Frequently Asked Questions on home study and distance learning

If you purchased a download, you will find activation instructions in the email that contains your download link with subject ‘Important Purchase Information’. Please first look for this email from ElectaCourse. If you purchased a CD, activation instructions will be on an insert inside the CD case. You can also OBTAIN YOUR ACTIVATION CODE HERE

My software has locked up, what have I done wrong ?

Many of our products are protected by remote Locking software to prevent copying. Installation on more than one computer may result in all installations of that software locking up. If you believe that your software has locked up in error, please contact us and we will investigate and re-establish your software as quickly as possible. You need to be connected to the internet for your software to activate.

Please be assured that all our software is virus free and has been checked by commercial grade Kaspersky Anti-Virus software.

An issue has been identified with Norton Sonar activating and treating a safe program as suspicious activity. In this case it is falsely identifying the file locking software as malicious code. This can happen with other anti-virus software also. You can switch Sonar off temporarily whilst using the simulator to rectify the problem.

To turn off or turn on SONAR Protection

1. In the Norton Internet Security main window, in the Computer pane, click Settings.

2. Under Real Time Protection, in the SONAR Protection row, do one of the following:

* To turn off SONAR Protection, move the On/Off switch to the right to the Off position.

* To turn on SONAR Protection, move the On/Off switch to the left to the On position.

3. In the Settings window, click Apply.

Please also add the software to your anti-virus ‘Trusted’ or ‘Safe’ programs list.

My anti-virus software is stopping my software running, why is this ?

What if my download fails?

You have 48 hours in which to complete your download. If you fail to download within this time, you can simply click the ‘Request Additional Download’ link on your purchase receipt email and we will authorise an additional download. If you still have problems, please contact us quoting the Transaction ID (from PayPal) or Receipt Number (from Google Checkout) and we will endeavour to send you another download link as quickly as possible.

I can’t find my download on my computer, what can I do ?

If your download is recent, you may have either ‘run’ the download from the download link, rather than ‘saving’ it to your computer. Also, if you did not use the ‘Browse’ button when downloading, your download may have been saved to a temporary folder on your PC.

To find your download:

In Internet Explorer - Click the Gear icon at the top right of the browser and then View Downloads from the menu. A ‘View Downloads’ window will pop up. Click the ‘Options’ link in the bottom left of this window. You will see ‘Default download location:’ with a box underneath it. In the box is the folder where your downloads are saved (usually downloads). You can navigate to this folder to access your downloads.

In Firefox - Click the orange box in the top left of the browser and choose Options. An ‘Options’ window will pop up. Ensure the ‘General’ tab is clicked and you will see ‘save files to:’ with a box next to it. In the box is the folder where your downloads are saved (usually downloads). You can navigate to this folder to access your downloads.

We offer a free re-download service for up to 3 months after your purchase.

Simply contact us with your Transaction ID (from PayPal) or Receipt Number (from Google Checkout) and we will endeavour to send you another download link as quickly as possible. Please note that, due to regular updates, we can only resend your download link if your purchase was made within the preceding 3 months.

When Downloading:

Please ensure you ‘save’ the files to a KNOWN location on your hard drive, such as ‘my documents’ or ‘desktop’

Also do not ‘run’ or ‘open’ from the download link, but ‘save’ the files.

When unzipping the download, please ensure you use the ‘browse’ button that will appear to again save the files to a KNOWN location on your hard drive, such as ‘my documents’ or ‘desktop’. Full instructions are included in the email that contains your download link.

When will I receive my order?

If you purchase a digital download, shortly after you make your payment, you will be provided with a download link so that you can download your purchase instantly. The download link is usually provided instantly however, on occasions our payment processor may require further checks before authorising the payment. In this case, there may be a delay of a few hours while additional checks are carried out, before the download link is emailed to you. If you have purchased a CD or DVD, we usually despatch orders the same day as we receive them, excluding weekends. We ask customers to allow 10 days to receive their order.

What if my purchase is faulty ?

All our goods are checked and verified before dispatch, however if you find your goods are faulty, please return your goods which we will replace promptly, free of charge. Please email us first. We will provide you with a returns number and address to return the item to. You can email us through our Contact Form.

