Studying Level 7 CIPD – What to expect.

Recently, I completed my advanced-level Human Resources qualification, the CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma in Human Resources Development. This now means that I am officially qualified to do the job I have been doing for the past thirteen years.

OK, that was a bit tongue-in-cheek, but I have thoroughly enjoyed studying once more and although it’s early days, I fundamentally maintain that completing this qualification is the most impart accomplishment of my professional life so far.

Knowing where to start with getting CIPD qualified is a bit of a maze; it might even be the reason why I procrastinated in doing so myself for so long. It’s not even clear at which point one becomes qualified. And the most visible – and arguably, the most resume-critical – element of a CIPD qualification; being able to use post-nominal titles such as Assoc. CIPD, MCIPD or FCIPD, is actually not directly connected with studying at all.

With the above in mind, here’s a short Q+A of all the pertinent information that I would have found most helpful before studying.

What the heck is a “Level 7 CIPD?”

Ah, yes. For the non-UK readers, the CIPD stands for Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. It’s the same as the US-based Society for Human Resource Management. Like the SHRM, the CIPD accredits different levels of HR qualifications. The Level 7 Diploma is the highest and is broadly equivalent to the SHRM’s ‘Senior Certified Professional’ (SHRM-SCP) examination.

Is it right for me?

The CIPD offers three main routes to qualification. Level 3 is for entry-level HR professionals and Level 5 is for mid-level workers. Broadly-speaking – and this is VERY broad – you might do L3 if you are an HR coordinator or administrator, L5 if you are an officer or advisor, and L7 if you are a manager or above. The SHRM-CP exam bridges both L3 and L5 levels of study. You can top up from L3 to L5 or from L5 to L7 without going through a whole new qualification.

What is the qualification the equivalent of?

First of all, the Level 7 comes as a certificate or a post-graduate diploma. Often, it’s stylised as ‘Advanced Diploma’ but for all intents and purposes, it’s a diploma. The diploma is the only way to get those fancy letters after your name, so I would personally recommend it over the certificate.

The diploma is classified as a ‘level seven’ qualification in the UK educational framework (level eight in Scotland) which is the equivalent to postgraduate study or a masters. Completing the L7 Advanced Diploma gives you 120 credits at this level.

To add MSc after your name, you would need a further 60 credits; essentially one more 15,000-word dissertation. There are top-up courses which offer this, usually through universities.

How do I do it and what does it cost?

A quick Google will show you exactly how many institutions offer these qualifications, but the most important thing is to check that the one you like the look of is CIPD-accredited, otherwise there isn’t much point.

Full-blown universities offer both diplomas and masters in HR which are fully accredited, but expect to pay at least £8K, maybe even more (a quick search this end shows that the MA starts at around £11K). Online-based distance-learning is cheaper and can be more convenient as you can manage your own time and be fully flexible around work and personal commitments. I did the latter, studying with ICS Learn and paying around £6,500 (with a little holiday discount), through a monthly interest-free instalment plan. I cannot recommend ICS Learn enough.

How long does it take?

A university based L7 diploma will take around twelve months. Online/distance learning suggests an average completion time of eighteen months. I completed mine in twenty months. The CIPD website suggests up to two and a half years. If you’re busy and well-disciplined then online might be the way to go (I did 30 mins to an hour each evening and eight hours over the weekend), otherwise it might be worth biting the bullet and enrolling at a university for that extra face-to-face support and concrete deadlines.

What do you do?

You complete eight modules, four of which are core and four of which are elective. Depending on which electives you do, you qualify with either a diploma in Human Resources Management or Human Resources Development. Both qualifications are the same but as the name suggests, one involves more focus on HR management and the other on talent development. The full module list can be found here.

How am I assessed?

Mostly through assignments, ranging from 3,000 to 7,000 words. One module, ‘Investigating a Business Issue from a Human Resources Perspective’ is the largest, requiring a 7,000 word business report with primary research (secondary research has been permitted during the Covid-19 pandemic).

Two others, ‘Human Resource Management in Context’ and ‘Leading, Managing and Developing People’ both require the sitting of exams instead. These exams are closed book and are heavily prose-based. They last three hours each and require some very heavy revising on HR concepts, case-studies (provided) and theory. For me, they were the toughest part of the course. Currently the exams are taken remotely via a learning portal and you’re given an extra hour because of some candidates typing slower than they write.

Most units will be marked swiftly as per the standards of your education institution but expect a long wait for the exam results as these are graded by CIPD assessors. I sat my exams in September 2020 and received the results in November.

Any other money stuff I need to be aware of?

You will need to enrol as a student member of the CIPD for £98 annually. Apart from accrediting your qualification you also get loads of amazing resources and access to academic journals which I found extremely useful.

The exams cost £74 each to enrol on, so you better pass them first time.

Should you wish to buy the textbooks (one for each unit) they don’t come cheap (when do they ever?), but you might get the e-books for free through your institution, or you can usually pick them up cheaper second-hand from sites like eBay.

How do I graduate and get the letters after my name?

It’s a long process and having only passed my final assignment last week, I don’t have all the answers here. What does happen is that the educational institution checks your results and passes them to the CIPD who do the same. This process can take up to ten weeks and only then is a certificate issued and posted to you. The certificate stage can take a few weeks too.

Once the CIPD has accredited your results you will become a full member of the CIPD (Assoc. CIPD) and have the option to upgrade to Chartered (MCIPD) or Fellow (FCIPD) membership. These memberships come at an extra cost and require the CIPD to assess the relevance of your HR experience to the grade you are applying for. More information can be found on their website.

Anything else I need to be aware of?

It would help you if you have a learning journal or personal development plan already on the go and updating it regularly. You are asked to refer to this often. If you don’t have these tools, then you are taught how to compose them during your studies.

I hope the above is useful – of course comment below if you have questions and if you do end up studying, good luck!