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Frequently Asked Questions
Enrollment
To enroll yourself or an employee into a course, fill out the Enrollment Form.(dcalearning.org/enroll) If you have any questions about enrollment, email studenthelp@dcalearning.org.
DCA no longer provides physical copies; all courses are administered online only.
Each DCA course includes a series of lessons, quizzes, skill assessments, and a final exam. You must complete the entire course within one year of enrollment and receive a passing grade on the final exam to receive the Certificate of Completion. If you do not meet these requirements, you must re-enroll in the course.
The Diploma Program encompasses all four DCA courses which must be completed within approximately two years of enrollment, allowing up to 180 days per course. The courses will be taken in the following order: Beginning Jewelry Sales; Diamond Course; Colored Gemstone Course; Advanced Jewelry Sales. Students must receive an overall passing grade for each course. If you do not meet these requirements, you must re-enroll in the Diploma Program.
Each student receives one year to complete an individual course, 2 years to complete all four courses in the Diploma Program (180 days per course, four courses in total).
The average amount of time students take to complete a course is around 3 months.
Courses & Grading
Evaluations are multiple-choice questions that gauge the learning process at logical points in the coursework. Every DCA course has three types of evaluations: skills assessments, quizzes, and a final exam. All evaluations are required to complete the course.
The skill assessments consist of a set of written questions based on the knowledge and skills acquired through the lessons in that section. They are a mandatory part of the course and will be reviewed by DCA staff. Skill assessments do not count as part of your overall course grade.
The skill assessments are completed directly after a section’s quiz.
Quizzes are multiple-choice tests that follow a course section. There are multiple quizzes within each course to ensure knowledge from the lessons is retained.
To pass a quiz, students must score 75% or higher. Quizzes can be retaken as many times as needed to reach the passing grade. Grades percentages are based on the number of correct answers versus the number of questions. For example, 20 correct answers out of 25 questions is an 80% grade.
When a score of 75% or higher is achieved, that grade will be averaged with the quizzes and exams within the course to determine the overall grade for the test.
When all lessons, quizzes, and skills assessments in the course are completed, the final exam is the last step. The final exam can only be taken once all other course work is completed.
The final exam consists of 75 multiple-choice questions that cover the entirety of the course. Grade percentages are based on the number of correct answers versus the number of questions. The minimum grade target is 75%.
The quizzes and final exam are not timed and can be completed at the student’s own pace.
However, the entirety of the course must be completed within one year of enrollment. For the Diploma Program, each of the four courses must be completed within 90 days.
Since the program is comprised of all four courses, it is necessary to complete each course’s final exam. By the end of the program, the student will have completed 4 final exams. There are no additional exams in the Diploma Program.
Final exam results are given immediately upon completion. If the 75% or above grade is achieved, the student will be able to access their Certificate of Completion in the portal.
The scores from the quizzes are averaged to determine a quiz average. That exam average is then averaged with the score from the final examination to calculate the overall course grade. For example, if the quiz average is 90% and the final exam score is 80%, the overall course grade is 85%.
The final exam can be taken twice to try to achieve the 75% target grade. The grades for both attempts are then averaged to determine the overall grade for the exam.
If a student does not earn a score of 75% or higher on the second attempt at the final exam, re-enrollment in the course will be required. The course must be restarted from the beginning, and a $75.00 re-enrollment fee will apply. Original course payments are not waived.
This survey asks students to rate the objectives, content, presentation, and service or support within a course. This survey is voluntary and does not count towards the final course grade. There are two satisfaction surveys per course.
Recognition
Upon successfully completing an individual course, students receive a digital DCA Certificate of Completion and a digital badge recognizing their achievement. Certificates and badges can be downloaded for sharing or display. Digital badges may be shared across various professional and social platforms, including LinkedIn and email signatures, to showcase completed coursework.
For students who enrolled on or after April 2025, these credentials will be accessible through the student portal for the duration of the current learning platform. If DCA transitions to a new course platform in the future, students may need to contact DCA directly to obtain copies of their certificates or badges.
If enrolled in the Diploma Program, graduates receive a DCA Gem and Jewelry Sales Diploma at the completion of all four courses. A printed 11” x 14” diploma will be mailed to each graduate. Additionally, an 8.5” x 11” version will be available for digital download in the student portal immediately upon the program completion.
Policies
If you do not complete a course within one year of enrollment or do not earn a passing score after two attempts on the final exam, you will be required to re-enroll and retake the course. Course payments are not waived for re-enrollments.
Students may re-enroll and retake the same edition of the course one time at $75, provided re-enrollment occurs within one year of the original completion deadline or the second exam attempt, whichever applies. If the time limit was missed, only the unfinished coursework must be completed. If the final exam attempt limit was reached, all coursework must be repeated.
If a student does not re-enroll within the second year following the original enrollment, the student must enroll as a new student at the current tuition rate and complete the entire course.
If DCA has released a new or revised edition of the course at the time of re-enrollment, the student must enroll in the latest edition, pay the current tuition rate, and repeat all coursework, regardless of whether the original issue was the time limit or the exam attempt limit.
Any course retake follows the same completion timeline as the original course: one year from the date of re-enrollment.
Students are required to complete all coursework themselves, under the conditions specified for that work. If signs of cheating or other academic misconduct are detected, DCA will notify the sponsoring Executive or Associate Member if needed and will evaluate the evidence and determine the consequences.
DCA will review complaints in a timely and fair manner. Complaints may be about any aspect of DCA’s program, services, operations, staff, or management. They may be submitted verbally (in person or by phone) or in writing (via email, fax, or mail). DCA will review complaints within five business days that do not directly involve staff or management personnel. For other complaints, review will be made within ten business days in order to allow the staff or management member sufficient opportunity to provide a response. DCA will notify the student in writing the results of the review and will take any necessary follow-up action.
Course or diploma enrollment may be cancelled for a full refund within thirty days of initial enrollment if no portion of the course is completed. If the course has been started, the course enrollment is ineligible for refund.
A request for cancellation may be conveyed in person or by phone, e-mail, letter, or fax.
Due to the unique relationship DCA has with its members and students, refunds will be issued to the party, student, or employer, who paid for the course. Refunds will be processed within 30 days of submission.
Contact us at studenthelp@dcalearning.org (mailto:studenthelp@dcalearning.org?subject=Course%20Questions%20|%20DCALearning.org%20FAQs%20Link)or 615-385-5301/toll-free 877-283-5669. DCA’s usual office hours are 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. DCA is closed for major holidays.Most phone questions or requests will be answered immediately. Email inquiries will receive a response within 24-48 hours.
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