CIM, CIPR and ISP publish guidance on entry criteria for each level of study. Oxford College of Marketing will help interpret this to advise which level is the most suitable depending on your objectives. We may suggest that you undertake a pre-course to revise the basics before embarking on your qualification. This may mean you are able to study at a higher level than you thought. These pre-courses are unique to the college and are generally free of charge if you study the whole qualification.

In the unlikely event that you start your studies and find you are at the wrong level, please contact our Support Team who will be happy to help.

The initial information will tell you how long your course will take to complete. However, we always offer a comfortable window for you to complete your qualification.

  • CIM courses have 3 years of access to complete your qualification
  • CIPR courses have 2 years of access to complete your qualification

After your final assessment, we will let you keep access to the material for 6 months. This enables you to revisit any material you require in the months after your qualification.

All our tutors are experienced teachers and marketing or sales practitioners. We only use English speaking, predominantly UK-based tutors who have been rigorously interviewed by our academic team.

Throughout your course, you will have opportunities to interact with your trainer, assignment tutor and our in-house Support Team. These people will check that you are on the right track with your studies and your assessment projects. If applicable, your assignment tutor will provide guidance on any written assessments, including comprehensive feedback. Our online learning platform will also offer a large number of resources to assist your progress.

All costs are clearly shown in your formal quote. For most qualifications, in addition to your training fees, you will need to pay assessment fees and an annual membership to the awarding body. These may be included in your training fee or paid separately to the awarding body.

You may wish to purchase some additional books to support your studies. These costs will vary but we can advise a rough total and recommend reading materials.

We understand that life can be complicated, and we always take a compassionate position as far as our students’ lives are concerned. Just let us know if you need to defer and delay your studies.

The number of hours you should study a week will depend on how much prior knowledge you have and the level you are studying. We estimate between 5 and 10 hours a week is normal. But be warned – approaching assignment submissions or exams, you may be putting extra hours in!

Our pass rates are exceptional but in the unlikely event you fail a module, you will need to retake. You will be charged for additional assignment tutor support. This is between £60 to £300 + VAT depending on the qualification you are studying. Our Support Team will advise you when the results are published.

For CIM, if you marginally fail a unit, there is an opportunity to resubmit this, but the grade will be capped at a ‘pass’.

Oxford College of Marketing has a network of study centres across Britain and several international centres, which run a mixture of face to face evening and weekend classes for our CIM and CIPR courses. We also offer online distance learning and live virtual learning. If you find that your study mode is not working for you or want to change venue, just let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you.

There are numerous resources and free chapters on our online learning platform, that support all our courses and qualifications. Your accredited body membership will also give you access to excellent resources. If you are studying a CIM qualification, most modules are accompanied by a study guide.

However, depending on what you are studying, you may wish to purchase additional textbooks. Sometimes these are expensive but try to view them as an investment which you will refer to during your entire marketing career. You can buy these from the CIM bookstore, other book retailers, or Amazon.

Recommended reading lists are available on our online learning platform but if you need any advice on your book purchases, please do not hesitate to contact us.

If English is not your first language, we may require written evidence that you will be able to complete the work (such as achievement of English Language competency IELT level 6.5 or above). A language test may be required. However, usually, if you are living and working in the UK or an English-speaking country, your level of English will be fine.

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Astanos A.
I'm studying the level 6 diploma (distance learning) and the help i have received fron the tutors has been very professional. I look forward to finishing my last two units
E L.
Really helpful team, both tutors and college. Would recommend!
Alexa C.
I recently completed my CIM Diploma and had a great experience with Oxford College of Marketing. The course information was comprehensive and tutors great throughout, knowledgeable, and so helpful when preparing for my exams. An excellent experience all round and really appreciate all the help I received to get here. Thank you so much!
Katie S.
I recently finished my studies for a level 6 digital marketing and have had a great experience with Oxford college of marketing. My only complaint is that you get a new tutor for each unit and each tutor was asking me to format my coursework in a different way from the last which was quite time consuming and had me worried at times that I had formatted the previous unit wrong. This was only a minor part of my course however and everything else was great from the platform used, support, webinars, downloads and more. I loved how it was manageable to balance with my work which meant I could stay in full-time work during my studies.
Alex T.
Had a great experience learning with OXCOM for my CIM Level 6 Diploma in Professional Marketing. Would recommend to anyone looking to complete this qualification.
Richard B.
I recently completed my CIM Diploma with Oxford College of Marketing and had a great experience with them. Their online learning facilities are fantastic and I would recommend them to anyone looking to complete a CIM qualification.
Flavian M.
Very helpful staff. Consistently proactive and transparent. The tutelage prepared me well and I passed Level 6 CIM Diploma with confidence in 2025.
Camelia P.
Last year I decided to take the Level 3 certification in Digital Marketing with OXCOM and I am so happy with my choice. They provided so much guidance, even if I was a distant learner the support I received was priceless. I landed on my first ever Marketing job and now I am looking forward to completing the next step. They teach you from scratch and after taking the course you have the confidence to apply the knowledge. Outstanding service provided!
Sarah W.
I have just completed my Level 7 Marketing Leadership Programme with OXCOM (MBA equivalent) and couldn't rate them highly enough. I have completed 2 courses with this study centre and they are brilliant. The tutors are great, they push you to do the best you can and challenge you when they know you have more to give. The courses are tough, you really have to apply yourself - it's not something to take on half-heartedly. But if you throw yourself into it they will support you right to the end. The course materials are thorough and the recommended reading was great too. I honestly learnt so much with them. I am thrilled to have passed with distinction. Couldn't recommend them enough.
Warren F.
I started studying with Oxford College of Marketing in 2019 to complete my CIM Professional Marketing qualification. The support and advice I've had in that time has been second to none. The online platform is perfect for distance learning or gaining additional support around your face to face classes. During the pandemic it has been a huge relief to have access to the online platform and support whenever I've needed it from the admin team or tutors. Without this, I wouldn't have been able to achieve a distinction in my Strategic Marketing module. It's an excellent education service which I would definitely recommend.
Deborah R.
I did my CIM level 3 in Professional Marketing and it was very good. Really easy to access and use the resources. The customer service was great and were always really fast to answer any questions or issues. I would highly recommend.
Jennifer L.
Good customer contact and they were entirely virtual in lockdown, so was this not curtail them. Very responsive student support.
Daniel Y.
This review is way long overdue, I recommend anyone who is interested in a career in marketing or a business related career to take the opportunity to study at the Oxford College of Marketing, I enjoyed my time studying my CIM course, with the great online facilities and quality tutoring and course material this establishment provided.
anastasia H.
As someone who’s never been a big fan of studying, I’ve been surprised by how much I’m enjoying my Level 4 Professional Digital Marketing Certification with Oxford College of Marketing. The course is clear, practical and easy to fit around a busy schedule. The tutors are friendly and supportive, always wanting you to succeed. I’ve learned so much already and feel far more confident in my skills. I couldn’t recommend them enough!
Silvia C.
Very good student support, from start to finish. I can recommend the Oxford College of Marketing: they have well prepare & supportive customer service and very good tutors who are always ready to help and guide you in the right direction.
L K.
I'm currently studying level 4 in professional digital marketing and already on my 2nd module. So far I've enjoyed it and looking forward to finishing my studies and graduating with a certificate so i can move within my current role.