Why are you anti-course? If you learn a single thing from the course that saves your life, it was worth 1000x what it cost. When did you pass your M2 test? I wonder if any providers will let you take the M2 exit course now and take the test when the 18 month clock is up?
I don't know the insurance situation regarding courses now, it jumps around all the time. When I took it, the course saved me $1000 in insurance the first year, then there was a time when the course gave no discount as the vast majority took the course and therefore it was already in the standard price, now you need the course to get insurance? What a pain.