You can use PASS Online with Internet Explorer version 4.01 or higher, and Netscape Navigator 4.5 or higher.
For best results, however, we recommend that you use Internet Explorer version 5.0 or higher, or Netscape Navigator version 6.0 or higher. (PASS Online is optimized for Internet Explorer version 5.0 and higher).
In addition, cookies must be enabled (see below "What is a Cookie?") to use the shopping cart, online courses, or several other parts of our web site.
From your browser's top menu bar, click Help then select About (or it may say About Netscape or About Internet Explorer...). The name and version of your browser should be displayed.
A cookie is a small piece of data that is deposited on your computer when you visit a particular web site or page. It is used by most sites to help remember user specific settings between pages and/or visits to the site. For example, this site, PASS Online, uses cookies so that it will remember if you've logged on.
The actual amount of data stored on your computer by PASS Online is miniscule, and is deleted automatically by your browser. Most of it is deleted when you leave the PASS Online web site.
Unless you, or the person who administers your computer, specifically turned them off, they probably are enabled.
A good way to tell is to go to a page from the PASS Online site that requires a logon. For example, clicking on the Shopping Cart button will redirect you to the logon page. Then enter your logon information (after first creating a new user registration if necessary), and click OK. If the logon page mysteriously re-appears, and the email and password information you so carefully typed has vanished, then cookies are probably disabled on your computer.
You can also check your browser's settings to see if cookies are enabled. In Internet Explorer version 5, select Tools, from the browser's top menu bar. Then select Internet Options. After the options dialog box is displayed, click on the Security tab.
Then, scroll down in the Settings list until you see the Cookies section. Both Allow cookies that are stored on your computer and Allow per-session cookies should be enabled.
The precise method of enabling cookies tends to change from browser to browser and from version to version. If you can't figure it out, contact us or the person who administers your computer.
You will get one of the error messages below:
- Explorer cannot open the internet site URL: the downloaded file is not available. This could be due to your security language setting or because the server was unable to retrieve the requested file.
- Internet Explorer cannot open the internet site URL: the connection to the server was reset.
- Object Moved This object may be found .
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem to some users of Windows 98 running Internet Explorer, version 4.0 and 4.01. To resolve it, upgrade to Internet Explorer 4.01, Service Pack 2 or higher at http://www.microsoft.com (PASS Online is optimized for Internet Explorer version 5.0 and higher)
The most common reason for this message is because your customer information was previously entered into our database. Use your browser's Back button until you get to the Log On page. Enter in your email address and password and click OK. If you can't remember your password, click here.
Yes! PASS includes a convenient Backup and Restore feature that makes it easy to move courses between computers.
Follow these steps:
- Go to the computer where PASS is installed and open the course you wish to move.
- Select Contents from the PASS top menu bar.
- Select Backup from the Contents menu. If the Contents menu does not include a Backup or Restore option, you'll need to download the latest version of the software engine.
- Insert a floppy diskette into the appropriate drive (for the purposes of this example, we'll assume 'A:\').
- At the Backup Location dialog box type A:\.
- Click OK.
- Go to the computer you want to move PASS to. You'll need the diskette you just backed up to. You'll also need the original distribution diskettes or CD-ROM that you received the PASS software on. Or you'll need to download the software engine and course onto the new computer just as you did on the original computer.
- Install PASS exactly as you did on the other computer. For example, if you installed PASS from the PASS CD catalog, you'll need to first install the catalog, then install the course you're moving. If you installed from diskette, use A:\setup to install.
- Important: If you downloaded and installed an update to the PASS software engine, you'll also need to install the update to this computer as well.
- After PASS is installed, open the course you're moving.
- Select Contents from the PASS menu bar.
- Select Restore from the Contents menu.
- Insert the floppy diskette you made the backup on to appropriate drive.
- At the Restore From Location dialog box type A:\.
- Click OK.
Steps 8 and 9 only need to be performed once per course per computer. After that you can freely use Backup and Restore to move your work between the two computers.
You can receive your password through email if you have forgotten it. Click here to enter your email address.
You will get one of the error messages below:
- Explorer cannot open the internet site URL: the downloaded file is not available. This could be due to your security language setting or because the server was unable to retrieve the requested file.
