WGU was one of the first accredited schools to use the competency-based approach. Former United States Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan has stated, "While such programs [like WGU] are now the exception, I want them to be the norm.". Following WGU's approach, other universities have added their own competency based degree programs. These include Brandman University (part of the Chapman University system), Purdue University Global Campus (part of the Purdue University System), University of Wisconsin System. and Walden University's Tempo Learning Programs. All aspects of learning (with the exception of demonstration teaching for teacher licensure programs and clinical experiences in the pre-licensure program for nurses) are completed entirely online. The university states that "learning resources come in a variety of forms, including textbooks, web-based tutorials, simulations, [and] online classes." The university provides all course materials and (online) textbooks through licensing agreements with major commercial providers such as Pearson and McGraw-Hill. Assessments The university assesses students using performance-based and objective assessments.Performance-based assessments are normally completed by submitting written assignments. Submissions are checked for academic integrity using the online plagiarism checker Unicheck by comparing them to a database of other documents submitted to WGU and other universities and other resources available online. Students are graded on their level of competency by comparing the submitted work to a rubric which describes the standards that the submitted work must meet. A student can only pass a performance-based assessment by achieving a "competent" score on each rubric point.Objective assessments' usually consist of exams created by the university which contain multiple-choice, multiple-answer, true-false and/or matching questions. Exams are taken online and are monitored by an online proctoring service such as ProctorU or Examity using a university-approved webcam and screen sharing software. Some objective assessments require students to obtain a professional certification, many of which require students to attend a commercial testing center such as Pearson VUE to complete the relevant exam(s). University-created exams can only be passed by achieving a minimum overall grade that demonstrates competency in the course, while professional certification exams have their own grading methodology and passing score set by their governing body. There are no open-book or unproctored exams. Admissions WGU has a multi-step admissions process. Admissions requirements differ depending on which academic program the student chooses to attend. Graduate admissions To qualify for the general graduate admission requirement the applicant must have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution