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Work at your own pace until the end date
You can work at your own pace up until the final, fixed end date of the course. All edX courses have end dates, but self-paced courses remain open for a long time to allow flexibility.
On a browser, you can view the end date on the course homepage under Important Dates labelled Course ends or under the Dates tab. On the mobile app, you can check the Dates tab.
You can submit graded assignments* or exams at any time before the end date to earn points towards your final score.
Stay on track with the Personalized, Suggested Schedule
In self-paced courses, all course materials are available as soon as the course opens.
If you enroll in a self-paced course long before its end date, the course will feature suggested deadlines on assignments to help you plan and stay on-track. This suggested schedule is personalized based on the date you first enrolled. You can view this by clicking the Dates tab.
The final end date is not part of the suggested schedule and cannot be shifted.
The suggested schedule in the paid verified track
Note: *The due dates on open response assessments are fixed. The suggested schedule does not apply to open response assessments, but rather the course instructor manually sets these due dates. These due dates cannot be shifted.
If you're enrolled in the verified certificate track and you miss a suggested deadline, you can shift your due dates. This will not affect any of the progress you have made in the course so far.
You'll find a message prompting you to shift your due dates if you miss a suggested deadline. It's not possible to shift the dates before missing a deadline.
The suggested schedule in the free audit track
In most courses, graded assignments aren't available in the free audit track. Graded assignments on the Dates tab and on the Progress page will show as locked to audit track learners.
If you're enrolled in the free audit track, after missing any deadline on the suggested schedule, you may be required to upgrade to the verified track in order to shift the suggested schedule.
Earn the Certificate
The certificate will be awarded as soon as you earn the minimum passing score, but you can continue working up until the end date to improve your score.