FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT NIBI® ONLINE

Can I review a demo course?  Yes.  Go to the NIBI website (www.nibi.com).  Click on the NIBI Online banner and select the desired menu item.

How do I enroll in the NIBI Online Campus?   To enroll in the campus you must go to the NIBI website (http://www.nibi.com), and click on the NIBI Online banner.  You can view a demo or go directly to "Enroll" on the menu.  Complete the appropriate form, either online, or by downloading a copy from the NIBI Online demo site and e-mailing, faxing or mailing it to NIBI.

How do I register for a course?   To register for a course, you must first enroll in the NIBI Online Campus.  After your request is processed, you will receive a Student ID and Password that will provide you with future access to the campus.

Will I have immediate access to the campus after I enroll?   Access is normally provided within 4-8 hours after the enrollment form is submitted during normal business hours.  Otherwise enrollment confirmation should be received in 24-48 hours.

How much does a course cost?   The current retail fees are $100 to $150 (US dollars) for a core element course.  Mini-courses and special topic courses will be offered at different fees.  Future fees will be based on standard industry per credit rates; and will be probably be in the $10-25 per credit hour range.  Specific course fee information can be found in the course catalog. 

How long will I have access to a course?   The registration period for each course will vary with content.  The minimum access time for a core course is 30 days.  Most will be in the 30 - 45 day range.

Are the courses approved for continuing education?   The courses are submitted to the various home inspection organizations and state/provincial agencies for approval.  The approval process can be complicated and sometimes approval takes several months to receive.  In other cases, an organization may elect to not accept any online courses at present; however, overtime widespread acceptance for online course is anticipated.

Currently credits for NIBI Online Courses are offered by: ASHI, NAHI, CREIA, and the following states: CT, MS, NC, NV, SD, and WI.  Full-content courses have been approved for 10-25 Membership Renewal Credits (MRCs) by the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI®).  Similar credits have been granted by National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI®), and the California Real Estate Inspectors Association (CREIA®).

Do I get a certificate at the end of the course?   Yes. A transcript can also be printed when a course has been satisfactorily completed.  Upon request, a formal validated transcript will be generated and mailed.  This request is a menu item.

Are the courses available on CD?   No.  An online program allows flexibility to make the necessary changes to keep current.  Changes in industry issues and concerns can be quickly uploaded for instant access by everyone online. 

Do the courses contain video or audio?  The program has multimedia options, however, to avoid user problems with bandwidth and memory restrictions we have not incorporated them directly in the program at this time.  All courses do have direct links to websites; many which have multimedia options.   For some courses, supplemental data may be made available on video or CD.

Can students contact the course instructor?  Yes, the student can e-mail the instructor for clarification or questions on an issue. 

What constitutes a passing grade for a course?  In order to successfully complete a course, a student must review 100% of course Lesson material, and take all the graded Assessments.   Assessments are averaged, with a minimum of 75% required for course completion. 

What if I complete the course but fail the final Assessment?  You will only be able to take each Assessment once during the initial registration period.  If desired, you can reregister at a discounted fee ($25) for another 14 days and take the Assessments again.  This will provide time to review areas you are weak in and retake the Assessment test.  Some courses do not have a final Assessment; instead testing is included with each major topic. 

What if my registration period expires before I complete the course?   You can reregister for an extension of the registration period at $25 for each additional 14-day period, or as otherwise indicated for a particular course. 

How long should it take to go through a course?   For most courses, plan on a minimum of 10 - 15 hours online time to complete the basic Lessons and for limited review of resources and other links.  For Roofing and some other courses with significant content, it may take 20 - 25 hours to complete the entire course.  Visiting all the linked websites and reviewing all trial questions and resources will add to this time. 

Can I take more than one course at a time?  No.  Our experience idicates that to promote timely completion of a course it is best to limit students to one course. Course availability is also dictated by the demand on the system.  As with any server, there are a limited number of users that can access the system without slowing it down. 

Can I access the system at any time?   The Courses are generally available 24/7. However, as with any computer-based program and any service offered on the Internet, there is always a possibility of unanticipated service interruptions.  Periodically the system may also have to go off line for a short time for maintenance.  Planned maintenance notices will be posted.

Do all the courses follow the same format?  All of the courses basically follow the same format and contain the same features..  However, several are currently text-based with visual aids.  These enhancements are being added on a regular basis.