How to Sign Up or Log In to Modern States

Updated

Modern States provides Sign Up and Log In links at the top of its homepage. New users can create an account as either an individual learner or as part of a group learning experience, while returning users must choose between the D2L and Open edX login screens depending on which system their course progress is stored in. If you are unsure which system you normally use, the site advises selecting the login screen that resembles the one you have seen before.

Signing Up for a Modern States Account

  1. Go to modernstates.org.
  2. Click Sign Up in the top navigation or in the hero section of the homepage.
  3. In the "Create Your Modern States Account" window, choose one of the two options:
    • I am an individual learner
    • I'm participating in a group learning experience
  4. Continue with the account creation flow for your chosen option.

The distinction matters because group learners are typically enrolled through an organization or class rather than signing up independently. Choosing the wrong option may route you into a setup that does not match how your course access was arranged.

Logging In to an Existing Account

  1. Go to modernstates.org.
  2. Click Log In in the top navigation.
  3. The site will show a notice that it is moving to a new learning management system. To make sure you land in the same system as your course progress, select the image that resembles your normal login screen:
    • D2L
    • Open edX

Because two learning management systems are in use during the transition, picking the wrong one can mean your existing progress does not appear. If you have logged in before, use the same screen you used previously.

Getting More Help

If you cannot resolve a sign-up or login issue through the steps above, the site offers several support routes:

Resource What it is for
FAQ Common questions about courses, CLEP, and accounts
Contact Reaching the organization directly
Newsroom Official announcements, including platform changes
Blog Updates and learner-facing articles

The FAQ is the fastest place to check first, since login and platform-transition questions are common during a learning management system change.

What You Get After Signing Up

Modern States offers free online courses taught by professors from world-class universities, covering content taught in freshman-level college classes. Learners who complete a course can take the corresponding CLEP exam through the College Level Examination Program, which is recognized for credit by nearly 3,000 colleges and universities, for free. The site reports that nearly 1,000,000 learners have used Modern States, and it offers over 30 courses, including popular options such as CLEP College Composition, College Algebra, Spanish Language, American Government, Biology, and History of the United States I.

Signing up is the first step before you can access any course content or track progress toward a CLEP exam.