There are hundreds of RSA courses to choose from so why not just choose the cheapest one? After all won’t you get an RSA certificate and thats what you need to get a job.
The problem with simply choosing the cheapest course is:
Quality of training can be very poor – which means you can pass but you don’t learn anything.
Time to complete the course – Some courses take less than two hours and some take six hours. Cheap does not mean good value and your time is worth at least $20/hr once you are working. Check out the best courses I have done.
On the other hand, the most expensive course is not necessarily the best either. My goal is to find courses that are lower cost and great quality.
It is for all of these reasons I decided to build this website. You can read my story here if you want. Basically I want to help people find lower cost training that teaches you to responsibly serve alcohol. On this website I am personally paying for and reviewing a number of courses and comparing them for each state. So far I have the following states covered – NSW, QLD, NT, SA and WA. I also did some research into the cheapest RSAs for NSW and the cheapest for QLD.
I totally understand you want to do a cheap RSA online, but lets look at what that can mean in a little more detail.
Quality of training can be very poor
Even though the RSA course is a government requirement there is actually some really important things you can learn from this course. Sounds kinda goody two shoes I know but I was surprised at what I learned.
For example:
- Rather then just cutting people off, I learned how to suggest alternative drinks and what to suggest.
- I learned a lot from the part that deals with how to see the signs of intoxication. To be honest I thought I knew this one, but I now know a lot more.
- Found out ways to work with other staff and management to make my job a whole lot easier.
The quality of some of the cheap RSA courses online is a joke. It is true that the various government training authorities are working on ensuring minimum standards are kept at a reasonable level. In Queensland for example they conducted an audit on one of the cheapest and found one to be so bad the took away their registration. Another one I found out on good authority, takes less than an hour to complete but cannot possibly teach you well this quickly. I suspect more will loose their registration, but in the meantime I hope I can help others to choose wisely.
There is more to great training than compliance.
Time – Some courses take 4 hours or some take 8 hours
A good course used to be in the middle and it depends on the state as well. However, ideally a good course will help you learn the material well, but not waste your time. This can be achieved with a well delivered and well structured program backed up with good support.
For example, a good course uses multimedia and has a presentation that guides you through the material in a way that educates but is not boring.
If you would like to learn more about Quality v Cost – check out the FAQs
Or simply go to the State you want training for and see what we have to say. NSW and QLD, WA, SA, NT, TAS and ACT.
Getting training for multiple states and all of Australia is possible and you can save a lot of time and money by choosing the right ones.
Hi Quinn,
Iam heading to Australia in a month with a working holiday visa, i would like to work in a bar.
If i get RSA certificate mean i can work in bars anywhere in Australia?
Thanks.
Alpha Suen
Basically – No. Really depends on the states you want to work. Where do you want to work?