FIRST YEAR COURSES

Do not attempt to take courses from us for credit without going through the Tutorial!
It will guide you through all of the necessary procedures.

Before proceeding to take any
of our courses, please click on
this link to the Tutorial.
The Tutorial will guide you
through all of the procedures
you need to follow for taking
 free courses from us to earn
your degree.            Doc Van

- ATTENTION -
Please read and follow ALL of the instructions on this page.
Failure to follow instructions may result in
disallowance of work and tests and a loss of credits.

You must use the email address submitted on your Application form
on all forms and tests.  If you change your email or want to use
a second email address, then please submit a Change Of Email
form.  To access the form, CLICK HERE.

GENERAL STUDY INSTRUCTIONS
  These may be superceded by specific instructions given on the course main page.

• Each section generally requires 1 or 2 weeks of study/attendance.
  You may NOT take more than one test in any one subject on one day including retakes of failed tests.

• Look up every scripture referenced in the textbook and workbook.

• At the end of each section, stop and take the section test if there is one.
  Open Book Tests:
  All tests are "open book" unless otherwise indicated, which means that you may use all study materials (workbook, textbook, Bible, etc.) while taking the tests.
     EXACT ANSWERS: Those tests that are open book often require the exact answer from the textbook, workbook, or Bible, whichever of the study materials are appropriate for the question.  Incorrect answers, spelling, punctuation, extra spaces before or anywhere in the answer or after the answer, will cause the answer to be scored as "Incorrect."  Along with the privilege of using your study materials and taking an "open book" test comes the responsibility of giving the answers to questions verbatim from those study materials wherever required.
  Closed Book Tests:
      If a test is "closed book" it will be plainly indicated as such.  "Closed book" means you cannot use any study materials while taking the test.  Nor can you be assisted by anyone.  Those tests must be taken completely from memory and you will be required to sign a Closed Book Test Contract form binding you to a legal agreement that you will take that test in that manner. 

• You may NOT go on to the next section until you have passed the test for the current section and found all of the answers in the textbook to any questions missed on the current test, whether you passed it or not.  The attendance for the next Lesson begins on the next day after passing the test and finding the correct answers to any questions missed.
  

TESTING

        Make sure you read and submit the Testing Instructions if you have not already done so.  Only one (1) Testing Instruction form is required per student.  If you do not submit a Testing Instructions form you will not know your "User Name" and "User ID" and, therefore, you will not be able to correctly fill out the information page of the tests.  And without a Testing Instructions form in your file your tests will be disallowed and they will not be credited to you.

• You may NOT take more than one test in any one subject on one day.  If you fail a test, you MAY NOT attempt that test again on the same day.  You must restudy the textbook, the workbook, and your Bible (whichever is appropriate) and find all of the correct answers to the questions missed.  A copy of each test is automatically sent to you and you may use the correct answers listed on it to verify that you have found the correct answers in the appropriate study materials.  This is required before you retake the test, which you can do no sooner than the next day.

• When you receive a passing score on a test you are required to find all of the correct answers in your textbook, workbook, or Bible, whichever is appropriate, for every question missed on the test.  A copy of each test is automatically sent to you and you may use the correct answers listed on it to verify that you have found the correct answers in the appropriate study materials.  This is required before you go on to the next lesson.

• Sometimes the tests do not open when you first download them.  This is an unavoidable slight quirk in some computers that causes them to have a bit of a problem processing the opening page of the tests, generally because of filters or security settings on the computer.  If you get a blank page, please refresh the page and the tests will open.  Either click the refresh icon or press F5 to refresh the page and open the test.  On rare occasions, depending on your internet connection and your computer, it may take several refreshes to open the test.  If the test still will not open, even after several attempts to refresh the page, then please contact us via the Contact Us form and explain the problem.  Upon receipt of the form we will attempt to help you resolve the problem.

Attention:
Attendance/study/testing requirements.

          Several of the courses allow 2 short sections to be completed in one week; however, no course will allow more than 2 sections in any one week. The courses that do allow 2 sections in one week will state so on the course's main page.  They are the exception rather than the rule.  Most courses require 1 week of attendance per lesson and some even require 2 weeks per lesson.  A few require even longer.  The course main page will always list the attendance requirement for the entire course and also will give the attendance requirement per lesson.  Note that information on your COURSE RECORD FORM for the course because you will need it later.

