A simple way of distinguishing:
- will the IAM allow you to buy the book and take the exam - or just book in for the exam alone?
- if you use the IAM for anything other than material / exam, how is it described?
not 100% sure on the first, though their toptips suggest that you could just do the exam...
however it also goes on to say:
We provide our time to coach and help you to pass the advanced test.
http://www.iam.org.uk/images/stories/Me ... optips.pdfcoaching = instruction?
ref. paid instruction - I think that is a slight red herring - you are paying the IAM to have access to the local group - your skills for life course includes free membership of the local group for 1 year and they are clear that to continue after that requires a renewal of that payment - so the observers themselves might not be paid, but the associate is definitely paying to access that instruction... I think the question is more around whether it is instruction or just observation...
I think there will come a time when the IAM will require observers to be ADI level (which may kill / change IAM) - the associate is clearly paying for access to a course which moves them forwards in skills / ability - however you dress it up they are paying for instruction...
Alasdair