Frequently Asked Questions
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The EnGen Proficiency Assessment (PA) is a test that is designed to measure your general level of English in a context that is usually new to you.
The first time you enter EnGen from the Penn Foster student portal, you must take the Proficiency Assessment (PA). The PA can be taken again every 60 days (about 2 months). For more information, you can CLICK HERE to watch a PA overview video.
About the PA
• The PA is important because it helps us and you understand the progress you have made in your English skills during your EnGen program!
• The PA has 3 sections: grammar, listening, and reading. The assessment takes 30-40 minutes to complete.
• The questions in each section are multiple choice. There is always the option to click “I don’t know”. It is okay if you don't know the answer to every question.
• Take your time, but don't spend too much time on a question if you find it too difficult.
PA1
If your next PA is available, you will see a button "Test your level" that you can click to take your PA. You can also take it when ready by, CLICKING HERE.You will also see the date that your PA becames available:
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After you take the Proficiency Assessment (PA), you can download a certificate that shows your proficiency level in English. First, click on the Performance tab at the top of your EnGen homepage. Then click on "My Level". Scroll down to the bottom of the page until you see your PA score. Click on your PA score. On the next page, you can click on "Print Certificate" to download your certificate.
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Your Learning Plan is an interactive tool that helps you stay on track during your EnGen program. It shows you what you should do in your EnGen program each week. The tasks are specific to you and your goals, and they include things like completing lessons, signing up for online classes, links to pracitce in the Grammar Guide and Word Bank, and exploring assigned content and new content that interests you!
Each week you can check off the tasks that you accomplished and review your progress!
An example Learning Plan webpage:
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Every Sunday, you will receive the link to your personalized Learning Plan in an email. Check your inbox on Sundays for an email with the subject “EnGen: Your English Tasks This Week” or “EnGen: View your Learning Plan to see your English tasks for the week!”
This email also contains the following information:
A progress report of all the great work you did over the last week
A link to the EnGen Live Session Calendar where you can sign up for live sessions that EnGen is hosting over the next month
Links to courses that we recommend you take
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When you first log in, you will see 3 courses automatically assigned to you from on EnGen homepage under MY ENGLISH PROGRAM. You should complete these courses first. For each course, one unit will be displayed. You can click the button “Start” to begin the activities in that unit.
Note: You do not need to complete a unit or a course before starting another one. You can work in as many units and courses as you would like, but only 3 units will be displayed on your EnGen homepage at a time.
To find additional courses recommend to help prepare you for High School, click your English level below to view and self-enroll in courses.
Watch this video to learn how to enroll in a course on EnGen.
If a course has been assigned to you, you will see the word “ASSIGNED” in the bottom left corner of the course image. If you are currently enrolled in a course, you will see the word “ENROLLED” in the bottom left corner of the course image.
Some courses might not be available to you if they require a more advanced English level. If a course is unavailable to you, a lock will appear over the course image with the message “This course is above your current level.”
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Once you score Intermediate (490-880) or above on a EnGen’s PA, you will be eligible to enroll in Penn Foster High School Companion Courses.
These courses have been designed to help you with the key words and vocabulary you will need to be successful in the Penn Foster High School program.
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS PENN FOSTER COMPANION COURSES IN ENGEN
You have access to these courses for 12 months, even after you start your High School program with Penn Foster. These are a great reference and support to revisit the English skills you need for each High School course.
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A Unit Achievement Test is what you should take when you complete a Unit in one of your Courses. A Unit Achievement Test measures how well you mastered the specific content you learned in that Unit.
About Unit Achievement Tests
• When you finish a Unit, you should take the Unit Achievement Test to see how well you mastered the content in that Unit.
• For example, if you complete 5 Units during your EnGen program, this means you should have completed 5 Unit Achievement Tests by the end of your program.
• Unit Achievement Tests take between 10-30 minutes to complete. If you don't pass a Unit Achievement Test on your first attempt, you can take it again.
• When you complete a Unit, you will see the following screen that shows you it's time to take your Unit Achievement Test:
UT v PA EN 2
You can also see on your EnGen homepage that you are ready to take your Unit Achievement Test:
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Once you've passed your Unit Achievement Test, you will see a page that says "Congratulations!" and gives you your score on the test:
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You have 4 group classes to enroll in each month! Group classes are a great way to practice speaking and listening. EnGen classes are available 24/7 and even on your mobile device.
You can book group classes up until they begin (and can join up until 5 minutes after starting). Reminders are sent to the learners 24 hours before a class begins and 3 hours before the start of class. Don’t forget to make sure you have confirmed your timezone so classes can be viewed at the correct time.
Signing up for a group class: You can sign up to attend a group class by clicking on this link. You can also access this page by going to your EnGen homepage > click Live Instruction at the top of the page > click Group Classes.
