Well, now the Certificate modules have been nailed successfully , its time to open new doors, that of Diploma in IT. Here are the blog posts related to BCS Certificate in IT:

My First BCS Module posted on 22 April 2008

Knock Knock: BCS exams posted on 3 October 2008

How was the “Certificate experience”?

It was pretty cool. For the first time I got the opportunity to appreciate Computer Hardware, given basically am a Software guy. The module Computer & Network Technology was very helpful for upbringing my maturity in the field of hardware. I also purchased a book on Hardware which is:

I was not hyper confident in this module given am not a fan or Registers, Addressing modes, Fetch-Execute cycle, Boolean Algebra & Logic Circuits, Memory System, Truth table, karnaugh map, Instruction Sets, Number Systems, History of Computers.

For me, all these terms are maybe Geeky stuff, while maybe I consider myself to be Nerd!

The book: Principles of Computer Hardware by Alan Clements (as mentioned in the Knock knock: BCS exams blog post) was of great help.

Now lets talk a bit about the new doors that I have to open in my career.

The BCS Diploma in IT has the following shape:

Diploma in IT

This is the Diploma level of BCS Professional Examinations.

This level is the academic equivalent to Year 2 of a UK university honours degree and is recognised by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) as Level 5.

By beginning the Diploma in IT level course BCS assumes knowledge of the Certificate in IT level modules (or exemption) and focuses on the following:

• Professional Issues in Information Systems Practice (Core Module)
• Computer Networks
• Database Systems
• IT Project Management
• Object Oriented Programming
• Systems Analysis (Last ever exam October 2010)
• Principles of Internet Technologies (April only)
  (this module has replaced The Internet & World Wide Web and is not available for online registration)
• IT Service Management April only
• Software Engineering 1 (April only)
• Systems Design (April only - Last ever exam April 2010)
• Principles of User Interface Design (April only)

BCS recommends a minimum of 225 hours study per module. The course culminates in a 2 hour written exam focusing on the one core module and each of the three optional modules of your choice.

Completion of the Diploma Examinations level means you are eligible to apply for BCS Membership if you have 3 years’ experience as an IT professional.

Yes, more hours of study. I was skimming the materials and find the level has increased.

For the April Sitting, I am concentrating on:

1. IT Service Management
2. Database Systems
3. Software Engineering 1

Keep connected, I am going to post my experience in studying these BCS modules. I have already started to post and here are the tags:

http://asheshr.wordpress.com/category/british-computer-society/it-service-management/

http://asheshr.wordpress.com/category/british-computer-society/database-systems/

http://asheshr.wordpress.com/category/british-computer-society/software-engineering/

Aller Bon courage, lets attack the Diploma Module and remember: we never back down!