The Common Professional Examination (CPE) / Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) is a demanding course whichever route you take, so it is important to ensure that the course will work for you. The following information and advice will help you during the decision-making process.

Full time or part time?

The CPE/GDL is available full-time at a number of institutions, and on a part-time or distance-learning basis at other selected institutions. There are currently over 4,600 full-time learning places on offer. Most people choose to study full time, as it is the most direct route. Part-time study is usually spread over two years; and attendance is based on day, evening or residential block attendance. The course involves a considerable amount of additional private study. If you are thinking about part-time study, consider the following factors:

Pros:

• earning while learning could help with costs
• if you get relevant paid work, it will improve your chances when applying for full-time jobs, and could reduce the length of your training contract by up to six months.

Cons:

• it will take longer to qualify
• part-time study and full-time work is not an easy option – it can eat into your leisure and holiday time and you may experience serious tensions between work and study pressures.

Things to consider

All courses cover the same core curriculum, but may differ in the way the course is delivered and organised. Research courses and providers thoroughly, attend open days and talk to both staff and students.

Take a good look at the facilities and resources provided, and find out about teaching, learning and assessment methods. Is the course delivered mainly through lectures and exams, continuous assessment, small-group work and skills-based workshops? It’s important that the course reflects the learning styles that work best for you. However, the CPE/GDL is designed to be a ’fast-track’ bridge to the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or Bar Vocational Course (BVC) and ought to challenge you in new ways.

Other things to think about include:

Reputation
Some law schools are rated highly for teaching and learning quality. While CPE/GDL courses are not formally rated in the same way as the LPC, the ranking of the LPC or the teaching quality of an academic department where they are not an LPC provider should give you some indication.

Size
Certain courses are both small and popular. This could affect your chances of getting in, particularly if you don’t put them as your first choice. Including providers with a larger number of places could be a good insurance strategy as long as you are willing to take up the place you are offered.

Progression
Some providers guarantee LPC or BVC places or give preference to their CPE/GDL students. If they don’t offer the course, they may have preferential arrangements with other providers. It is worth exploring these options at the outset; the CPE/GDL is a demanding programme and you don’t want to get too distracted by having to spend unnecessary time on applying for the next stage of training.

Location
You may decide to stay at the university where you did your first degree if it offers the CPE/GDL. The fact that you are settled with friends and accommodation may be a big plus. Equally, you may choose to move on for a variety of reasons: the institution may not offer the course(s) you want, you may prefer another provider or want a change of scene, or you might be able to reduce your living costs by living at home and studying nearby.