How do I return an item ?

Please email us first. We will provide you with a returns number and address to return the item to. You can email us through our Contact Form.

IMPORTANT - Please read our Returns and Refund Policy. We are unable to provide refunds for purchases made via digital download or for CDs that have been opened.

Where can I sit my exams?

Many of our courses are geared towards helping the learner gain a specific qualification. The exams for these courses (such as the 2382 and 2392) can be sat at an approved examination centre that accepts external candidates. You can Book your Exam Here. To find a centre, visit the City and Guilds website and search for your course number (eg. 2382). Click the link to go to the qualification page and enter your postcode in the box on the left of the page to find your nearest exam centre. Not all centres accept external candidates (although most can) and you may find private centres will accept external candidates more readily than colleges.

Do you provide tutor support?

At this moment in time we do not provide tutor support as it would increase the cost of the courses dramatically - compare our prices! All our courses are designed for study at home, with no time constraints or pressure.

Are your courses accredited?

Our courses are geared towards accredited qualifications such as NVQ or City & Guilds. Examinations are sat at an approved examination centre and upon passing you will receive a fully accredited qualification. We do not provide accreditation ourselves.

Will I receive a recognised qualification?

Yes, on successfully passing your exam. When you feel ready to do so, you can book in to an approved exam centre to sit your exam. As long as you pass at an approved examination centre, then you will receive a recognised qualification for that exam and a certificate from the relevant examination body.

I haven’t studied for many years, do your courses allow for people like me?

Returning to formal study at a college may present a problem. However, our courses are deigned for home study at your own pace, making them ideal for people who haven’t studied for a while.

I have no previous experience. Will this be a problem?

Just as long as you have an interest, enthusiasm and a desire to learn, that’s all you’ll need. Our material can provide you with the information you need for certain courses, even if you are a beginner. Many courses have no pre-qualification requirements but please bear in mind that you may require practical training for certain qualifications, particularly certain electrical qualifications such as Inspection and Testing.

Are you associated with City and Guilds or the IET?

No. All products and services offered on this website are the products and services of ElectaCourse Ltd and are in no way authorised, approved, endorsed by, or associated with City & Guilds or any other body.

How do I contact you if there’s a problem?

Our courses are self explanatory, but if you are unsure of anything, please contact us via email. Just click the ‘Contact Us’ link at the top of the page. Our full contact details can be found on our contact us page.

Is your site secure?

Yes, we use PayPal and Google Checkout to process all payments. PayPal have over 100 Million accounts and use the highest levels of encryption. As a PayPal and Google Checkout Merchant, we never get to see your card details they are only sent, securely encrypted, to PayPal or Google Checkout.

Why is there ‘Tax’ on my purchase?

We have to charge the standard rate of UK VAT on all our products. This is presently 20% and shows up as ‘Tax’ or ‘VAT’ at the checkout. This amount goes to the UK government rather than us.

I am interested in becoming an electrician - what qualifications do I need?

You would be best contacting your chosen trade body as your first port of call, to ascertain their particular qualification requirements for the work you intend to do. You can find details of trade bodies here:

Our Complete Electrical Starter covers the 2382 (17th Edition Wiring Regs) and 2392 (Fundamental Inspection and Testing) electrical qualifications which are very relevant to today's practising electrician. There are no pre-qualification requirements for both these exams, however there is also a practical element to the 2392. We do not provide the practical training that would be required at present. You can find these electrician courses here

You can also find a lot of information on electrical qualifications here

My download is taking a very long time and does not seem to be progressing.

There are occasional instances where anti-virus software falsely identifies our file locking software as malicious code. Your anti-virus software will then stop the download. To rectify this, temporarily disable your anti-virus software to allow the download to continue. You can then re-enable your anti-virus software once the download completes. If you still have problems, please contact us quoting the Transaction ID (from PayPal) or Receipt Number (from Google Checkout) and we will endeavour to send you another download link as quickly as possible.

You can Protect Your Download for just £1.70 per month. Download Protection offers you as many re-downloads as you require plus Free Updates for the life of your purchase as long as you remain subscribed to the download protection service. You can cancel the service at any time. Find out more about our Download Protection Service here.