Tell me about the Lutheran catechumenate. (church, convert, Christian, conservative)

[McDweller]

1. Who picks the sponsor, the person who connects the catechumen to the rest of the Christian community?
2. Is there a background check for the sponsor? What if the sponsor has a personal grievance against the catechumen?
3. If a sponsor is required in the conversion process, is the catechumen allowed to pick his or her own sponsor, and in that case, would it be easier to convert to Lutheranism if that person actually knows someone in the church, as opposed to someone who is merely ready to commit to Lutheran Christianity?
4. Is it possible to study and prepare beforehand?
5. Is there a grade/score/marking system that judges whether or not a catechumen passes or fails the class?
6. Where can I find sample questions of the Lutheran catechumenate?
7. Would it be easier to convert to Lutheranism, if you have a Scandinavian or German background?

[augiedogie]

Sponsors are completely optional for adults, but the sponsor would have to be an active member of a conservative Lutheran congregation. Children have parents. That being said, if I have a situation where the student is married to a Lutheran member, I will encourage that the spouse also attend the classes with student. It is a great aid because then the spouse gets a review, and the student has someone they can bounce questions off of outside of class.

I also don't have tests or scores etc. If you want to study ahead, you can purchase a Small Catechism from Concordia Publishing House in St. Louis or Northwestern Publishing in Milw. They might even have them on Amazon.