Help & FAQ

Last updated: July 9, 2026

How do I start reading?

Every account can read the opening chapters of the book for free. On your Home page, the Read the free chapters card has an Open the book button that takes you straight into the reader, and a short welcome tour walks you through the app the first time you sign in. Once you are reading, Ask opens the AI tutor and Notes saves your highlights. Learn more: the reader and the AI tutor.

How do I get full access to my course?

The usual way is to register on your book's Get access page: choose your university, enter the course number your instructor gave you, verify your school email, and pay by card or with a bookstore access code. If you already have an account you can redeem an access code instead, or your instructor can grant you access. A free account lets you sign in and read the opening chapters; full access opens the whole book, the lessons, and the hands-on AI for the term, about 120 days.

How do I redeem an access code?

Sign in (or create a free account first), then press Redeem an access code on your Home page or open the Redeem page. Type the code and press Redeem code; spaces and capital letters do not matter. If your code came as a link, just open it and follow the prompts, and it carries through sign-up on its own. One code opens the full course for the term, about 120 days.

What's free and what's paid?

Creating an account is free, and every account can read the opening chapters of the book. Full access, the rest of the book plus the lessons and the hands-on AI, comes with a paid enrollment, an access code, or an instructor grant, and it lasts for the term, about 120 days. Access is all or nothing: you are either on the free opening chapters or you have the whole book.

My access code isn't working

Access codes come from your instructor or your bookstore, and we never email them. Spaces and capital letters do not matter, so you can paste it as it is. Each code works only once, so if you see "already redeemed" or "not recognized," check with whoever gave you the code, or email us and we'll trace it.

I paid or redeemed a code but don't see the course

Give it a few seconds and refresh, since access can take a moment to confirm. If it still isn't there after a minute, email us with the address on your account and we'll fix it right away. We never store your card details, and card charges appear as "PhD Analytics" on your statement.

What are the short confidence questions I sometimes see?

After some chapters, a small card asks how confident you feel about what you just read, on a scale of one to seven, and there is a short set of questions when you begin your first lessons and again near the end of your course. One tap answers it, you can always skip it, and it never blocks your reading. These are quick self-ratings your instructor sees only in aggregate, not a graded quiz. Learn more: the confidence questions.

How do I get around the app?

The left sidebar is your map: Dashboard, Lessons, Textbook, Prepara AI Tutor, and My Notes, then Settings, Other Books, and Help & Support. You can collapse the sidebar with the toggle at its top to give the page more room, and Search (or Ctrl/Cmd + K) jumps to anything. Your name at the bottom opens the account menu, with the theme switch, Download my data, and Sign out. Learn more: getting around and your dashboard.

I'm an instructor

Go to Get instructor access. It's free; you create your account and request access in one step, and an admin approves it, usually within one to two business days. Once you're approved you can create sections, set up student registration with your university and course number, manage your roster, and use the gradebook and reports.

I forgot my password

On the sign-in page, use "Forgot password" to reset it by email. If the email doesn't arrive, see the next answer.

I didn't get an email (confirmation or password reset)

Give it a couple of minutes, then check your spam/junk folder and, in Gmail, the Promotions tab. Make sure the address you typed is correct, and add admin@preparacourse.com to your contacts so our messages get through. You do not need to confirm your email to sign in and use your account, so you're never locked out. Still nothing? Email us and we'll help.

Contact support

Email admin@preparacourse.com. Include your account email and a line about what you were doing, and we'll get back to you quickly. For step-by-step how-tos, the tutorials in the app's Help & Support page walk through every feature.

Contact

Questions about this document? Email admin@preparacourse.com.