The Process to Complete your Sage Course

In this post we will cover the step by step process you need to follow to complete your Sage Pastel course and get your certificate.

Remember: on completing any of the Sage courses we offer you will receive an official certificate directly from Sage. This is the very best certification that anyone can get on a Sage product.

Before you read this make sure you have read through the training guide so that you understand the differences between the different courses and that you know which course to do.

Now we will cover the process for completing a Distance and Online Learning or Self Study course and then we will cover the Classroom courses.

Distance and Online Learning / Self Study

Step 1 – Register for the course

Step 1 is to register on our website for the course. When you register you will have the option to make payment via EFT or Credit Card (which uses the Payfast secure payment system).

You can start at any time. There are no set start dates for the Distance and Online learning courses.

PLEASE NOTE: The courses do have pre-requisites which you should check on the course outline.

We don’t require you to provide proof of your qualifications or any certificates to show that you do meet the pre-requisites. You need to ensure on your own that you do meet these requirements. If you are unsure then please contact us.

Step 2 – Delivery of your Learning Material

Once we receive payment we will courier the official Sage learning material to you which includes a training manual as well as download links for the Sage software.

Please note that this is an educational licence which is fully functional but is not meant for commercial use. This allows you to install the software on your computer for the purpose of completing the course.

In other words you don’t need to have the software in order to do the course. It is provided to you as part of your course material.

You will also receive a unique serial number that will allow you to register on the Sage website for the online assessment when you are ready to take the final exam (further details included in Step 6 below).

Depending on where in South Africa you are based it will usually take 1-3 working days for the learning material to get to you.

Step 3 – Access to the Student Portal (for students on the Distance and Online learning programme)

If you are registered for our Distance and Online learning option you will be provided with login details to the Talent Stream Student Portal.

Please note: the Self Study option does not come with access to the Talent Stream Student Portal – only the Distance and Online Learning option does. This is the key difference between these 2 training options.

Step 4 – Go through the Learning Material

You will start working through the training guide which includes detailed screenshots and step by step instructions on how to perform the different functions using the software.

If you need help you will be able to post any questions in the Student Portal (provided you are on the Distance and Online learning option) where a qualified trainer will assist you.

If required, we will record a video answer for you. See the following example:

Video: How to Process a Shareholder Loan

You can work at your own pace though the material. You have up to 6 months before you have to write but you can finish quicker if you wish e.g. nothing stops you from finishing in one week. It all depends on how much time you have available to study.

Typically you can budget on the following number of hours to go through the material the first time:
Sage Pastel Partner Intermediate – 24 hours
Sage Pastel Partner Practitioner – 36 hours

If you already have experience using Pastel it can take you less time.

Step 5 – Prepare for the Sage Online Assessment

The next step is to take the exam which is an online assessment on Sage’s website. You will take this assessment from home or anywhere else that you have internet access. In other words, you don’t go into any training centre to take the exam.

Before you take the online assessment you will want to revise your work thoroughly.

The pass mark for Sage exams are 75% for Sage Pastel Partner courses and 80% for Sage Evolution courses. Therefore you need to revise your work throughly and be well prepared before you take the online assessment.

Your course fee includes your assessment fee.

PLEASE NOTE: If you don’t pass it the first time there is an additional fee of R650 to retake the assessment. Furthermore, if someone fails two times they are then required to attend a classroom course before they are allowed to take the assessment again.

Therefore, you can see why it is so important to be well prepared.

In the Talent Stream Student Portal you will have access to a comprehensive mock exam that you can use to test your knowledge before taking the final exam on the Sage website.

You can take this mock exam as many times as you like (it mixes up the questions each time) and it will show you which areas you need to work on further before taking the actual exam.

If you have any further questions or things which are not clear at this stage you can post on the Student Forum’s for assistance.

This makes it an incredibly valuable learning tool.

Please note that if you do attend a classroom course the fees listed don’t automatically include access to the Student Portal (which has the mock exam and support). However you can purchase access for an additional fee (which you will see on the registration page when completing your registration).

Step 6 – Taking the Sage Exam

In order to take the exam you will go to the Sage website and create a personal profile.

You will also register the unique serial number that will have been issued to you in Step 2 above.

You will receive instructions via email on how to do this or, if you have access to the Student Portal (i.e. you are on the Distance and Online Learning) there is a video in the Portal demonstrating the process.

Step 7 – Getting your certificate

Once you’ve passed your online assessment Sage will immediately email you your certificate i.e. it is issued electronically. And that’s it – you will be officially certified !

Classroom Course Process

The classroom course follows the same process as above with the following differences:

Instead of going through the training manual at home you will do so in a class where an instructor will take you through it.

Once you have completed attending the classroom course you will need to go home and revise all your work before taking the online assessment for your certification.

The assessment process is the same i.e. you will take it at home online within 6 months of completing the course.

The Talent Stream Student Portal will also be helpful for you. However, it is not included in the default pricing but optionally available at an additional charge.