Inside a Modern States course
On Learning

Inside a Modern States Course: Layout, Quizzes, and Progress Tips

Modern States can feels like a maze the first time you log in, especially if you haven’t been in school in a while. In the next five minutes, you’ll learn in this post how real students are unlocking free college credits by looking inside a real Modern States cours. You’ll see the exact Modern States path I recorded—screen-by-screen, click-by-click.

By the end, you’ll know how to…

  • Download every transcript, slide deck, and PDF textbook for offline studying—even if you have zero tech skills.
  • Start any course with confidence.
  • Hit “play” on videos, flip through slides, and zoom PDF readings—without buffering.
  • Pass every auto-graded quiz on unlimited attempts.
  • Track your completion (those tiny gray check marks) without losing your spot.

Watch the 10-minute video, or read the steps below and start studying for your next CLEP exam—today.

Jump to: Steps ↓ | Quick Terms | Transcript

Watch the Walkthrough

Timestamps

  • 00:30-00:38 Tables of contents and the sections
  • 01:42-01:46 Quiz list
  • 02:25-02:30 Section 1
  • 02:32-02:37 Video, transcript, and slides
  • 03:04-03:07 Starting a quiz (multiple choice)
  • 04:03-04:10 Progress dots and check marks
  • 05:10-05:15 Class progress
  • 07:12-07:16 How to download the PDF slides transcripts, or textbook sections
  • 08:53-09:01 Downloading an entire section (downloads extra files)
  • 09:41-09:55 Next: Tips, Tools & Troubleshooting

Quick Terms to Know

  • Modern States: A nonprofit platform offering 100% free, college-level courses—then pays for your CLEP exam.
  • CLEP: College-Level Examination Program. Pass the test, skip the (paid) class.
  • Voucher: A free exam coupon Modern States sends after you complete a course.
  • Course Dashboard: Your private classroom inside Modern States.
  • Module: One bite-sized lesson (video + slides + PDF reading).
  • Sub-section: A bundle of modules ending in a quiz.
  • Check mark vs. dot: Check mark = lesson fully viewed. Dot = you started but bailed (it’s ok—go back anytime).
  • Progress bar: Only counts sections and quizzes marked complete (not just videos watched).
  • Gradebook: Shows every quiz attempt + highest score—retake as often as you want.
  • See the full glossary >>
A selection of courses on Modern States screenshot

Step-By-Step Walkthrough

  1. Login → click “Courses” → pick your topic (Psychology, Micro, History, etc.).
  2. Watch the 2-min welcome video.The auto-check marks start here.
  3. Module 1.1 clicks
    • Play video (turn captions on if needed).
    • Click “Transcript” button → right-click → “Save as” for offline review.
    • Slides: click, open in new tab → press “Download PDF” top-right corner.
    • Don’t forget to review the textbook pages provided in each sub-section.
  4. Quiz
    • Click “Begin” → no timer → unlimited attempts → aim 70 %+.
    • Wrong answers? Review the auto-feedback, rewatch the video at 1.25× speed, retry.
  5. Track progress
    • Sidebar green check marks = done sections.
    • Sidebar dots = revisit modules (even 30 sec counts).
    • Dashboard “Progress” page shows every completion stamp.
  6. Batch-download everything
    • Course main page → scroll → click “Download Materials” → select all slides & PDFs → press “Download” zip file appears in “Downloads” folder.
  7. 100 % completion bar + final quiz passed = instant voucher (look for Modern States email) → book your free CLEP test.

Watch next: Modern States CLEP Course Tips, Tools and Troubleshooting

Principles of Microeconomics course screenshot

What’s Next: How I studied for CLEP exams: Modern States to the rescue

About Modern States

Modern States is a nonprofit education initiative offering free online courses that prepare students for CLEP exams and college credit. I was a 2024 Modern States Ambassador. Read more on what is Modern States.

One Step

What’s the biggest thing that surprised you after looking into a Modern States course? What material are you using most to study; the videos, the slides, the textbook, etc.? Leave a comment.

Finish Line

Starting is the hardest part sometimes, but once you get momentum, you’re halfway there. Drop your course title in the comments when you’re ready to cheer each other on.

Back to: CLEP Exams: The Ultimate Guide to Earning Free College Credit

Related Blog Posts

Links and Resources

Questions?

X/Tweet @tracyaltheide #moveupfam. If there’s enough questions, I’ll add an FAQ section here or add a related post.

Transcript

What if you could peek inside the exact course that’s helped hundreds of students pass their CLEP exam?…

(Full transcript continues—toggle open the arrow on the left)

What if you could peek inside the exact course that’s helped hundreds of students pass their CLEP exam? As a 2024 Modern States ambassador, I’m walking you through the real layout, quizzes, and progress tools so you’ll know what to expect before you ever hit “start.”

In this course you’ve got seven big sections, and each section has subsections. The table of contents lists Welcome, Overview, Goals, Professors, Fact Sheets, plus video transcripts and textbook slides. Those slides are clutch—super handy while you work.

Section one shows four subsections. Click into one and you’ll see a module plus a menu, then a quiz, then maybe another module and another quiz. Finish every subsection and the system unlocks the next big section.

Earlier we glanced at a master quiz list. That list pulls every quiz from every subsection into one tidy spot so you can see what’s coming.

Let’s open the first module. Hit play on the video, scroll down for the transcript, and right below that you’ll find the slides. Click the Reading link and the PDF textbook opens in a new tab—free, printable, zoomable.

Now the quiz page. It tells you when you started (or will start), gives unlimited time, and lets you retake as many times as you need to pass. I’m skipping the actual test for this demo, so I’ll hit Next and land in subsection 1.2.

Notice the tiny dots on the right. A dot means you opened the module but didn’t finish. A green check means the system saw you spend enough time—video watched, PDF skimmed, slides flipped—and marked it complete. If you only peek at the quiz but never begin, no check appears.

Jump up to Class Progress. On the left is a matching table of contents. The headings line up: Summary, Grades, Content, Quizzes, Course Access, System History.

Grades list every score—usually just one once you pass the whole course. Content tallies which modules you touched and for how long. Quizzes show attempts and the highest grade earned. Course Access logs every login. Bottom line: if the dots bug you, just reopen and linger thirty seconds more.

Need the files offline? Head to any module. You’ll see three links: Reading, Video, Slides. Each opens in its own tab. Top-right of every PDF or slide deck is a download icon; click it to save to your computer. You can also right-click the transcript link and choose Save As.

There’s a bulk-download button too. Click it and you’ll get a zip stuffed with slides, transcripts, PDF textbook pages, and even a snapshot of the webpage. Handy, but it nests folders inside folders—just know what you’re grabbing.

That’s the whole tour. You can now navigate the course, track your progress at a glance, and pull every resource for offline study.

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Tracy helps self-starters and project finishers find the tools, strategies, and confidence to complete the work that matters most. She shares actionable tips, book notes, reviews, and personal experiments to help you start strong and finish well.