What about Study and Assessment?

How much study do you need to do?

You should expect to spend an average of five hours each week on your studies. This includes reading, completing assessments and applying your learning to your business.

If you already have experience of e.g. marketing or finance, then you will probably spend a little less time on those modules; if you have no experience of these subjects, then you may have to dedicate more time.

Working ON your business, not just In it!

If five hours sounds like a long time just think this will be five hours working ON your business, rather than in it imagine how business will improve as a result of you taking time to pro-actively think and plan strategically.

How are you assessed?

At the end of each module, there is an assessment. The following modules are assessed through the submission of a written report based on your own business:

Module 2: International Trade Research
Module 3: International Marketing
Module 5: International Trade Finance*
Module 8: International Trade Management

Modules which are assessed by three-hour 'open-book' exams include:

Module 1: Global Business Environment
Module 4: International Trade Logistics
Module 5: International Trade Finance*
Module 6: International Market Entry Strategies
Module 7: International Trade Management

* Finance can be assessed by report or exam - your choice

When do you get your results?

Exams are usually marked within 24 - 48 hours and you receive full feedback on where exactly you may have gone wrong.

Reports are marked and returned within two weeks and comprehensive feedback is provided on all your work.

What does 'Open Book' mean?

'Open book' means that you can use all your learning materials and don't have to memorise everything - this is real life after all!

Where do you take these exams?

You decide - work or home - you do not need to attend an exam centre, but you do need to appoint an invigilator (this might be someone you work with but cannot be a relative) who ensures you complete the exam in the designated time-frame, that you complete the exam on your own, and only use designated course materials.

Once completed, your invigilator returns your exams to the School by email or fax and we will get your results to you within 24 hours. Your personal tutor will then be in touch to provide feedback and help you understand where you might have gone wrong. Giving feedback is really important to us - if you don't know where you have gone wrong, how can you possibly learn?

What if you miss a deadline or fail an assignment?

As a working exporter, we fully appreciate there are times when work must come before study. We also realise you do have a life outside of work - so we are flexible.

If you need more time to finish a report or revise, just let us know and we will negotiate a new deadline with you, but we always set a new deadline otherwise you might never finish the course.

If for any reason you fail an assignment, the first thing we do is to work with you in helping you understand where you went wrong. Then a new assessment is set and you can re-sit this for a small fee of: NZ$120 + GST (NZ$135.00).

If you haven't studied for years - will you have problems?

If you haven't studied for a long time don't worry - you aren't alone!

When you enrol at the School, we discuss your particular learning needs with you and will do our best to help you. We also provide you with some really useful tips on where and how to study most effectively and we can help you in writing reports, setting out your work, finding information - all sorts of things, just ask.

Need more information or still not sure?

If you still need more information about the course, or you just want to talk things through with someone - please contact us.

All the staff at the School have studied for the Diploma whilst working full time, so we have a good idea of what you will be going through and we would love to hear from you:

Ready to Enrol?

If we have managed to answer all your questions and you are ready to become a better exporter: Enrol here