you receive, you can always challenge it. Just make sure you complete all the assignments your tutor gives you so you can get your predicted grade.
Also, at Open Study College, you do not get one-to-one sessions with tutors for all your courses. However, some courses do include this feature. For example, if you take a functional skills course, your tutor will give you a call. If you are taking an Access to HE course, your tutor will have to assess your placement.
Conclusion
So, Open Study College is legit. Just that so many students and employees have not had the best experience with them. Perhaps, there are good stories out there but they are not as rampant compared to some negative ones I found during this review.
Read also: Is Nitro College Legit? User Review of Scholarship Site
