Frequently Asked Questions - Virginia Online Driver Improvement Traffic School
- Why take a driver improvement clinic course?
- How quickly can I finish a course?
- Must I complete a class in one sitting?
- Can I take the entire course online from home or do I have to attend a "test site"?
- How long does it take to get the Completion Certificate?
- What if my deadline for completion of traffic school has passed?
- How do I register for a traffic school class?
- How can I pay for a course?
- What if I have no e-mail address?
- What computer Hardware,Software and Browser is recommended?
- Can I take the entire course from home or do I have to attend a "test site"?
- Can I use someone else's computer or Internet service?
- Why is there a time minimum for the course? How does the online timer work?
- I have already enrolled. How do I get back into the class?
- I just got knocked off line in the middle of a section. What do I do now?
- What happens if I fail the final exam for the online class? Can I take it again?
- What happens if I fail a security question or are "Locked Out" for Security Reasons? Can I continue with the class?
Why take a driver improvement clinic course?
The Commonwealth of Virginia has a system that rewards good drivers. Every full calendar year a driver has no traffic violations, suspensions, revocations or convictions, they are awarded one safe driving point. No person shall be permitted to accumulate more than five safe driving points. One safe driving point will eliminate one demerit point on your driving record.
- Another way to remove demerit points or acquire safe driving points is to attend a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) certified driver improvement clinic course. Up to five demerit points will be removed if you satisfactorily complete a driver improvement clinic (like this one).
- A driver will also be directed to attend a driver improvement clinic by the DMV Commissioner if they accumulate 12 demerit points based on convictions for traffic offenses committed within a 12 month period, or 18 points in a 24 month period.
- Another reason to attend a driver improvement clinic is to become a more responsible driver, lower your chances of being involved in an accident, and lower your chances of getting a ticket. This often will result in lower insuranse premimums or possible discounts (check with your insrance agent.)
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How quickly can I finish a course?
The course is designed to take no less than seven and one half (7 1/2) hours and half an hour to take the final exam at a testing site. Online class are designed to take the same equivalent time as a traditional in-class traffic school course, but you work at your own pace and from any computer connected to the internet.
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Must I complete an Online Class in one sitting?
Online Traffic School classes are designed for the person who does not have a lot of time or prefers to take a course without attending a formal classroom. The courses are broken up into sections and you can log off and then log back in at a later time. The computer records the section(s) you have completed. You can log on and off as many times as you wish until you complete the class. You can also do the entire course in one sitting.....it is up to you.
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Can I take the entire course online from home or do I have to attend a "test site"?
The majority of the course (7 and 1/2 hours) can be completed from home. The final exam must be taken at an official test site in Virginia. At the test site, a test proctor will verify your driver's license and log you onto a special final exam screen. The 50-question final usually takes under 30 minutes or less to complete and you will know immediately if you have passed.
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How long does it take to get the Completion Certificate?
Your Certificate is e-mailed to you (its FREE). After passing the final exam, your Certificate is processed and distributed by the following business day. The Certificate is in a .PDF file; that allows you to print it from any computer. Certificates are processed 2 times a day, Monday through Friday (excluding Holidays).
If you do not have a printer, you can elect to have your Certificate sent by regular USPS mail at registration time. If you need it rushed, call NTSI at 888-312-6874 during normal business hours after you have completed your traffic school class. A $10.00 Expediting Fee may be charged if you need your Certificate processed immediately after passing your final exam.)
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What if my deadline for completion of traffic school has passed?
Contact the DMV or the Court that assigned you to complete a class for instructions regarding extension of your due date. Schools cannot extend your due date.
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How do I register for a traffic school class?
Registration for an Internet Class is simple. You click on the registration button and you will be taken to the NTSI Virtual Test Center's registration page. Just complete all the appropriate fields and you can get started immediately. You may also call NTSI Support at 1-888-312-6874 during normal business hours, and register right away over the phone.
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How can I pay for a course?
Internet Classes require you to use your Credit Card or Debit Card for payment. After you fill out the registration form, you will be linked to a secure credit card processing page. The payment site is encrypted to make your online purchase safe.
