Course Portals Frequently Asked Questions

LOMA designed the Course Portal to serve as a delivery medium that blends the types of media-rich learning aids we include in our highly interactive online courses with the comprehensive industry-specific content our textbooks provide. Course Portals provide online access to traditional materials (textbooks, test preparation guides, etc.) that learners need to prepare for a proctored LOMA examination, as well as additional features to help learners apply the knowledge to the workplace and to aid in preparing for the exam.

Highly interactive online courses present content screen-by-screen with the interactive review, practice questions, and several short, end-of-module examinations "built in" as a part of the lesson presentation. In contrast, learners using the Course Portal read the content of a course online (in a PDF) or in printed form and determine when to access and use the related online study aids, review exercises, and other learning features available on the Course Portal. Exams for Course Portal courses are delivered in a proctored exam environment, and cover the entire course material in one comprehensive exam.

Yes, the Practice Questions and Sample Exam traditionally found in LOMA Test Preparation Guides (TPGs) are available on each Course Portal in several formats, including both interactive and printable versions.

A single fee covers examination enrollment and access to all of the assigned course materials and enhanced learning features on the Course Portal. Log in to LOMA’s learning system and browse the Learning Catalog for pricing specific to your organization.

• Learning system login

Enrolled learners have access to the Course Portal for six months from the date of enrollment. (Course Portal access periods for paper exam enrollments are associated with the paper exam cycle in which you are enrolled.) The exact date on which your course access will expire is shown in the learner’s My Learning section in LOMA’s learning system. To extend access for another six months after your original access period expires, re-enroll in the course. If you re-enroll within one month of the end of your original course access period, you qualify for a discounted course extension price of $75.

Yes. A learner is entitled to print for personal use one copy of the PDF text and one copy of the PDF Test Preparation Guide (Practice Questions and Sample Exam) for the course in which the learner is enrolled. Some items that appear on the Course Portal—like animations and videos—are not printable.

The LOMA Library of Study Materials is available to LOMA Member and affiliate Member Company Education Representatives who accept the terms of LOMA’s Electronic Licensing Agreement. The Library consists of currently-assigned textbooks in PDF format. The Library allows Ed Reps to access and review the content for compatibility with learners’ educational goals.

The LOMA Library of Study Materials is not available in all languages or for all courses. Please consult with your LOMA Representative for additional information.

Enrollment in a Course Portal course includes six months of online student access to the course’s PDF textbook. Ed Reps who accept the Electronic Library Licensing Agreement will also have access to the PDF textbooks learners need to study for proctored exams. Note that some Course Portal elements—such as videos, animations, and interactive versions of the Practice Questions and Sample Exam—are available only through the online Course Portals. Ed Reps will not have access to these materials, and learners who do not have access to a computer will not be able to access these materials.

Ed Reps may print a limited number of copies to support learners who are enrolled in or planning to enroll in a LOMA course and would like a printed textbook.

Periodically, study materials are updated. Learners are responsible for studying from the correct study materials. Consult the course catalog or LOMA’s learning system to confirm the assigned materials for each course.

LOMA’s Library of Study Materials is not available in all languages or for all courses. Please consult with your LOMA Representative for additional information.

Access to the Course Portal, which includes all study materials for a course, is included with course enrollment, and we strongly encourage learners to use the Course Portal to prepare for the course examination. However, other options for accessing and studying course materials include: printing the PDF materials from the Course Portal and using these materials to study offline; obtaining study materials from an Ed Rep who is authorized to copy and distribute these materials; purchasing a professionally printed and bound copy of the textbook for an additional fee. Please note that some features on the Course Portal–courses are available only through the online Course Portals.

LOMA strongly urges students to study from LOMA-provided materials to ensure that the most accurate and up-to-date information is being used in exam preparation.

The number of pages for each textbook will vary. Typically you will find that most of the textbooks will range from approximately 300 to 350 pages, including the glossaries.

Learners will be tested only on the Assigned Study Materials: The information contained in the textbook and the practice questions. The other materials on the Course Portal are designed to reinforce important concepts and help learners retain and better understand the text materials.

A professionally printed and bound duplicate of the textbook may be available from LOMA's learning system for an additional fee.

• Log in to the learning system to check availability and place orders

The Test Preparation Guides (TPGs) are not available for purchase in a hard copy format. None of the materials are available on a CD.

Learners cannot access a Course Portal without enrolling for the course. LOMA will give Ed Reps at regular and affiliate member companies the option to accept an Electronic Library Licensing Agreement that they will complete through their LOMA learning system account. This licensing agreement will allow Ed Reps to set up an electronic library of protected PDF (PPDF) course materials that they can print and distribute to students at their company who are enrolled in or planning to enroll in a Course Portal course. (Note that some Course Portal features such as videos and animations and interactive versions of the Practice Questions and Sample Exam are available only to learners through the Course Portal.)

Study time depends on many factors and varies for different learners. It can depend on how quickly they learn, how familiar they may be with the content, etc. If learners take advantage of all the learning features and other materials available through the Course Portal, they may spend more time than they would spend if they were simply reading a text. However, because the learning features on the Course Portal augment the basic content of the course, learners may find that they have better retention of concepts, need less review time, and are better prepared for success on the exam.

Learners at companies whose Ed Rep has access to the Electronic Library may contact their Ed Rep for assistance in viewing printed copies of the assigned study materials. Ed Reps can use this method to allow learners to see the printable course material before they enroll for the course. (Note that some Course Portal elements, such as animations and interactive versions of the Practice Questions and Sample Exam, are available only to learners through the Course Portal.)

Yes, in your final grade email, you will receive a chapter-by-chapter performance report for proctored designation courses. Print or save this report for your records.

If a learner fails an exam for a Course Portal course, the enrollment fee is reduced. If the learner enrolls in a different exam period, study materials may have changed. The most up-to-date study materials for that exam period will be included on the Course Portal with the new enrollment.

Extending Access for Designation Courses

If you have not completed your designation program’s online course requirements or proctored examination requirements by the end of the course’s six-month access period shown in your student record, you may re-enroll to extend your course access for an additional six-month period.

For highly-interactive online courses, re-enrolling allows you to retain your progress in the course, as long as the course’s materials have not been substantially revised since your original enrollment date.

For Course Portal courses, re-enrolling extends your access to the Course Portal and allows you to select a new proctored exam date, as long as you have not already taken the proctored exam for the course.

Course extensions can also be used to

• Change the language of the proctored exam for which you are enrolled.
• Change the type of proctored exam enrollment between paper and I*STAR. 

The cost for re-enrolling varies, depending upon when you re-enroll.

• If you re-enroll within one month of the end of your original course access period, you qualify for a discounted course extension price of $55. The discounted price will automatically be reflected in your Shopping Cart when you re-enroll via LOMA’s learning system.
• After the expiration of the one month discount period, you may re-enroll at the course’s full price. This full price will automatically be reflected in your Shopping Cart when you re-enroll via LOMA’s learning system.