Testing Instructions Agreement
These procedures must be followed.
Please read the entire form before submitting it.
These instructions were updated on 11/06/09.

ATTENTION:  Some students submit multiple copies of this form.
This is not necessary.  We only need one copy for your file.
Please refrain from submitting more than one copy because
they clutter up the system and cause unnecessary work
for the staff here at the college.

Instructions for the log in page for tests
and general testing instructions.

PLEASE READ and FOLLOW THE ENTIRE AGREEMENT!

Attendance Requirements
for testing.

1. When you take the tests for credit, use your first name and your last name for your "User Name" and  "User ID"  on the opening page of the test.  First name (personal name) on the left line and last name (family name) on the right line. (See "Caution" at the bottom of the graphic.)  If you do not fill in those two lines on the tests then we have no way of knowing who you are.  And if you fill them in incorrectly, then we have to hand-process your test results instead of relying on our automated system to handle the process for us.  When we have to hand-process them, the time it takes per student test is increased by a ratio of 100:1.
    Use only your email address that is on file with us here at SLBC.  If you are going to use any email other than the one you submitted on your Application form, then you must first register that email with us by submitting an Email Address Change form.  If you use an email address that is not registered to you, then this form will be rejected and you will have to resubmit it before taking any tests.

Caution: A problem in the testing software caused "User ID" and "User Name" to be switched on some of the test Instruction pages.  Please ignore that and always put your first name (personal name) on the left-hand line and your last name (family name) on the right-hand line.

Updated testing software is being used as of 11/06/09.  Therefore, some of the test opening pages will be changing in the tests for the latter courses.  The following graphic will show you how to fill out the opening page on the newer tests.  The color and background of the page may change but the information input lines will remain the same for all of the new tests.

2. If you do not enter your email correctly on the "E-mail" line, then our automated mail system will not route your test properly and your test will not go into your file but will wind up in a general file where it may not be found.  Our filters are set to recognize the email address you entered on your Application form.  Only that address can be recognized.  If you change email address or wish to add a second address, then you must submit a change of email address form.

        Also, without your email entered on Email line, and entered correctly, the system cannot send a copy of your test to you at that address nor will we have an address to contact you about the test should we need to.  That means that we cannot even contact you through the "Reply" feature to find out your information because the system keys to the email address you enter on your test.  We will endeavor to find you through a system search keyed on your name in order to find out who you are, but that increases the processing time by at least 5,000%.  And there is no guarantee that we will find you that way.  If we cannot, then your test will be discarded and you will have to retake it.  The responsibility rests with the student for accurate submission of information on the opening page of the tests.  The responsibility for any in loss of material or disallowance because of inaccurate information submitted on the form will rest with the student.  We will do the best we can to find you, but any student consistently failing to follow proper procedures will be placed on probation. 

Those tests without an email address are discarded as not usable because there is no way to know who they are from, nor is there any way to contact the student to ask them who they are.
   We have to process and discard those tests by hand and this results in extra and unnecessary work for our staff.

Instructions For Testing

1. You must take the test at the end of each section before proceeding to the next section of the textbook.  You cannot study the entire textbook and then take the tests all at once.  Unless otherwise indicated, the required procedure minimum is one week to study one section and then take the test for that section.  You may submit that section test on the last day of the week of study for that section of the textbook.  The week of study for the next section does not begin on the day you take a section test.  It begins on the next day after taking the previous section test.  That section test must be taken as many times as need be to pass it.  Each question answered wrong, whether you pass the test or not, must be looked up in the textbook and the correct answer found before proceeding to the next section for study or before proceeding to take the failed test again to try to earn a passing score.
   ATTENTION:  If you fail a test, you MAY NOT attempt that test again on the same day.  You must restudy the textbook/workbook and find all of the correct answers to the questions missed and then retake the test no sooner than the next day.
   Also, any tests taken without meeting the minimum attendance requirement for the course will be discarded.  This is to ensure that you are taking a reasonable amount of time studying each lesson so that you will be more likely to retain the material.
   Example:  If the attendance requirement states that one week is required per lesson, then your first test cannot be submitted before the last day of the first week and subsequent tests are to be submitted at one week intervals.  Your attendance is figured from the date of your submission of the Sign In form for that course.
   You may NOT take more than one test in any one subject on one day.  If you fail a test you must review the relevant section and you may not retake that test until at least the next day.

2. Once you have passed a test, please do not take it again.  Only your first passing score will be added to your file.  Any repeats taken after that will be discarded.  We have to process and discard those additional tests by hand and this results in extra and unnecessary work for our staff.

3. Tests taken out of sequence:  Because of our responsibility to ensure an acceptable quality of education for our students, which in this online format is attainable only by strict adherence to our study and testing guidelines, any tests taken out of sequence will be discarded and the score will not be recorded in your file.  You will have to take that test again when you reach it in the proper order of lesson study and testing.

4. CAUTION: Many times the tests do not open when you first download them.  This is an unavoidable quirk in the test writing program.  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.

5.  Pay particular attention to any instructions that you may find with the individual questions on the tests.  They are there to instruct you concerning what is specifically required to be included in or not to be included in your answer.
  Some examples are:
- Do not include punctuation in your answer.
- Use proper spelling and punctuation in your answer.
- Do not include the hyphen in your answer.
- Do not include the scripture reference, Acts 1:8, in your answer.
- Multiple answers required.

    These are just a few examples of instructions that may be found with individual questions.  When they are included with a question they must be followed exactly or the question will be marked "incorrect."

6.  Quotes of scriptures in tests are always from the KJV and require answers which are direct quotes from the KJV.  Sometimes the authors of the textbooks, for various reasons, use different punctuation than what is in the KJV.  If that happens and you quote the scripture from the textbook instead of from the KJV, your answer will be marked wrong for incorrect punctuation.  Again, ALL scriptures quoted in the tests are quoted from the KJV and require answers that are from the KJV in order for them to be correct- this includes punctuation.

7.  All answers on open book tests require the exact answer from the textbook, workbook, or the KJV Bible, whichever is appropriate for the question.  It must be in the exact same format; i.e., it must have the same spelling, punctuation, etc.  If it is not the exact answer then it will be marked incorrect.

  
All instructions must be followed without deviation.
   Reason: Some have asked "Why insistence on absolute obedience to instruction?"  I think it prudent to include the following as an answer to that question.
   One of the things that is required of followers of Christ and servants of God is that they be able, and willing, to follow instructions here on earth- in all matters, both physical and spiritual.  Without that ability, which is learned and practiced here on earth, then there can be no expectation that they will follow His instructions at all, or at the least, not any more than nominally.   If people will not follow the instructions of whomever is their authority here on earth, then what makes anyone think such will ever follow the instructions of God!
   The ability to follow instructions does not come naturally, it must be learned.  That ability is one of the things we are trying to teach our students because there is a catastrophic and widespread lack of it not only in the lost but also in professors of Christianity today.
   We have spent thousands of hours designing the online courses and tests so that the student can have the best possible opportunity to succeed in obtaining a thorough and truly biblical education.  But, that opportunity can only be realized IF they follow the instructions on the website.  And this is also a part of the learning process purposefully designed into the website.
   I have observed in my decades in the ministry that one of the biggest problems preventing God's people from succeeding the way that God wants them to, is slothfulness in following orders.  And even more so as the orders get more specific.  In far too many Christians I have observed this inability to be born out of ignorance.  And, in some cases, I have observed their unwillingness to follow orders to be born strictly out of a spirit of rebellion.
   Christians should be leaders in the world; and to be a good leader one must first learn to be a good follower.  One of the requirements of a good follower is the ability to follow orders exactly and willingly.  One of the purposes and aims of this online college is to teach the unlearned how to follow orders; and hand in hand with that is an aim to rectify the bad habits of others who think it is not necessary to follow orders.  A third purpose is to readjust the thinking of those who have, consciously or subconsciously, become rebellious and believe they are above authority.  These are those who believe that they don't need to follow the orders of any earthly authority.  And for some of those, it is from an attitude of general rebellion against authority.  I have observed this in far to many of God's people from the pew to the pulpit.  For some it is obvious that they simply are unaware that God delegates authority, and the power to enforce it, to certain men and women in the earthly realm so that they may train and lead His people in the spiritual realm.  And that includes training His people in willingly and accurately following instruction.  Those to whom He entrusts this authority are, of course, operating only under the authority delegated by Him to them and are always to be subject to Him and the precepts taught in His Word.
   By following the instructions on the tests, and those throughout the website in general, the students will succeed in gaining a true Bible education.  In the process they will also learn the biblical principle of learning to follow as prime instruction in learning how to lead.  In that way they learn how to better and properly serve and represent the King of Kings in a manner that is pleasing to Him and effective in this world of rebels and godless people who have come to expect a lack of attention to detail and accuracy, rebellion, and godlessness, out of those who call themselves Christians.  And the lack of training in obedience amongst the Christians has given the lost much reason to think such of them.
   Finally, the training in obedience to instructions that our students learn will make them much more aware of the problem and better able to be  leaders and teachers and better able to be lovingly but firmly restorative of those nominal Christians who often wallow in their ignorance or revel in their rebellion when it comes to obedience.

   The biblical principle behind this training is I Samuel 15:23  "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry."  And learning to follow instructions will go far in helping to correct rebellion as well as offset the ignorance often born of stubbornness.

   (Continued in the column to the right.)

   You must meet the minimum attendance requirements for each course in order for the lesson tests to be valid.  You will find the general requirements on each of the Yearly class pages- First Year, Second Year, Third Year, Fourth Year.  You will also find specific attendance requirements listed on each individual course main page.  Those requirements on the course main pages supercede the general attendance requirements and must be followed at all times even if they should conflict with the general attendance requirements.  If there are no specific attendance requirements on the individual course main page, then student is to follow the general requirements.
   Example, if the attendance requirement states that not more than one lesson can be completed in the course each week, then your first test cannot be submitted before the last day of the first week. Attendance is figured from the date of submission of your Sign In form for that course.

   Study of all basic courses is required of all students.
(This is in answer to many questions sent to me such as, "Why do I have to take these courses.  I have known about Salvation, the Bible, etc. for years.)
Here are the reasons:
1. Because of the immense amount of heresy that is being taught as "thus saith the Lord" when the Lord did not say it.
2. Because without being sure that every student has a solid foundation, which the basic courses ensure, there is no way for us to know what the student already knows; i.e., what kind of foundation he or she has in God's Word.  Without that strong foundation it is impossible that the student can build a strong Bible education.  

"If the foundations be destroyed (which has happened today because of teachers and pastors, many of whom have not been trained or who have been taught wrong), what can the righteous do." (Psalm 11:3)  

Also see, "Where there is no vision, the people perish."  (Prov 29:18)  Which, by context, is speaking of a clear vision or revelation of God's Word as referred to in the following phrase in this proverb which speaks of "the Law" and those who keep it close, or guard it, or hedge it about (as in protection) or attend to it and observe it. (From the definition of the word "keepeth.")

   These are some of the main reasons, but only a few of them, for our insistence that all students take the basic courses.  And the wisdom of our set policy is born out in the answers that many students give to the basic questions in the most basic of the courses, Salvation.
   Even though the tests are all open book, which means all they have to do is go to the textbook and give the answers found there, some of the students constantly miss questions that they should have been able to easily answer even without the textbook.  Answers they give which are wrong are such things as:
   "Baptism IS part of my Salvation." Which we know is totally unscriptural.
   Also, "The saved ARE in danger of eternal punishment should they transgress God's Law."  Which any student of the Bible knows is also not true.
   As are the following:
   "Works are part of my Salvation."
   "Once we are saved we are on our own to resist sin and follow God."
   And marking as "Incorrect" the statement "Salvation saves us from our sin."  Which is taught unequivocally in the Bible as "Correct." (Mt 1:21; et al) and yet they don't believe it.
  These are not just someone accidentally answering a question wrong on a test, these are wrong answers given by far too many students; and wrong answers that they repeat, sometimes 2 and even 3 times, when they fail the tests and repeat them; which gave them a chance to look up the correct answer in the book, which can then be easily found because they have the correct answers in front of them on their copy of the test that was sent to them, and then retake the test answering the questions with the correct answer.  There should never be a time that the student should fail a test twice or three times in a row while answering the same questions wrong multiple times in a row.

   These question I have used as examples are but a few from the first test in the first most basic of courses, Salvation.  And many of those who do not know the truth of God's Word in these most basic of areas are Pastors and Sunday School teachers who, taken as a group, are preaching and teaching these errors to untold thousands and also teaching hundreds of their "preacher boys" these same errors.  And then those preacher boys being taught these errors will then preach and teach those same errors to who knows how many multiplied thousands.
   They have no clear vision of the Word of God.  Many have no training, or, for those that do, far too many have training that is in error which they then pass on to the next generation who will pass it to the next and they will pass it to the next- on and on, as some heresies have been propagated sometimes for a thousand years and more.

   This makes it imperative that we teach them the Truth- and from the foundation up.

   I hope this explains our insistence that all students, no matter what their level of maturity, begin with the basics and follow instructions exactly.  It is the only way we can maintain a clear conscience before God concerning the Bible education of those of His children whom He has led to us and entrusted to our care.

"Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful."  (I Cor 4:2)

And this is the only way we here at the college can be faithful to this ministry to which the Lord has called us.

ATTENTION:
Final Tests cannot be
submitted before you
have met the course
attendance requirement.

And section/lesson tests
cannot be submitted
before you have met
the section/lesson
attendance requirement.

Attendance requirements
can be found on the
main page for each
individual course.

Failure to follow instructions and
requirements will result in wasted
work because of the disallowance
of all tests that fail to meet the
attendance/study/testing
requirements.  This will make it
necessary for you to retake the
disallowed test when the
requirements have been met.
And that will be an unnecessary
waste of your time and effort.