Free Winter term for Sophia members, Strayer U

[jch]

Okay, I got ambitious and attempted some additional exams. Here's my observations:

• The exam URL is only provided to the proctor, not to you. On 2/4 sessions, the proctor asked me to provide it and I didn't have it. Let them know that only they (are supposed to) have it, and they'll quickly find it in their notes. For reference, the URL for the testing portal is https://strayer.onlinetests.app/assess.aspx?aid=CRJ180 (substitute in your course id at the end). 
  
• It's on a mostly decent online testing site. This is with the exception of the algebra exam, which we know is on ALEKS thanks to eriehiker. My main complaint with it is that there's no way to move between questions except one at a time via previous and next. 
  
• ProctorU still is heavily dependent on Adobe Flash, despite the EoL approaching in a number of days. All the browsers are now aggressively disabling it by default, causing significant problems. In 3/4 of my sessions, the normal ProctorU session page didn't work correctly, and they had to load an alternate. 2/3 of these cases required the intervention of a tech support person, causing a ~15 minute delay. The other time, the proctor was able to instantly do it themselves. 
  
• ProctorU openings have consistently been 1-3 hours out recently. I haven't seen the test now option at all. 
  
• Everything seems to follow a 50 question format, with multiple choice and true/false questions. Time allotted is either 90 minutes or 150 minutes, which is far in excess of what would be needed for anything I've seen so far. Passing score is 70% - I'm not sure if it was actually 75% for my first exam as I initially reported. 
  
• Scratch paper has been allowed on everything so far. I asked ProctorU if they had a master list of allowed materials, but they don't. 
  
• Final scores or detailed results are not provided to you, just pass/no pass. 
  
• I still have not seen anything show up on Strayer's iCampus regarding the exams I have passed. I've checked on the Academic dashboard, the test results section at the bottom of the transfer credit report page, and my unofficial transcript. I know that the registrar's office is taking about a week to process incoming credits right now, so I think they're just behind. I will continue to monitor this. 
  
• The course guides available at the bottom of the credit by exam page are helpful. They list the course description, learning outcomes, and instructional materials used. My strategy thus far has been to find quizlets that align to the outcomes and/or are made for the textbook used. 
  
• The exam questions have been heavy on knowledge of theories in the relevant field, and the people involved in them. Make sure you know all of them. 
  

Here is what I have attempted so far:

• CIS109 Intro to Management Information Systems. The Sophia course prepared me decently. Passed
  
• CIS170 IT in Criminal Justice. Lots of stuff about cybercrime. The TEEX courses were somewhat helpful. Passed
  
• CRJ105 Crime and Criminal Behavior. Passed. 
  
• CRJ180 Juvenile Delinquency and Justice. This exam appears to be broken. There were about a dozen questions that were repeated 2-3 times, but with different answer choices. I did not pass, and plan to appeal. 
  

Overall, these challenge exams seem like a great way to pick up lots of RA AoS credit quickly and cheaply, especially in business and related fields. Sophia + Strayer exams + a few CLEPs can supply just about everything required for a BSBA, in a few concentrations. However, all of this is dependent of IF the credits can be transferred out without any drama, which is yet to be seen. 

Regarding class enrollment for the free term, Strayer is frustrating me. You are required to be assisted for enrollment in your first term, and the website will not allow you to sign up for classes yourself. However, I can't seem to get a person to help me! The phone appointment time last week made by my admissions rep came and went without any contact. I still have not been assigned a success coach. I have been assigned a dean and tried emailing him, but it bounced. I've now sent an email to the general deanchat@strayer.edu inbox. If I don't have a response by midday Wednesday, I'll have to call. Classes start on Monday, there's a holiday Thur/Fri, and I still don't have any class registrations or materials. This isn't conducive for a strong start.