The SPARK Education Committee and Professional Development Solutions, LLC offer retirement plan industry courses online.

Following is information about how the online courses are structured and what you can expect once you register:

• Estimates of the average time to complete each course are provided in the course catalog. Since every learner is different from every other learner, you may find that it takes more or less time than the average. Your learning style, your previous experience, and your ability to focus are just some of the factors that may affect how long it takes you to successfully complete each module.

• The courses are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Upon completion of your registration, you will have 182 days of access to a course and to an experienced facilitator.
  

• There are several options for navigation. You can move between screens by clicking on the syllabus located in the side bar or by using the standard navigation tools including backward and forward arrows. Use the bookmark icon at the top of each screen to save your place.

• Learning objectives for each course are provided that outline the material that is covered in the exam. The basic concepts being taught are supplemented with illustrations and examples to enhance your understanding of the material.

• Examples and exercises help you apply the concepts you are learning. All the exercises are optional, but we recommend that you try them since they are helpful for clarifying concepts.

• There are essay exams throughout and objective final exams at the end of each course.  You are allowed 2 attempts for each final exam in case you want to improve your final score.  Be careful not to exit in the middle of an exam because it will register as one of your 2 attempts.

• The passing score is 80% for each course exam.  A passing score on each of the course exams is required for successful completion of the online training.  If you do not achieve a passing score on either of your two attempts, you may request that a course be reset which requires you to retake all of the exams in that course.  A reset fee will apply.  Please note a course will not be reset until you have completed all of your other registered course work to avoid multiple resets and fees.

• Support is available to you throughout the 182-day access period. A facilitator from Professional Development Solutions will help you with any issues. You will receive a response to any email, regardless of the topic, within 48 hours.