       Because we have noticed a tendency of new students to rush through some of the first courses because of their zeal and because the courses are so basic, the following explanation is given to clarify study and testing matters.

• If you proceed faster than the required pace, then you will not retain the information in the text.

• Minimum attendance for each course must be met.  Tests must be spaced at least the minimum required weekly attendance apart.  No course has less than 4 weeks minimum attendance required.

• If a course is marked "not yet available" then proceed to the next course in the list.

• All courses require use of the King James Bible.  If you do not have one (or even if you do) then you can download a free Bible program from our study helps page.  Click HERE to go to the study helps page to download your free King James Bible and bible study program.  Once you are done with that page you may close that window to return here to proceed with your courses.

Practical Christian Ministry   
   If you are actively involved in a ministry in your local Church on a regular basis, then you are eligible for 1 credit per quarter (6 credits per year) for practical Christian ministry.  This course is a Local Church course and can only be taken if you are member serving in a local Church.  If you are not an active member of a local Church then obviously you cannot be actively involved in a ministry of a local Church and, therefore, you are not eligible to take this course and you are exempted from taking it.

Salvation
      This class is designed to teach the basics, the essential starting point, for the Christian life.  (1 credit)

Eternal Security       
      Who saves us and how; who keeps us and for how long; and what can I do to keep from falling away?  (1.5 credits)

The Church  
      This class will teach you the basics of God's command for, and how to carry out, communal worship of God.  Addressed will be: where did the Church come from, who started it and when, what is it, and where is it today?  (1.5 credits)

Bible Doctrines  
      What does God teach in His Word about The Scriptures, God, Jesus Christ, Salvation, Sin, etc . . . . . ?  (3 credits)

  The Bible  
      A comprehensive study of the Scriptures.
    Origins, inspiration, preservation, and comparisons, are just some of the subjects addressed.  (4 credits)

Soul Winning Practicum I. & II.
    A practical class to teach you the basics of how to go about leading a soul to Christ.  This class is a Bible-based, step by step guide to teach you the method, give you the practice, and encourage you in the performing of the duty that Christ gives to you personally; and that duty is soul-by-soul evangelism.  (1 credit each section with a possibility of earning up to 5 credits total)

Discipleship I.   
    A basic discipleship course which will ground you as a disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ.  (1.5 credits)

Discipleship II.    

  This course is the follow-up course to Discipleship One and requires the successful completion of that course as a prerequisite for taking this course.  If you have not yet taken, and passed, the Discipleship One course then you will not be allowed to take this course.
  This course is to be carried out under the local church where you are a member.  Therefore, you must have permission from your pastor to be a discipler or, as it is called in the Guide, a Role Model.
   In the completion of this course, you will have discipled at least one other person whom God has put in your path.  The first person you should disciple is preferably the person that you led to the Lord during your Salvation course. (2 credits with a possibility of up to 8 credits total)

Old Testament Survey  
     A bare-bones survey of the Old Testament.  (4 credits)

New Testament Survey  
    A bare-bones survey of the New Testament.  (4 credits)

First Corinthians
   A verse by verse study of the book of First Corinthians.  (3 credits)
   This book, First Corinthians, addresses many of the problems concerning morality, doctrinal errors, the misunderstandings concerning the use and misuse of gifts, that are commonly found in many New Testament Churches today.
   This class will give you basic bible teachings that can help address and correct these problems in a manner that will be pleasing to God.

Christian Character Series   
   This series of courses is designed to teach you the biblical precepts of Christian character.  It has been said that "Reputation is what you are when you are around others; character is what you are when you are alone."  This is a very useful definition.
   In this series you will learn how to develop the holy character that God requires of His children.  Whether you develop that type of character that God wants for you depends upon whether you follow the Bible precepts that you will learn in this course.  The choice is, of course, up to you.  (1 - 1.5 credits per section of the series as indicated.)

Basic Typing and Sentence Formatting 
   In this course you will learn the basics of touch-typing and sentence formatting.  In order to do this you will learn and practice typing skills on a free downloadable program named TypeFaster.  As you progress you will practice speed and accuracy.  First while looking at the keyboard and then, later, without looking at the keyboard.  You will also learn some basic sentence formatting such as capitalization, proper use of case, and punctuation.  (4 credits)