Frequently Asked Questions - Online Learning

Who is eligible to take IMF online courses?

Any person who is currently working for government agencies as well as international financial institutions is eligible to apply for courses through the IMF's Training Applications System.

I am not a government official, can I still take IMF online courses?

If you are not a government official, you can sign up for IMF online courses that are open to the general public on the edX site. For the list of available courses, please visit: https://www.edx.org/school/imfx

I am currently self-enrolled in one of the IMF's Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the edX site, do I need to sign up through the IMF's Training Applications System as well?

Yes, if you are a government official you need to sign up through the IMF's Training Applications System to apply for any training offered by the IMF. This way we can capture your course participation records in your IMF transcript.

Can I sign up for several online courses at the same time?

Yes, you can sign-up for several online courses at the same time. For some courses, we recommend taking them in sequence, such as FPP.1x and then FPP.2x.

I couldn’t complete the course this time. Can I retake it in the future?

Yes, if you are unable to complete the course this time, you can retake the course during a future offering. Please check our Digital Training Catalog for the list of available courses. Some online courses will be published on the catalog as we are closer to the course start date.

I couldn’t complete the course. Do I need to submit another application for the next offering, or can my application be transferred?

You will need to submit a new application for the new course you would like to sign-up for. The applications cannot be transferred from one course to another. Please check our digital training catalog for the list of available courses. Some online courses will be published on the catalog as we are closer to the course start date. You are welcome to view all IMF online courses and register for any other courses on the Digital Training Catalog.

If I retake the course in the future because I couldn’t complete it this time, can I transfer the grades of the modules I completed to a new course?

No, you will need to complete all assignments from the beginning as your previous grades will not be transferred to the new course.

I applied for this course by mistake, how can I get unenrolled?

First, please submit an inquiry using this link, requesting to withdraw your application from the course. Second, to unenroll from the edX course site, go to your edX dashboard, choose the course you want to unenroll, click the course action drop down and click unenroll. Please visit the Digital Training Catalog to view all IMF online courses and register for any other course.

How do I withdraw from the course as I am unable to complete it/no longer interested?

First, please submit an inquiry using this link, requesting to withdraw your application from the course. Second, to unenroll from the edX course site, go to your edX dashboard, choose the course you want to unenroll, click the course action drop down and click unenroll. Please visit the Digital Training Catalog to view all IMF online courses and register for any other course.

I registered for this course by mistake. Would you please register me for another course instead?

We are unable to manually register you for other courses. Please visit the Digital Training Catalog to view all IMF online courses and register for any other course.

I signed up for the course with a wrong language preference. Can you enroll me in the same course with another language offering?

First, please submit an inquiry using this link, requesting to withdraw your application from the course. Second, to unenroll from the edX course site, go to your edX dashboard, choose the course you want to unenroll, click the course action drop down and click unenroll. Please visit the Digital Training Catalog to view all IMF online courses and register for any other course.

The deadline of the course has passed. Can I still apply?

Unfortunately, you cannot register for courses after the applications deadline has passed. Please check the Digital Training Catalog for a future offering of the course.

I applied for the course recently but the catalog shows that the course has already started last week/month. Did I miss the first day of the course?

No, most of IMF online courses are run in a self-paced mode, which means that applicants can start and complete the course at their convenience throughout the course period. All assignments for self-paced courses are due on the last day of the course.

How do I get enrolled to the IMF course on edX?

Once you submit a course application in IMF’s Training Applications System (TAS), you will receive an email confirmation with instructions on how to self-enroll in the course on edX. Please follow the instructions thoroughly. Make sure to use the same edX username that you provided in the course application, otherwise we won’t be able to match your records on edX. The course will be displayed on your edX dashboard after your self-enrollment.

I can’t see the course on my edX dashboard.

Once you submit a course application in IMF’s Training Applications System (TAS), you will receive an email confirmation with instructions on how to self-enroll in the course on edX. Please follow the instructions thoroughly. Make sure to use the same edX username that you provided in the course application, otherwise we won’t be able to match your records on edX. The course will be displayed on your edX dashboard after you self-enroll.

I forgot my edX username/email address, can you restore it?

If you forgot your edX username or email address, use the "Need help signing in" function of the edX site to restore it. If this doesn't help, please contact the edX support team for assistance. The IMF Institute do not have access to your edX account.

I need help with my password/I do not know my edX password.

If you forgot your edX account password, use the "Need help signing in" function of the edX site to restore it. If this doesn't help, please contact the edX support team for assistance. The IMF Institute do not have access to your edX account.

I entered the wrong edX username in my application, how can I update it?

