Yes! We’ve been a CIPD-awarded centre for 30 years, and pioneers in flexible professional learning for 130 years.

We’re the UK’s most trusted online CIPD centre, rated Excellent from more than 8,000 independent student reviews.

And our CIPD pass rate is 99% from thousands of students each year. *

The CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate in People Practice is an entry-level qualification aimed at people who are looking to start a career in Human Resources or Learning and Development. It’s suitable for beginners who have little or no experience of working in HR or L&D roles. As a result, it’s popular with people who are switching careers and looking to gain an entry-level role in the area. A Level 3 course, it’s the first qualification that most HR and L&D professionals study, providing a strong foundation of essential knowledge to build your career on.

The course is split into four modules:

• Business, Culture and Change in Context
• Essentials of People Practice 
• Core Behaviours for People Professionals 
• Principles of Analytics 

In Business, Culture and Change in Context, you’ll explore how HR and L&D professionals influence work and employees in different ways. You’ll also look at how digital and commercial environments impact businesses, the importance of project planning and how employee behaviour can shape workplace culture.

In Essentials of People Practice, you’ll look at the fundamental principles and functions of the people profession (ie. Human Resources and Learning & Development), as well as legislation and policy. You’ll explore areas such as the recruitment process, diversity and inclusion and managing employees.

Core Behaviours for People Professionals examines the key behaviours that are expected from professionals working in HR and L&D roles. Throughout this module, you’ll explore how ethical practice can create value and how ethical principles can be applied to various customer-focused business approaches. You’ll also learn how to evaluate and reflect on contemporary, professional ethical values. 

In Principles of Analytics, you’ll discover how evidence-based practice motivates business outcomes, along with how data analytics is used to inform decision-making within an organisational. 

You can find out more about what you’ll study on the CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate in People Practice in our blog, CIPD 101: A Complete Guide to CIPD HR and L&D Qualifications (and Which One to Choose)

We offer the CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate in People Practice entirely online, which means that you can complete the qualification in your own time, from wherever you want. Unlike traditional study, where you attend a physical classroom, online study like this lets you work at your own pace and set your own schedule. This type of learning is well-suited to busy professionals who want to gain a qualification whilst working full-time. All you need to study your Level 3 course is a stable internet connection and a device that you can access the digital course content on, like a laptop, smartphone or tablet. 

Whether you study the course full-time or part-time is entirely up to you: you decide how quickly or slowly you want to learn based on how you choose to work through the content on the course. Most people choose to study the CIPD Level 3 part-time but there’s absolutely no reason why you couldn’t study full-time, if you had the time and resources to do so. 

Right away! When you enrol, you’ll be able to log in to your course and get started within an hour.

There are no set start dates or schedules – everything is shaped around you.

On average it will take you between seven to nine months to study the CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate in People Practice, based on a typical study schedule of a few hours a week. There is nothing stopping you from completing the course in less time: the influencing factor is how much time you can dedicate to studying in a week. 

Balancing a full-time job, a family/a social life and study can be a challenge, so the exact time it takes you to complete your Level 3 qualification will depend on how much commitment you’re willing to put in to your study. If you have more free time available that you put towards learning, you can probably complete the qualification faster. 

Thanks to the fact that the qualification is delivered entirely online, you’ll be able to access course content and study whenever you want: all you need to do is log on. 

As an ICS Learn CIPD student, you’ll always have a real person on hand to help you when you need it. From the moment you enrol, you’ll have access to:

• Unlimited support
• Live online CIPD classrooms so you can learn and ask questions in real time
• CIPD classroom recordings so you can watch and rewatch them at a time that suits you
• CIPD student forums to network and share advice with other HR professionals
• Our friendly Student Services team to help you with non-academic questions
• Our all-in-one online learning platform, the Student Community, filled with interactive course materials designed by CIPD experts

You’ll also have unlimited lifetime access to our Career Hub, giving you thousands of resources to help you impress employers, master critical business skills, and build your dream career. It includes:

• A CV and cover letter builder
• An interview simulator
• An elevator pitch builder
• Career and work psychology assessments
• In-depth industry and employer profiles
• 350+ employer films with practical advice from hiring managers
• 1000+ short courses, articles and videos on key career skills like negotiating a raise and leading a team

If you’re funding the course yourself, our flexible 0% payment plans allow you to spread the cost with interest-free* monthly instalments.

Plus, with our price match guarantee, we’ll match any provider’s price for a like-for-like CIPD course, so you’ll always get the best deal with us.

If your employer is funding all or part of your course, we can invoice them directly for your course fees – just let your course advisor know and we’ll arrange everything.

We also accept funding through ELCAS for this course. If you’re an Armed Forces member looking to use the Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme, speak to our course advisors for more details.

Unlike other CIPD courses, there are no strict entry requirements for the CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate in People Practice. This is because the Level 3 is a qualification aimed at people who are coming into the people profession for the first time, or who are at the early stages of their career. It’s essentially a beginner-level course that will equip you with the foundational skills, knowledge and attitude you’ll need for a successful career in HR or L&D.  

Whilst there aren’t entry requirements, you will need to be able to speak and write in English to an adequate level. In general, we recommend that you have an an IELTS 5.5/TOEFL 71/Cambridge Grade C or equivalent to study this qualification. We’re happy to review cases on an individual basis though if you’re unsure of your suitability for this course. 

As this course is delivered entirely online, you’ll need a stable internet connection to work through content and complete the qualification. You can access the course content using any device that connects to the internet, like a laptop, tablet or a smartphone. 

You can find out more about entry requirements for CIPD qualifications in our blog, Everything You Need to Know About CIPD Qualifications in 2023