The American Boat & Yacht Council has officially entered the online education arena through the introduction of the online version of the ABYC electrical certification review course.

Available at www.abycinc.org/educationprograms/index.cfm, this course is designed for the experienced marine electrical technician, surveyor or interested marine professional who wants to prepare for the ABYC electrical systems certification exam with minimal disruption to work and family commitments.

The course is being offered at an introductory registration fee of $95 for ABYC members and $195 for nonmembers. This fee includes the cost of the ABYC Electrical Certification Study Guide ($25 value) which can be downloaded online after the student has registered. Once registered, the student has 90 days to complete the course.

This new online course is divided into two modules with a quiz immediately following each module, which provides instant feedback so students can gauge progress being made, and to guide their next steps in the learning process. Based on the results of these quizzes, students then will be guided to take either the certification exam or recommended to sign up for the ABYC electrical certification class prior to taking the actual exam.

ABYC also has launched a free online demonstration course and free online placement exam. These two offerings expose students to ABYC’s online courses and tests before committing to the expense of the actual online review course.

The free placement exam is designed to help students determine if they are a candidate for ABYC’s basic electrical course (entry level), electrical certification course (advanced), the online review course, or if they are prepared to take the certification exam.

“We are continuing to build on the success of ABYC’s traditional education program, and based on the popularity of our first online course, we will determine the next step towards future online offerings,” said Bonnie Barsa, ABYC education director, in a statement.

“Introducing these courses is the first in a series of steps that ABYC is taking towards creating a truly global technical education community,” said ABYC president Skip Burdon in a statement. “While there will always be a need for both classroom and hands-on practical learning, we believe the application of user-friendly, convenient and informative online learning will continue to grow into the foreseeable future. It reduces overall travel expenses and time away from work, provides flexibility with 24/7 access, can be accessed using low or high speed connections, in addition to opening ABYC’s educational opportunities  to a global audience.”

www.abycinc.org