How to Take This Course

This course consists of text material for you to read and three types of activities (the pre/post tests, in-text exercises, and end-of-chapter review questions) for you to complete. These activities are designed to reinforce the concepts brought out in the text portion of the course and to enable you to evaluate your progress.

PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST

A pre-test and post-test are included in this course. Take the pre-test before you study any of the course material to determine the amount of prior knowledge you have on the subject matter. Submit one of the scannable answer forms enclosed with this course for grading. On return of the graded pre-test, complete the course material. Take the post-test after you have completed all the course material. By comparing results of the pre-test and the post-test, you can measure how effective the course has been for you.

To have your pre-test and post-test graded, please mail your answer forms to:

American Management Association

Educational Services

P. O. Box 133

Florida, NY 10921

All tests are reviewed thoroughly by our instructors and will be returned to you promptly.

If you are viewing the course digitally, the scannable forms enclosed in the hard copy of AMA Self-Study titles are not available digitally. If you would like to take the course for credit, you will need to either purchase a hard copy of the course from www.amaselfstudy.org or you can purchase an online version of the course from www.flexstudy.com.

THE TEXT

The most important component of this course is the text, for it is here that the concepts and methods are first presented. Reading each chapter twice will increase the likelihood of your understanding the text fully.

We recommend that you work on this course in a systematic way. Only by reading the text and working through the exercises at a regular and steady pace will you get the most out of this course and retain what you have learned.

In your first reading, concentrate on getting an overview of the chapter’s contents. Read the learning objectives at the beginning of each chapter first. They serve as guidelines to the major topics of the chapter and enumerate the skills you should master as you study the text. As you read the chapter, pay attention to the headings and subheadings. Find the general theme of the section and see how that theme relates to others. Don’t let yourself get bogged down with details during the first reading; simply concentrate on remembering and understanding the major themes.

In your second reading, look for the details that underlie the themes. Read the entire chapter carefully and methodically, underlining key points, working out the details of the examples, and making marginal notations as you go. Complete the exercises.

EXERCISES

Interspersed with the text in each chapter you will find numbered exercises. These take a variety of forms, including brief essay, short answer, charts, and questionnaires. Answers to many of the exercises can be found in the back of the book in the section titled “Answers to Exercises and Case Studies.”

THE REVIEW QUESTIONS

After reading a chapter and before going on to the next, work through the review questions. By answering the questions and comparing your own answers to the answers provided, you will find it easier to grasp the major ideas of that chapter. If you perform these self-check exercises conscientiously, you will develop a framework in which to place material presented in later chapters.

GRADING POLICY

The American Management Association will continue to grade examinations and tests for one year after the course’s out-of-print date.

If you have questions regarding the tests, the grading, or the course itself, call Educational Services at 1-800-225-3215.