This study centered on the extent of adult correspondence study in Great Britain, student objectives, and reasons for success or failure in study for the General Certificate of Education, higher degrees, and other advanced qualifications. Enrollment questionnaires from 13,304 students, and 2,090 responses to a retrospective survey, were used. These were among the conclusions: (1) most students are from highly urbanized areas; (2) job advancement is the chief motive; (3) the correspondence method tends to be freely chosen over other available methods; (4) attrition, highest in the early stages of a course, usually stems from general difficulties of part-time study; (5) oral tuition is more successful than the correspondence method in maintaining student interest and incentive. (Also included are a bibliography, research review, statistical appendixes, notes on questionnaire scoring and on enrollment records, a pilot study on preparation of students for an accounting examination, and surveys of correspondence education in seven European countries.) [Not available in hardcopy because of marginal legibility of original document.] (ly)