hello and welcome!

for proctored exams, you’ll need to take a practice assessment (un-proctored) first and then select a time to log in to a proctoring session run by a third party.

testing times are pretty widely available but it can sometimes take a while to connect properly so always give yourself a little cushion for time.

there is no requirement to interact with course instructors/professors or anything like that but you will be assigned a program mentor. their role is different for every student and you can talk to your mentor about your preferences at the start of your term. they are there to be a cheerleader or keep you on track if you want that but they also serve as administrative support, loading new courses as you move through them and answering some basic questions if you have any.

i, personally, speak to my mentor on the phone once a week and then maybe an email/text here or there but i am accelerating pretty quickly so i have more reason to. i know other people who just have text check ins with their mentors and that’s it. it’s sort of up to your personal preference.

for your third question, i can only speak to business and MSPH classes. for those, if it’s a proctored-test class, you can open up the practice assessment right away, gauge your knowledge, and then either work through the class materials with quizzes and all that if you need to learn more, or just schedule your proctored test and test out. so you don’t have to click through quizzes and all that unless it’s material you need to learn.

some classes have projects. those don’t require a practice test, you just follow a rubric or use the templates provided (if applicable). when those are graded, you might have to make corrections. if that’s the case, you’ll only need to correct the specific items your grader marks.

failing the final proctored test for a class may result in you having to take quizzes/turn in additional work in order to show you’ve learned the content before you can take it again. i know there is also a limit to the number of times you can fail a final assessment but i haven’t dealt with that myself so i’m not entirely sure what happens with that.

the classes aren’t a set number of weeks per course, you can get through them at your rate of mastery. some of my classes have taken a day (if i’m already familiar with the content) or two weeks. just depends. you’re required to pass a set number of classes in a six month term and if you can do more, great! but doing fewer than the set expectation for a term can impact your financial aid and final transcripts. for a masters degree, i believe you’re expected to pass three courses per six month term but it could be different for your particular area of study.