Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
At Connect, we value your curiosity and want to provide you with all the information you need about our courses and how we operate. To assist you further, we have compiled a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) that address common queries you may have.
If you require additional guidance, our team is readily available to help you. You can contact us via email, phone, or chat from Monday to Friday between 9 am and 5 pm.
Your inquiries are important to us, and we are here to support you every step of the way.
- What are the entry requirements for each course?
- Can I do the courses while living outside the UK?
- What’s the attendance policy?
- How long does the application process take?
- Is a deposit refundable?
- What if the first option on my application is full?
- Do you have any funding?
- What are the modalities covered in the courses?
- Does Astranti Connect provide placements for Level 4?
- I have a disability. What reasonable adjustments can you provide?
1. What are the entry requirements for each course?
CPCAB Level 2
Aged 18 or over
CPCAB Level 4
- Aged 19 or over
- Candidates must have fully completed a CPCAB L3 course (or equivalent) – minimum of 180 guided learning hours
- External candidates must pass an interview
What is an equivalent CPCAB L4 course?
Certain other courses (e.g. most BACP courses) meet the minimum requirements:
- A minimum of 90 guided learning hours
- Live-online OR classroom-based
- Practical work was a major part of the course – with work in small group practice sessions throughout
What courses are NOT equivalent?
The following types of qualifications don’t usually meet the required entry requirements:
- Most university courses
- Most courses from NCFE CACHE, TQUK, SEG (Skills & Education Group), BTEC, ABC, Ofqual
CPCAB Level 6
- Aged 19 or over
- Candidates must have fully completed a CPCAB L4 course (or equivalent)
- Have completed 100 placement hours
- Have a minimum of 450 client hours
- External candidates must pass an interview
- At least 10 hours of personal counselling by the start of the course
What is an equivalent CPCAB L4 course?
- Certain other courses (e.g. most BACP courses) meet the minimum requirements:
- A minimum of 450 guided learning hours
- Live-online OR classroom based
- Have completed 100 placement hours
What courses are NOT equivalent?
The following types of qualifications don’t usually meet the required entry requirements:
- University courses
- Most courses from NCFE CACHE, TQUK, SEG (Skills & Education Group), BTEC, ABC, Ofqual
CPCAB Level 3
- Aged 19 or over
- Candidates must have fully completed a CPCAB L2 course (or equivalent)
- Candidates must complete an application form
What is an equivalent CPCAB L2 course?
Certain other courses (e.g. most BACP courses) meet the minimum requirements:
- A minimum of 90 guided learning hours
- Live-online OR classroom-based
- Practical work was a major part of the course – with work in small group practice sessions throughout
What courses are NOT equivalent?
The following types of qualifications don’t usually meet the required entry requirements:
- Most university courses
- Most courses from NCFE CACHE, TQUK, SEG (Skills & Education Group), BTEC, ABC, Ofqual
CPCAB Level 5
- Aged 19 or over
- Candidates must have fully completed a CPCAB L4 course (or equivalent)
- Have completed 100 placement hours
- External candidates must pass an interview
- At least 10 hours of personal counselling by the start of the course
What is an equivalent CPCAB L4 course?
- Certain other courses (e.g. most BACP courses) meet the minimum requirements:
- A minimum of 450 guided learning hours
- Live-online OR classroom based
- Have completed 100 placement hours
What courses are NOT equivalent?
The following types of qualifications don’t usually meet the required entry requirements:
- University courses
- Most courses from NCFE CACHE, TQUK, SEG (Skills & Education Group), BTEC, ABC, Ofqual
Can I skip levels?
At Astranti Connect, we typically don’t allow our students to skip levels 2 and 3 as we firmly believe that these offer the essential foundations of what will become your counselling practice.
Where students haven’t previously completed our course levels, we only permit students to skip in the following situations:
1. You have completed the previous CPCAB Level courses with another training provider.
Or
2. You have completed an equivalent qualification that meets the following requirements:
(a) Has the minimum number of guided learning hours
(b) Was taught either in a classroom or live online (not study-on-demand without tutors or peers)
(c) Included live skills sessions with peers to practice.
If you’re unsure if you meet these requirements, you can always book a 1-2-1 call or contact our customer service team to further discuss your background and knowledge.
2. Can I do the courses while living outside the UK?
You can certainly complete our Level 2 and Level 3 courses online from outside the UK, as they are live online and fully accessible from anywhere.
However, for higher-level qualifications like our Level 4 Diploma, the awarding body (CPCAB) requires the course to be completed mostly in person. Many of our international students choose our residential course option for Level 4, which involves coming to the UK for seven intensive residential blocks over two years, combined with online classes. Furthermore, please keep in mind that Level 4 placement hours must be completed within the UK due to CPCAB regulations.
3. What’s the attendance policy?
Our awarding body (CPCAB) requires a minimum attendance rate of 85% across all of our courses to ensure you meet the necessary criteria to pass.