Please submit an inquiry using this link, providing your correct edX username to update your records in IMF database.

I recently submitted an application, but I have not been enrolled in the course yet / do not see the course yet on edX dashboard.

Once you submit a course application in IMF’s Training Applications System (TAS), you will receive an email confirmation with instructions on how to self-enroll in the course on edX. Please follow the instructions thoroughly. Make sure to use the same edX username that you provided in course application, otherwise we won’t be able to match your records on edX. The course will display on your edX dashboard after you self-enroll.

Where can I see my course progress?

You can check your grades and course progress on edX course site under Progress tab.

I cannot complete pre/post course quizzes on edX.

Completing pre/post course quizzes is strongly encouraged for every participant, however it doesn’t impact your cumulative grade. If you are having any issues, please reach out to a course team member through the edX course forum section.

I completed the course on edX, but I didn't/forgot to sign up for the same course through IMF's Training Applications System. Can my application still be accepted?

If the course application is still open, you can apply for the same course through IMF's training applications system. However, if the deadline has already passed, we won't be able to accept your application. The IMF cannot provide you with a certificate of completion either.

I completed all the modules of the course. When will I receive my certificate?

For courses that are 6 to 12 months long, the certificates are issued on a trimester basis, once in every 4 months, within 3 weeks of the following month.

We process certificates on a monthly basis but please be mindful of a potential lag due to administrative processing times. If you do not receive a certificate a month after course ends, please submit an inquiry using this link.

Why can't I see an option to upgrade to Verified Track?

Only Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) offerings have an option to upgrade to Verified Track to get a verified edX certificate. If you are enrolled in a Small Private Online Course (SPOC) offering, upgrade option is not available. Nonetheless, if you are signed up through the IMF's Training Applications System, you will receive a certificate of completion from the IMF upon successful completion of the course.

Why does edX show that I am on Audit Track? I want to receive a certificate. Do I need to pay for that?

If you are signed up through the IMF's Training Applications System, you will receive a certificate of completion from the IMF upon successful completion of the course. Your status on edX site remains as Audit Track. If you wish, you may upgrade to Verified Track and obtain an edX provided certificate, however this is not required in order to receive the IMF certificate.

My name is spelled wrong in certificate. How can it be fixed?

For certificates, we use the exact the same name that you provide in course application, in the format of first, middle and last name, as was communicated in acknowledgment email. We encourage you to double check the spelling of the name in a copy of the application you receive in your email when you apply for the course. Once a certificate is issued, we cannot modify it.

Do I need to pay in order to receive a certificate?

The certificates will be provided free of charge by the IMF upon successful completion of the course. If you wish, you may also purchase the edX provided certificate, however it is not required in order to receive the IMF certificate.

The course has recently ended and I still haven't received my certificate. What should I do?

We process certificates on a monthly basis but please be mindful of a potential lag due to administrative processing times. If you do not receive a certificate a month after course ends, please submit an inquiry using this link.

I thought the IMF certificate was free, why is the edX website asking me to pay $25?

If you are signed up through the IMF's Training Applications System, you will receive a certificate of completion from the IMF upon successful completion of the course.

If you wish, you may upgrade to Verified Track and obtain an edX provided certificate, however this is not required in order to receive the IMF certificate.

Please visit their webpage (www.edX.org/verified-certificate) to learn more about verified certificates and how to request them. Please note that not all courses have an option to purchase the edX certificate.

I paid edX to purchase a verified certificate, can you refund it?

Please contact the edX support team for any questions related to verified certificates. The edX is an independent entity from the IMF.

My certificate shows an hour of effort to complete the course, but I spent days/weeks to take the course. Can the hours be changed to reflect the actual hours I spent or the duration dates of the course?

The hours of effort represent the average time it takes to complete the course in one sitting and is provided by course content creators. This is a standard certificate template for all IMF online courses, and it cannot be modified.

My certificate shows the issuance date of the certificate but not the actual course duration, can it be modified to include course start and end date?

The majority of the IMF online courses are run in a self-pace mode and thus, the actual course duration is not the best representation of the hours of effort. Therefore, the certificate includes an hour of effort to indicate an average time that needs to complete the course instead of course duration dates. This is a standard certificate template for all IMF online courses, and it cannot be modified.

Could I request a verification of course completion letter for my agency?

No individual verification letters are issued for course completions. Your certificate serves as proof of successful course completion. Additionally, you can print out your learning transcript from your Training Applications System (TAS) account.

Is there a certificate ID that my agency can use to validate the completion?

The certificates issued by the IMF do not have unique IDs. To validate course completion, you can print out your learning transcript from your Training Applications System (TAS) account and present it to your agency.