Fall 2022 — DEDP Course Structure, Proctored Exam, and Payment Changes

Several design and policy changes for the MITx MicroMasters program in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy went into effect on September 6, 2022. These changes affect all future DEDP learners and some existing DEDP learners. Please find below a summary of the major changes, which were announced to all existing DEDP learners in September 2022 via email, and the DEDP MicroMasters website.

Changes to Course and Proctored Exam Structure

From September 2022 onwards, the Proctored Exam for DEDP courses are part of the MITx Online course session. Additionally, the assessment previously referred to as the "Final Exam" or "Online Course Final Exam" at the end of DEDP course sessions will now be referred to as the Comprehensive Review.

Previously, the Proctored Exam for each DEDP course was offered after the end of the MITx Online course session in a separate, special stand-alone exam course. Learners wishing to sit for a DEDP course's Proctored Exam were required to manually register for the exam by enrolling from their MicroMasters Portal Dashboard at the correct time.

Previously, all learners were presented with an assessment at the end of the MITx Online course session referred to as either the "Final Exam" or the "Online Course Final Exam". This assessment was the final item of the MITx Online course session, and contributed towards the Online Course Score needed to earn a passing score in the course session.

Now, learners eligible to sit for a DEDP course's Proctored Exam will complete it at the end of the course session.

Now, all learners will still be presented with the assessment previously referred to as the "Final Exam" or the "Online Course Final Exam" near the end of the MITx Online course. This assessment will now be referred to as the Comprehensive Review. This assessment will be the last piece of course content on the Audit enrollment track, while learners on the Verified (Paid) enrollment track will sit for the Proctored Exam after the Comprehensive Review.

Changes to Course Payment Functionality

The changes to DEDP Proctored Exams—becoming part of the online course session—will have several consequences affecting the way in which learners pay for courses.

From September 2022 onward, payments for DEDP courses will be tied to a specific course session. Learners must now submit payment for a specific course session enrollment. They will no longer be able to submit payment for a DEDP course generally.

Now, when a learner submits payment for a DEDP course session, their enrollment for that course session will be upgraded to the Verified (Paid) enrollment track. They will become eligible to sit for the Proctored Exam at the end of that course session—and only that course session. 

Previously learners could submit payment for a DEDP course and then choose to sit for the Proctored Exam during any of that course's future sessions, but this is no longer possible. This means that any payment made for a DEDP course session—either submitted before the start date of that course session or after the start date but before the Payment deadline of that course session—only applies to that specific session of the course. You will not be able to pay for a course session, complete the Base Course Content, and then choose to wait and sit for the Proctored Exam in a future course session.

As always, we continue to welcome learners to take any DEDP course for free, on the Audit track.

Changes to Eligibility Criteria for DEDP Proctored Exams and MicroMasters Course Certificates

These changes to DEDP Proctored Exams and payment functionality will also have several consequences affecting the eligibility criteria for earning a MicroMasters Course Certificate for DEDP courses.

Previously, in order to be eligible to sit for the Proctored Exam in a DEDP course session, a learner was required to submit payment for the course at any time before that session's Payment Deadline and earn a passing course score in the course session.

Previously, In order to earn the MicroMasters Course Certificate for a DEDP course, a learner was required to earn a passing score on the Proctored Exam (having already earned a passing score in the course session).

Now, in order to be eligible to sit for the Proctored Exam in a DEDP course session, a learner is required to submit payment for that course session before the session's Payment Deadline. Submitting payment for a course session will upgrade the enrollment to the Verified (Paid) enrollment track. All learners enrolled in a DEDP course session on the Verified (Paid) enrollment track will now be eligible to sit for the Proctored Exam at the end of the session.

Now, in order to earn the MicroMasters Course Certificate for a DEDP course, a learner is required to earn a passing score on the Proctored Exam and also have earned a high enough Cumulative Course Score across the coursework and Comprehensive Review to achieve a passing Overall Course Score.

If you submitted payment for one or more DEDP courses prior to September 2022 but did not use all of your Proctored Exam attempts, or if you are unsure whether you have any Proctored Exam attempts remaining, please reach out to us at [e-mail] for assistance.

For more details and examples explaining the criteria for passing a DEDP course and earning the MicroMasters Course Certificate, please refer to this FAQ article.

For more information about submitting payment to upgrade a course enrollment to the Verified (Paid) enrollment track, please refer to this FAQ article.

For more information about the DEDP Program's schedule of course availability, please refer to this FAQ article and the DEDP News & Course Dates page. 

For more information about DEDP Proctored Exams, please refer to the About Proctored Exams section of our FAQ.