MicroStrategy Education Frequently Asked Questions

1. What will I need to do to register for class?
In order to secure a seat in a public class, MicroStrategy must receive a completed registration form. Please download a registration form, or you may request a registration form via the toll-free Information Line at 877-232-7168. A completed and signed registration form must be provided to MicroStrategy for each student who wishes to attend a course.

2. How do I send you the Registration Form?
Registration may be submitted by facsimile or email. The fax is 703-848-8602; the email address is education@microstrategy.com. NOTE: If you are mailing a check, please send your registration form to us FIRST and then send only the check to the lockbox address on the registration form.

3. How much is tuition?
All of our public, regional classes are US$650.00 per person per day. Certification exams are $200 per exam and are administered on MicroStrategy Testing Days. If you have a signed Partnership Agreement with MicroStrategy, you may be eligible for a discounted rate. Contact MicroStrategy Education to find out if you are eligible for this discount. If you have a Learning Unit account/Education Package, your rate will be calculated in terms of number of Learning Units instead of dollars. All non-standard rates are subject to verification by MicroStrategy Education.

4. How do I pay for class?
At this time, MicroStrategy accepts only credit cards, checks sent in advance of the class start date and debits against a prepaid Learning Unit or Education Package account. MicroStrategy only accepts credit card payments for certification exams. Purchase of an Education Package can be arranged through your Account Manager or your Regional Education Manager. If you do not know who is your Account Manager or Regional Education Manager, please contact us at education@microstrategy.com.

5. Can you send me a bill for class?
We are sorry but we cannot direct invoice. Payment information must be obtained in advance in order to guarantee enrollment.

6. Can I use a Purchase Order?
Purchase Orders are not accepted for Education enrollments.

7. When do I receive my confirmation?
Confirmation of enrollment will be sent via email or fax upon receipt of the registration form, fee and verification of payment method. Please allow up to two business days to process an enrollment. In most cases however, confirmation is sent to you within 24 hours after receiving the completed registration form. Our hours of operation are 9AM to 6PM eastern standard time.

8. What if I have to cancel my enrollment?
Our cancellation policy requires 10 business days advance notice or a penalty fee will be charged. For more information, please review our Registration Information section.

9. What time does class begin?
All classes begin at 9AM.

10. What time does class end?
Classes officially end at 5PM, however this may vary slightly due to the size of the class, number of questions and the audience's level of comfort with the material. If you have an earlier flight out, please notify the instructor of the class the morning before you leave so arrangements can be made to exit without disturbing the rest of the class.

11. Where are classes held?
Our Locations section provides the address and telephone number of each training site to help you make your travel arrangements. You will also receive directions to the site and information on suggested hotels with your enrollment confirmation. Please do not call the training site to register for class. Only MicroStrategy Education can enroll you in class.

12. Where can I find a course schedule?
Use the Course Search Wizard to find our scheduled classes. You may search by region or by class name.

13. What is the difference between the standard courses and the curriculum tracks?
Our Tracks are a specific combination of our standard courses, designed to give you comprehensive training for a specific role or responsibility. MicroStrategy offers three main Curriculum Tracks, each track consists of two main courses -- a basic Reporting Essentials course on the first two days, followed by a more advanced course in a specialized subject for either two or three days. MicroStrategy also offers three additional Tracks, which consist of either Advanced courses or Programming courses. All courses that make up a Track can be taken independently as well.

14. I'm new to using MicroStrategy products. Which course should I take first?
Our MicroStrategy Desktop: Reporting Essentials course is our basic report writing course, providing enough training for analysts while also serving as the foundation for more advanced training for technical users. The Reporting Essentials course is always the first two days of our core three Tracks (Report Developer Track, Project Designer Track, and Intelligence Server Administrator Track). The Reporting Essentials course content is the same in each Track, so a range of dates and locations are available to you.

15. What should I take after the Reporting Essentials course?
Please review our Courses By Role section to put together a training path based on your role and responsibilities.

16. Do I get a Certificate at the end of class?
Certificates are given out at class for successful completion of the Certification exams and the MCE or MCD Project classes. Upon receipt of the completed electronic course survey, MicroStrategy Education can email a student in any other class a Certificate of Completion. Please send a request to either your instructor or to education@microstrategy.com at the end of class.

17. I've been working with MicroStrategy's tools for a while. Can I bypass the prerequisite courses?
The prerequisite courses are listed for a reason. It is essential for each student to achieve the same level of basic knowledge to successfully proceed to the next level. Exceptions are handled on a case-by-case basis and may require an interview with the course instructor for permission to waive the prerequisite course.

18. May I just buy the books?
No, we do not currently sell the course manuals outside of class. You must attend class to obtain a copy of the manual. The technical material presented in our classes requires an instructor to convey the material in an efficient and effective manner. Receiving a course manual without formal instruction does not provide the same value or benefits as attending the course itself.

19. Do you have online classes?
Yes! We now offer a comprehensive curriculum of online courses. These web-based, interactive courses are an affordable, easy-to use option for learning more about the MicroStrategy platform at your own pace. Learn more about our complete online curriculum.

20. Can I take exams to get certified without attending class?
Certification on the MicroStrategy product suite is now modular in format and easier than ever to fit into your schedule. Individuals are encouraged to attend the entire Certification Week (the classes scheduled Monday through Thursday) to ensure adequate knowledge prior to the Friday Exam Day. However, if an individual believes he or she has ample MicroStrategy knowledge and experience to take the exam without attending class, they may bypass the prerequisite classes and attend only the Friday Exam Day. Exam Days have also been scheduled independently from the Certification Weeks, allowing individuals (who have sufficient knowledge to bypass the instructor-led courses) to attend one Exam Day and take all three prerequisite exams. This Exam Day is then followed by the three-day MCE Project. Please see the agendas for the Certification programs for more detailed information.

21. What If I fail an Exam? What is the Exam Retake policy?

A passing grade for an exam is 75%. A passing grade for a retake exam is 85%. A retake exam will be a slightly different exam and will cost $200 per retake exam.

A. Focus Area Certification Exams & MCE or MCD Project
- A student can take three retakes of the same focus area certification exam (or the MCE / MCD Project class) in the same 12-month period on any schedule they choose. The nine focus area certification exams include the following: Project Designer, Report Developer, Platform Administrator, Engine Specialist, Narrowcast Developer, Advanced Administrator, Web SDK Specialist, Web SDK Developer, and Enterprise Reporter.

- If the student fails the third attempt, they must wait at least three months before they schedule the next retake. If they fail on that fourth time, they must again wait three months before the next retake. This continues so long as they keep failing. Students who fail the same exam three times are strongly urged to (re)take the prerequisite instructor-led courses (or online courses if available).

B. MicroStrategy Certified Engineer (MCE) Renewal Exam
- A student will be allowed one retake after failing the MicroStrategy Certified Engineer (MCE) Renewal Exam. If the student fails the MCE Renewal Exam retake, they must recertify by passing the Project Designer, Report Developer and Platform Administrator exams again and then successfully completing the MCE Project class.

22. Does anyone else teach MicroStrategy classes?
Only MicroStrategy employees are certified to teach our product suite to our customers and partners, ensuring that you get quality materials and comprehensive instruction from highly experienced, expertly trained and completely up-to-date instructors.

MicroStrategy Education Frequently Asked Questions

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