Attending a group class: Watch this video that shows you how to attend a group class.
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EnGen regularly hosts the following live sessions:
Learner Welcome Session – The Learner Welcome Session is held every week, with a session in English and a session in Spanish. This session is for learners at the beginning of their EnGen program. During this session, we discuss how to activate your EnGen account and log in to the EnGen platform, how to navigate the platform, and how to find the content and activities that will be the most helpful and interesting to you!
Open Coaching Hours – Join a session with an EnGen coach to receive support, learn how to navigate the EnGen platform, discuss your courses for High School, and ask any questions you may have about EnGen!
Career Readiness Workshop – EnGen's Career Readiness Workshop is held twice per month, with a morning session and an evening session. This workshop provides learners with information and skills to help them prepare for their career. In previous sessions, we have discussed the job search, writing a resume/CV, preparing for job interviews, and how to build your LinkedIn profile.
English Grammar Workshop – EnGen's English Grammar. During this workshop, we answer your grammar questions! Are you confused about verb tenses? Do you struggle with word order when forming questions? Do you need help with negation? This workshop is for learners at any level.
Fill out this form to submit your grammar questions! We review your grammar questions regularly to make sure our English Grammar Workshop meets your needs!
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The United States has 4 main time zones: Eastern Time, Central Time, Mountain Time, and Pacific Time. If you are in Alaska or Hawaii, you will have a different time zone.
To find the time zone in your specific city or town, go to google.com and enter the name of your city or town, as well as the state you live in, followed by the words "time zone". For example, if you live in Baltimore, Maryland, you would type "Baltimore, Maryland time zone". Then click "Google Search". The first search result will be your city or town's time zone.Usually, email invitations from EnGen for live sessions give the time of the session in Eastern Time. If a live session starts at 5pm Eastern Time, here are the start times in other time zones:
5pm Eastern Time (ET, EST, EDT)
= 4pm Central Time (CT, CST, CDT)
= 3pm Mountain Time (MT, MST, MDT)
= 2pm Pacific Time (PT, PST, PDT)
To compare your time zone with a different time zone, you can use this time zone converter.
Note: Most states and regions of the United States participate in Daylight Savings, which is when we set our clocks forward one hour in the spring and set our clocks back one hour in the fall. However, there are some parts of the U.S. that do not participate in Daylight Savings, including Hawaii and most of Arizona. You should always double-check your time zone online before a live session or a group class with EnGen.
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When you first access EnGen wsith Penn Foster you will have 12 months of access to the platform.
If you're using a computer, click on your initials in the top right corner of the EnGen homepage. Then click on "Profile". Next to "Account Status" you will see the date that your subscription ends. This is the date when your access to the platform expires. The below images show these steps:
If you're using a smartphone, you can go to the EnGen mobile application and follow the steps as shown in the following images:
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If you forgot your student portal username:
1.Click on the “Forgot your username” link on the student portal login page.
2. On the login page, click on “Forgot your password?” A message will appear saying that an email has been sent to you to reset your password.
3. You will be asked to provide your email address or Student ID.
4. You will then be asked a security question that you created when you first set up your student account.
5.After, you will be asked to create a new username. Once you click Finish try to login using your newly created Username.
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If you forgot your student portal password:
Click on the “Forgot your password” link on the student portal login page.
You will be asked to provide your email address or Student ID.
You will then be asked a security question that you created when you first set up your student account.
After, you will be asked to create a new user name. Once you click finish try to login using your newly created Username.
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If you have a question about the EnGen website or mobile app, click here to submit a ticket to our team.
Because you have an EnGen Coach, you can also email or text your Coach using the contact information included in the emails and/or text messages he/she sends.
You can also email us directly at help@getengen.com If you have a technical issue, please include the following information in your email:
The email address that you use for your EnGen account
The part of the EnGen platform that is experiencing the issue (ex: a particular unit, the Proficiency Assessment, the Word Bank, signing up for a group class, etc.)
Details about the issue (What's going wrong? What's not working properly? What error are you getting?)
The device you are using (ex: laptop, smartphone (iPhone/Android), tablet, etc.)
If you are using a smartphone or mobile device, please also include:
The mobile app version you are using (we release new versions monthly)
The software version of your mobile device (the mobile app runs properly for the most updated software versions)
The web browser you are using (ex: Chrome, Safari, etc.)
Screenshots of the issue
All of this information will help us solve the issue as quickly as possible!
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If you are an enrolled student and have questions about your program, please contact Student Services at +1-888-427-1000. If calling from outside the USA: (USA Country Code 1) 570-961-4033.
Learners can email Student Services by logging in and then click the Help & Support Section of your Student Portal.