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What if I have no e-mail address?
You do not need an e-mail address to take our online traffic school classes, but it is the quickest way to receive your Completion Certificate. Correspondence can be printed directly from the course screens. On the registration form under E-mail Address, click on the no e-mail button, if you do not have one. Another option is for you to use a relative or friend's e-mail address.
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What computer Hardware, Software and Browser is recommended?
Our Online courses will operate on PCs or Macs that are connected to the Internet. A PC or Mac Running:
- Windows 95/98/NT/ME/2K/XP/Vista or later
- MacOS 9.x/OSX -- Must use Firefox (Safari will not work)
- Linux 2.2+
Internet Browser (Your browser MUST support and have JavaScript, Cookies, and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) enabled. Most PCs are pre-set for this configuration.)
- Firefox 1.0+ (Win/Lin/Mac)
- Mozilla 1.75+ (Win/Lin)
- Opera 1.5+ (Win/Lin)
- Internet Explorer 5.5+ (Win)
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Can I use someone else's computer or Internet service?
You can take our Internet Courses from home, work, a friend or family members house -- ANYTIME -- 24/7. Whatever computer you use, you just need Internet access that is not blocked by your Network Administrator. You can start on your own computer and finish on another.
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Why is there a time minimum for the course? How does the online timer work?
This course was approved by The Department Motor Vehicles as an eight (8) hour course. You may take as long as necessary to read the sections and there is no time maximum to complete the program. However, you cannot complete the course in under eight hours (including the final exam). You may take the program course during many different sittings/days/weeks, but the timing element is programmed into the course as part of a DMV requirement.
Our website requires that "cookies" be enabled on your computer to allow the site to time your progress. (Unless enabled, you cannot participate in our course.) By default, "cookies" are automatically enabled on a computer. Unless you know your "cookies" are disabled, you may proceed with the course without a problem.
Because the Commonwealth requires that you be timed while online, our classroom website has an intricate timing feature. It is recommended that you do not open any other websites or browsers other than those contained within our program while taking your online traffic school course. Although unlikely, too many functions operating at once on your computer while taking this course may result in your computer being knocked off line. You also need to disable any pop-up blockers you may have on your computer while taking this course.
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I have already enrolled. How do I get back into the online class?
If you have already enrolled, you have a username and password, and can Login as often as you need to complete your course. If you have forgotten or lost your username or password, call our NTSI Technical Support and National Call Center at 888-312-6874.
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I just got knocked off line in the middle of a section. What do I do now?
Internet users sometimes are knocked off line. This may result from a lost Internet connection, another call interrupting your connection if you are on a single line with call waiting, or simply because your computer crashes. Remember, as you complete each section of the course, your progress is logged. Completion of chapter one, for example, cannot be lost if your answers are submitted to the system and graded. Being knocked off line at any point will not delete any previously completed chapters. When your Internet connection is re-established, simply Log back on our site and you will be returned the point you last completed.
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What happens if I fail the final exam for the online class? Can I take it again?
The final exam is 50 questions consisting of multiple choice and True / False answers. The questions all come from the course and there is no time limit to take the exam. You need to score 80% or better to pass.
In the unlikely event you fail, you may take the final exam up to a total of three (3) times. The first attempt is free, the other two you have to pay a retake fee of $6.00. If you fail the final exam, Virginia requires that must wait one calendar day (24 hours) to retake the test. In short, you may only take the exam only once per day.
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What happens if I fail a security question or are "Locked Out" for Security Reasons? Can I continue with the class?
The security questions are used to ensure that the proper individual is taking the class. You have 30 seconds after a security question appears to supply a correct answer. If you answer incorrectly or take too long to answer, the course will be "locked" for 24 Hours. If the class does not "unlock" after a full 24 hours, call the NTSI technical support center at 1-888-312-6874 for assistance.
Please note: This process will reset the timer for that module back to 0 (you will have to retake that course module).
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If you have any additional questions please contact us.
