Frequently Asked Questions
Do we have to take all 600 courses?
Absolutely not. About 60% of our partners believe that if they don't offer it, they can't sell it. Nonetheless, there are schools that have some restrictions that the main campus has placed on the Continuing Education side that doesn't allow certain courses or programs to "compete" with the in class enrollment programs. Areas such as Legal/Paralegal are sometimes an area that Continuing Education might not be allowed to offer. Each school can use our Partner Data Worksheet (PDW) and highlight only the courses they wish to offer or they can highlight all our course offerings.
What is the online course refund policy?
Refunds for online courses are only given under the following circumstances:
•The student/user did not access any portion of the online course and the student/user requests a refund, in writing via email within three business days from the date of the course setup (email notification sent). There will be no refunds for any online courses (or curricula) once a course has been accessed in any manner.
•All shipped course materials (books, study guides, CDs, Self-Study Kits, Videos, etc.) are returned, unopened/unused at your own expense if you accept delivery of the package. Additional restocking and shipping costs may apply to returned books.
•Some courses include Kindle books as reference materials. There are no refunds for Kindle books once the enrollment link has been sent. Kindle book links are sent upon enrollment/activation of the course.
Please understand that with the enrollment and accessing of your online course, you have read and agree to the aforementioned refund poli
What is the minimum course completion requirement to get credit for completion of a course/certificate/certification learning plan?
Upon successful completion of the learning plan's end of course test/exam, the student must pass with 70% or higher grade to be considered "successful".
How long does it take to complete a program?
Nearly all of our courses and programs are self-paced and open enrollment, so you can start your training immediately and move at your own pace until completion. Most programs can be completed with-in 4 to 6 months after you register but you are given plenty of time to complete if needed. Course and Program lengths vary depending on the subject matter. All courses and programs list the average number of hours to complete and the length of time you have to access your training. As a general rule, if you spend 5 to 7 hours per week on your studies you should be able to complete your training in the timeframe allotted.
Do I have to buy additional materials?
All the materials that you will need are included, and their cost will be covered by your tuition. We will ship all materials ground service upon enrollment. Some course and programs contain online material for download only. For these courses shipping of books is not required. Please make sure that you list a valid mailing address and we cannot ship to P.O. Boxes.
Do I have to login and attend class at a certain time or be forced to study on a fixed schedule?
No. Students are encouraged to work at their own individual pace in order to get the maximum benefit from their course. Login when you want (24x7) and start learning. You may progress through your course as quickly or slowly as you wish provided that you finish your training.
What system requirements are needed for these programs/courses?
• Operating systems - SkillSoft training works on Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Mac OS X using the latest browser versions.
Mac Users - Please use the latest version of Safari. Most SkillSoft courses work well with OS X and Safari 4.x and above. Make sure you have the latest versions of Java and the Adobe Flash player for the Mac installed.
• Browsers - I.E. 7.x and Firefox 3.1 or above on Windows and Safari 4.x or above on the Mac are recommended. Firefox on the Mac is not supported.
• Java is required to access the SkillSoft training portal. Java is available download Java directly from Sun.
Note: Installing applications requires that you have administrative privileges for your machine. If you do not have administrative privileges on your computer and/or do not feel comfortable installing computer applications, contact your group desktop support person to assist you.
• Flash player version 10 or newer is required to access many of the web based courses.
• High-speed Internet access recommended with online players.
• Minimum Pentium 166 MHz CPU required to support audio playback.
• Minimum 64 MB RAM (128 MB recommended).
What is the difference between instructor and mentor support?
We have very few courses that do not offer either an instructor or a mentor throughout your training. The courses that offer mentor support are self paced; however, there is an industry expert who can provide you content specific support via phone or email. Our mentors are available around-the-clock to offer learners the expert support they need while learning new technologies and preparing for certification. Communication can come in the following formats: support via direct email and Live Chat (available in most of the IT programs. Instructor supported courses assign each student a certified instructor who will monitor your progress, give feedback on assignments and often post information to add to your success in the online learning classroom. The courses and programs without instructor or mentor support are designed for students to complete successfully by self study through the materials provided.
What is the difference between certification and certificate programs?
Certification Programs:
Many of our online programs prepare students for industry certification exams like, Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco, PMI, Coding CCA, etc. Exam fees are typically not included in the cost of the training, unless you have chosen a specialized training package. Upon completion of a certification training program, you will need to arrange to take the associated industry exam. Most certification testing is administered by third-party vendors such as Prometric and Virtual University Enterprises (VUE), the two leading providers of technology-based testing. Both testing centers offer a network of computer-based testing centers with thousands of locations worldwide. Exam costs range from $125 to $300. Once you've completed the program and selected the exam you plan to take, you can register with Prometric or VUE online or via phone. For more information about Prometric, visit www.2test.com, and for more information about VUE, visit www.vue.com. NOTE: these courses are not fo
If I want to purchase an exam, when should I do this? What is the time frame I will need to purchase this exam?
You will want to let your Training Assessment Manager know that you want an exam included with your course. Then you have up to one year after your course expires to get your voucher. Therefore, after your course is complete, you will want to contact your Training Assessment Manager as soon as possible.
Is funding available for training?
We understand that sometimes paying for training can be a financial burden. We believe that no one should miss out on training or obtaining the job of your dreams. If you need a loan for your online certificate or program, our convenient Continuing Education Loan or monthly payment plans may be just the solution you are looking for.
What if I have a question, but don't know who to ask?
During your course, questions will undoubtedly arise. Most of our courses offer either an instructor or mentor support contact. If you do not have an instructor or mentor, your course URL typically will have a 'contact us' option. If you are unable to login to utilize any of the aforementioned options, please call 866-316-6911 between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM EST, or send your name, e-mail address, and phone number, along with the name of your course, to registrar@protrainedu.org and someone will contact you as soon as possible.
In case you are new to online courses or have questions about basic mechanisms used to offer them, ProTrain has compiled a list of helpful video tutorials that can be retrieved and accessed online.
After viewing them you still have questions - please feel free to call the provided toll free number for live help.
Why are there in classroom questions?
Because there are in classroom answers.