- Internet Explorer cannot open the internet site URL: the connection to the server was reset.
- Object Moved This object may be found .
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem to some users of Windows 98 running Internet Explorer, version 4.0 and 4.01. To resolve it, upgrade to Internet Explorer 4.01, Service Pack 2 or higher at http://www.microsoft.com (PASS Online is optimized for Internet Explorer version 5.0 and higher)
The most common reason for this message is because your customer information was previously entered into our database. Use your browser's Back button until you get to the Log On page. Enter in your email address and password and click OK. If you can't remember your password, click here.
Internet Explorer (versions 5.5 and higher) has a Print Preview function which will tell you how many pages it will take to print this course on your printer. Select File from the Internet Explorer menu, then select Print Preview.
Click on the Navigate tab from within the course. Then click the Certificate link in the link bar underneath the tabs and use your browser's print command to print the Certificate page.
- Log in to Passonline
- Select your homeroom
- Open your course
- Click the Print tab.
You have the following printing options:
- Print all or some of the course chapters.
- Print course quizzes and/or the final exam.
- Print the table of contents.
- Print the course certificate of completion.
- Convert the course to Adobe Portable Document Format (a PDF file). Use the Acrobat print command to print the course after it is displayed. (You can install Adobe Acrobat Reader for free to your computer.)
PASS Online does not provide Final Exam answers. You may however, find which questions you missed.
You may disable tests by
- From the Chapter Tab, click on the Skip Tests in this Tab box
or, to disable tests in all tabs
- Click the Navigate tab.
- Click the Options link in the green link bar underneath the tabs
- Click the Disable Tests option.
- Click OK.
Use the Test Navigator toolbar. After changing the answer on the exam, click on the Last Question button. Then click the Next button. Select No when asked if you would like to review your answers. PASS will re-grade the exam.

More information about the Test Navigator can be found while taking a quiz or exam: just click the Help button.
Use the Test Navigator toolbar (see the previous question).
If you exited the exam during the review, click on Tests and Scores from the Course Menu page. Click the Go button next to the Final Exam. Then use the Last Question button on the Test Navigator (see the previous question).
PASS courses can be downloaded to your computer for free! Simply click here to follow the instructions. You can preview one or more chapters of any of our courses. Then, when you're ready to buy, go to the catalog page and add the course or courses you've downloaded to the shopping cart. Follow the on-screen instructions, or call us at 800-231-1860 to purchase the course!
The software engine and course files are compressed for quicker download and must be decompressed and installed on your computer. The files must be downloaded first and then installed before a course is ready to use. Downloading and installation are two separate steps.
If you feel unsure of the process, carefully review the downloading instructions by clicking here, or contact us for help.
To learn how to search for downloaded files on your computer's hard disk, click here.
If you still can not find the files after following the instructions on the Can't Find page, you may need to download the file or files again. It is possible that a break in the telephone connection occurred, interrupting the download process. Many times a break such as this is not indicated by a message or other notification, and the partially downloaded files are automatically deleted from your computer.
Click the Start button on the task bar at the bottom of your screen. Then click Programs, and select PASS Self-Study and click the name of the course to open.
You have the option to run the course or save it to a disk. Your browser may use different wording. For example, Open or Save this program to disk.
Try the following:
- Check that the Course ID displayed in the Registration dialog matches the one you received. If it doesn't match, you might have downloaded and/or installed the wrong course.
- Ensure that there are no extra spaces in or after your name in the Registration dialog box. Also make sure the name you enter is exactly the same as the one you received with the registration number. If we have the registration name as John A. Doe, Jr. then the name must be entered exactly that way. Any missing initials, commas or periods will cause an error.
All PASS courses are try-before-you-buy. You are able to preview one or more chapters of each course before you have to purchase and enter registration information.
You can, however, register at any time by choosing View from the PASS top menu bar, then selecting the Registration option.
You receive the following message (or something like it):
- 16-bit MS-DOS Subsystem
The system file is not suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows applications. Choose 'Close' to terminate the application.
or
- 16-bit MS-DOS Subsystem
An installable Virtual Device Driver failed DLL initialization. Choose 'Close' to terminate the application
If the message box has an Ignore button, try clicking it to continue. If that doesn't work, see the following two articles on microsoft.com for possible solutions (try the first one before attempting the second):
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314452
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;324767
If you're running Windows 95, 98, or ME, simply restarting the computer will solve this problem 99% of the time. If after restarting you still receive the same error, reinstall PASS, and restart your computer as soon as the installation completes.