To help put that into perspective, for standard Level 2 and Level 3 daytime courses, this means you can miss up to two classes, while for evening courses, you can miss up to four classes. We always recommend saving these allowances for unexpected situations like illness or emergencies. If you do miss a session, your tutor will guide you on how to catch up on the material, though you will miss out on the live peer discussions and practical skills sessions.
Please note that unless otherwise agreed, it is a requirement to attend the first session of the course, and you must notify us or your tutor in writing as soon as possible if you know you will be absent. Additionally, for online sessions, you are expected to keep your camera on for the full duration of the session.
4. How long does the application process take?
We aim to contact all students at least 7 days after receiving your application. However, the next steps of your application will vary depending on whether you are an internal or external applicant, and if we need to arrange an interview.
Internal Applicants
If you have recently completed a course with us within the last 9 months and wish to continue your studies, you will be considered an internal applicant.
For any level application, typically, there is no need for an interview. Instead, we will contact your tutor to ensure they believe you are well-suited to progress to the next level.
Typically, the tutor will make this decision after you have completed approximately 70% of the sessions of your last course. For example, if the course consists of 13 sessions, the tutor will evaluate your progress after around 9 sessions.
If you decide to apply for the next level before reaching this point, your application may need to wait until we can accept it. However, if you apply after this milestone, we can usually inform you about your application status within 1 week.
During busier periods, the processing time may take a bit longer, but we always strive to communicate with you as soon as possible!
External Applicants
If you are applying for Level 2 or Level 3, there is usually no interview required, and you can expect to receive a response regarding the success of your application within 1 week.
An interview will be necessary for Level 4, 5, or 6 applications. However, you can still anticipate hearing back about your application’s initial status within 1 week. If you progress to the interview stage, you’ll receive an invitation to schedule an appointment. Typically, appointment slots are available within 2-3 weeks from the time you receive the email.
5. Is my deposit refundable?
We depend on deposit payments to secure your spot in our courses, and therefore, if you choose not to attend later, we won’t be able to refund your deposit.
However, in the event that we are unable to conduct your course for any reason, rest assured that we will offer you two options: a full refund of your deposit or the opportunity to transfer to another course. Your satisfaction is our priority, and we are committed to accommodating your needs.
What if I can no longer attend the course?
It’s completely understandable that life can get in the way and plans might need to change!
If you decide to withdraw from the course before it begins, you can do so without owing any further course fees as long as you provide at least 28 days’ written notice before your original start date. However, please keep in mind that deposit payments are non-refundable.
If you withdraw with less than 28 days’ notice, or after your course has already started, the full remaining course fee will still be due. Alternatively, if you need to change your start date rather than leave completely, you are permitted to defer to an equivalent course up to 12 months from your original start date as long as you give us at least 28 days’ notice before the original course starts.
6. What if the first option on my application is full?
If your first option is unavailable, our customer service team will promptly contact you to discuss alternative course options.
Rest assured, there’s no need to go through the application process again; we will handle everything for you and automatically transfer you to your next preferred option. However, please keep in mind that your place will only be confirmed once you have successfully paid your deposit and received a confirmation email from us. This deposit payment is essential to secure your spot in the course of your choice. So, once you’ve made the deposit and we’ve emailed you, you can be assured of your confirmed place in the course.
7. Do you do any government funding?
At present, we do not provide any funding options for our courses.
However, we do understand the importance of accessibility and affordability, which is why we offer interest-free payment plans for all our courses. We aim to make our courses as accessible as possible to students from various backgrounds. To learn more about the available payment options, please visit the course pages on our website. We want to ensure that you have a smooth and flexible payment experience while embarking on your professional journey with us.
8. What are the modalities covered in the courses?
The specific modalities explored in Level 4 are person-centred, CBT, SFBT (solution-focused brief therapy), work on Past Histories (including Schema Therapy and some Psychodynamic) and Parts Work (including Internal Family Systems and Gestalt).
All that is bound in a Pluralistic approach to integrated therapy, which is the preeminent model of integrating the various modalities together.
9. Does Astranti Connect provide placements for Level 4?
For your Level 4 placement, this will likely begin towards the end of your first year/ beginning of your second year of study. Your tutor will sign you off as ‘ready for placement’ once you’ve achieved all the required skills to go out and practice with real clients.
You will need to secure your placement yourself (this could be with an agency or charity, for example), but your tutor and our placement coordinator will be there to advise and assist with the process! You will need to complete 100 placement hours – 49 of these can be done online! You also have up to a year after your course officially concludes to finish your hours, if you need it.
10. I have a disability. What reasonable adjustments can you provide?
We can absolutely provide reasonable adjustments and have many measures in place for current students. You’d also be welcome to let us know via email what adjustments you would need or find useful, and we can let you know if it’s possible and what it would look like in practice!
Contact our team!
If you’re considering joining one of our courses but still have questions you need answers to, why not contact our customer service team?
Our team is on hand to help you with any queries you may have about our courses, and you can contact us via email, live chat or phone between 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday.