Work on study plans

Updated 27 Jul 2022

A study plan is a test-driven learning tool that provides additional study materials tailored to your needs.

A study plan typically contains a pre-test, a post-test, and supporting study material. You take the pre-test to determine how much of the chapter's content you already know and understand. Then, depending on the results, you are presented with customized study material that you can use to improve your knowledge of the specific subject areas. After studying this material, you can then take the post-test to demonstrate that you have mastered the material.

Depending on the results, further study material (remediation) may be required. After you receive a passing score on the post-test, the study plan is considered complete. The score you need to pass the post-test is set by your instructor.

Depending on how your instructor designs the study plan, you may need to reach a passing score on each learning objective in the post-test, rather than an overall passing score on the test. For example, if the passing score for each learning objective is 70%, and you pass with a better score than 70% for all but one learning objective, you still will not pass the post-test.

There are a number of study plan variations. Your instructor or course publisher determines which type of study plan is available in your course:

  • Non-sequenced course: You are able to take any study plans available in your course in the order you choose.
  • Sequenced within the course: You work with course study plans in a specific order. For example, you must complete the study plan for Chapter 1 in a course folder before you can open and start the study plan for Chapter 2 in the folder.
  • Non-sequenced study plans: After you complete the pre-test, you can work with study materials and take the post-test in any order you choose.
  • Sequenced within the study plan: After you complete the pre-test, you work with study plan materials in a specific order. For example, you take the pre-test first, then work with the first study material assignment, then the second study material assignment, and then the post-test. You cannot open and view the next study plan assignment until you pass the previous assignment.
  • Instructor review: After you complete a pre-test or post-test, your instructor must review your work before you can continue with the next assignment in the study plan. You cannot open and view the next assignment until your instructor assigns it to you.

Your course design determines which study plan elements are available to you. For example, your study plan may not require a pre-test, or if you pass the pre-test, you may not be presented with a post-test. This topic describes how to work with each study plan asset, regardless of whether it appears in your specific course.

Open a study plan

To start working on a study plan, locate and open the study plan in one of the following ways:

  • Click Assignment Calendar and locate the study plan's due date. Then, click the due date to view a list of study plan assets and click the name or select Open from the context menu.
  • Use Course Materials > View all Course Materials to navigate to the appropriate folder or asset. Then click the name or select Open from the context menu.
  • Click Assignments and locate the study plan's due date on the calendar. Then, click the due date to view a list of items and click the name or select Open from the context menu.

Take the pre-test

When pre-tests are enabled in your course, you take the pre-test to evaluate your knowledge of specific subject areas. Depending on the results of your pre-test, you are presented with study material tailored to help improve your knowledge of the course materials. You have one attempt to complete the pre-test. Some study plans do not include a pre-test; if you do not see a pre-test, go to Work with study material.

Make sure pop-up blockers are turned off in your browser before you access the pre-test in your MyLab.

Do not press the Esc key while your activity or test is opening as the application may still count this as an attempt.

  1. To open the pre-test, click Begin.
  2. If enabled in your course, you can use the Save for Later button to save the test without submitting it and continue the activity later. The test settings determine whether or not you will be able to review or change previously saved answers. When you save an activity for later it is not counted as an attempt. That is, if you are allowed three attempts on the activity, and you start the activity for the first time and click Save for Later, when you open the saved activity you will still be on the first attempt.
  3. Take the test and submit it for grading. Any available results are displayed. You can click View Summary or Return to Course.
  4. The next action you can take depends on your course design:
    • You may see a message that indicates that instructor review is required. In this case, you cannot continue until your instructor clears this message.

      If available, you can click Refresh to see if the instructor has cleared the message. After the message is cleared, the Refresh button is removed.

    • In expanded view, you see a message that indicates how many skills or learning objectives you passed successfully. Click the message to view a scoring and performance summary.
    • You see study materials based on either your pre-test score or as assigned by your instructor. To continue, see Work with study material.
    • If your pre-test score indicates you have already mastered all of the required materials, the study plan may be considered complete or the post-test may become available to you.
    • Click Return to Course to return to viewing course materials.

Work with study material

Study material is used to improve your knowledge of specific subject areas. Depending on your study plan design, study materials are either available one at a time and must be completed in a sequence or all materials are available at once and you can choose the order in which you work on the materials.

  1. Do one of the following:
    • If your study plan opens in single-page view, click an activity in the Study Material list on the right to open it, or click Open on the context menu.

      Use the Show list to view All Available Study Material or Recommended Study Material.

    • If your study plan opens in expanded view, to start an activity, click Open on the context menu.

    Do not press the Esc key while your activity or test is opening as the application may still count this as an attempt.

  2. Answer the questions and submit the activity for grading. For detailed information, see Do assignments and coursework.
  3. The next action you can take depends on your course design:
    • Additional study material is available for you to open and complete. Review and complete all assigned study material.
    • You may see a message that indicates that instructor review is required. In this case you cannot continue until the instructor clears this message.

      If available, you can click Refresh to see if the instructor has cleared the flag. Once the flag is cleared, the Refresh button is removed.

    • You have completed all assigned materials and the post-test is available. To continue, see Take the post-test.

Take the post-test

If your pre-test score indicates you already have a sufficient understanding of the subject areas, you can begin the post-test. The post-test is required when your pre-test score indicates that you must review study materials. You must complete the post-test even if you pass all of the study materials assigned to you. You have an unlimited number of attempts to pass the post-test.

  1. Do one of the following:
    • If your study plan opens in single-page view, the post-test appears on the left side of the screen. To start the post-test, click Begin.

      If you already completed the post-test, Begin is not available, and your score appears.

    • If your study plan opens in expanded view, to start the post-test, click Open on the context menu.

    Do not press the Esc key while your activity or test is opening as the application may still count this as an attempt.

  2. If enabled in your course, you can click the Save for Later button to save the test without submitting it and continue working on it later. The test settings determine whether or not you will be able to review or change previously saved answers. When you save an activity for later, it is not counted as an attempt. That is, if you are allowed three attempts on the activity, and you start the activity for the first time and click Save for Later, when you open the saved activity you will still be on the first attempt.
  3. Complete the test and submit it for grading. Any available results appear. You can click View Summary (if available) or Return to Course.
  4. The next action you can take depends on your course design:
    • You may see a message that indicates that instructor review is required. In this case, you cannot continue until the instructor clears this message.

      If available, you can click Refresh to see if the instructor has cleared the message. Once the message is cleared, the Refresh button is removed.

    • In expanded view, you see a message that indicates how many skills you passed successfully. Click the message to view a scoring and performance summary.
    • If you pass the post-test, the study plan is considered complete.
    • If study plan sequencing within the course is enabled, you can click Continue to next assignment to continue with the next study plan assignment.
    • If you do not obtain a passing grade, click Try Again to restart the post-test. You also see study materials available to you to complete.