If you're running on Windows NT or Windows 2000, try restarting as outlined above. If that doesn't work, check with your network administrator to ensure that you have administrator rights to \winnt\system32 during the installation so that the setup program may properly update the MFC42.DLL file to the correct version.
There are several things that can cause this message.
- You did not install the software engine. Or you installed the software engine after you installed the course. Click here for detailed instructions.
- You installed the software engine in one directory and the course in another directory. You must specify the same destination directory for the course as you did for the software engine. (Hint: Accept the defaults offered during the installation by clicking the Next button during each step of the setup).
Download and install the latest version of the PASS software engine to correct this problem.
If you're running Windows 95, 98, or ME, simply restarting the computer will solve this problem 99% of the time. If after restarting you still receive the same error, reinstall PASS, and restart your computer as soon as the installation completes.
- Select Print from the PASS top menu bar.
- Select Chapters.
- When the Print Chapters dialog appears, click the All button. Click the Print Tests Only checkbox.
- Click on OK.
You can also print the Final Exam from the Print Chapters dialog after you've completed taking all of the quizzes.
- Click and drag to highlight the section of the chapter you want to print.
- Release the mouse button.
- Select Print from the PASS top menu bar.
- Select Window.
- When the Print dialog appears, click on the Selection option.
- Click OK.
With the course open,
- click on Print from the menu options at the top of the PASS window.
- Then select Chapters and Tests.
- Finally, click the Pages button in the Print Chapters dialog box.
PASS will count and then display a message indicating the total number of pages required to print the course. In addition, the number of pages required to print each chapter will be displayed immediately to the left of the chapter title.
Simply close the exam window (or windows). PASS will remember your answers, but won't count the exam as completed until you complete the last question. It will not be counted as one of your final exam tries.
Access the chapters by:
- Clicking Contents from the menu options at the top of the screen.
- Click the Chapters option.
- Re-enter the Final Exam by clicking on Test.
- Click Scores.
- Double click on the Final Exam.
PASS Online does not provide Final Exam answers. You may however, use the Review feature to learn which questions you missed.
- Select Tests from the PASS top menu bar.
- Click Review Test Answers.
You may disable tests by:
- Selecting View from the PASS top menu bar.
- Select Preferences.
- When the Preferences dialog box appears, click the Disable Tests option.
You may not change answers while reviewing tests. You must retake the test to change the answer.
- Click Tests from the PASS top menu bar.
- Select Scores.
- Double-click on the test you would like to retake.
- Use the Test Navigation toolbar to move to the question whose answer you want to change.

Use the Test Navigation toolbar.

After changing the answer on the exam:
- Click on the Last Question button.
- Click the Next button.
- Select No when asked if you would like to review your answers. PASS will re-grade the exam.
Due to new standards from the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) board, PASS Online will be making changes to the amount of CFP credit awarded for each course. New CFP Board standards require providers to change they way Continuing Education courses are measured for credits.
In order to meet these new requirements, PASS Online will be reducing the amount of CFP credits by half from current amounts as of July 22, 2008.
Important Information:
- The credit change involves only customers who want CFP credit. For CPAs, the credit amount will NOT be changing.
- Starting in July, PASS Online CFP courses will be changing the amount of CFP credit hours, in accordance with the CFP Board of Standards. After July 22, 2008, CFP credit amounts will be half the amount previously stated.
- Courses taken after July 22, 2008 will be given the reduced number of CFP credits, no matter when the course was purchased.
- The change was dictated by the Certfied Financial Planner Board.
More Questions on CFP
Questions related to a specific PASS Online course, please contact Susan S. Wilson, Conversion Supervisor; 817-252-4335.
Questions about CFP and how it affects the PASS Online customers, contact either Clarissa Robinson, Pilot Test Coordinator; 817.252.4401 or Heather Lumpkin, Sr. Manager, Online Product Development/CPE; 817-252-4253.