CREDIT BY EXAMINATION
Many families now use Credit By Examination to help their students earn college credit! Below is information about various tests and helps for studying.
Getting Credit
Did you know that doing well on a CLEP exam can earn you the same amount of credit that you'd get if you took — and did well in — a semester- or year-long college course covering the same material? Read on to learn how to get credit for what you already know.
Before you take a CLEP exam, learn about your college's CLEP policy
Most colleges and universities grant credit for CLEP exams, but not all. There are 2,900 institutions that grant credit for CLEP and each of them sets its own CLEP policy; in other words, each institution determines for which exams credit is awarded, the scores required and how much credit will be granted. Therefore, before you take a CLEP exam, check directly with the college or university you plan to attend to make sure that grants credit for CLEP and review the specifics of its policy.
Where to find a college's CLEP policy
Typically, a college lists all its academic policies, including CLEP policies, in its general catalog. You'll probably find the CLEP policy statement under a heading such as Credit-by-Examination, Advanced Standing, Advanced Placement, or External Degree Program. If you can't find this information, ask the admission or registrar's office for a copy of the college's credit-by-examination policy.
How much credit can you earn?
Not all colleges award the same amount of CLEP credit for individual tests. Furthermore, some colleges place a limit on the total amount of credit you can earn through CLEP or other exams. Other colleges may grant you exemption but no credit toward your degree. Knowing several colleges' policies concerning these issues may help you decide which college to attend. If you think you can pass a number of CLEP exams, you may want to attend a college that will allow you to earn credit for all or most of them.
Minimum qualifying score
Most colleges publish the required scores for earning CLEP credit in their general catalog or in a brochure. The required score for earning CLEP credit may vary from exam to exam, so find out the minimum qualifying score for each exam you're considering.
Getting credit for general requirements
At some colleges, you may be able to apply your CLEP credit to the college's core curriculum requirements. For example, all students may be required to take at least six hours of humanities, six hours of English, three hours of mathematics, six hours of natural science, and six hours of social science, with no particular courses in these disciplines specified. In these instances, CLEP credit may be given as "6 hrs. English Credit" or "3 hrs. Math Credit" without specifying for which English or mathematics courses credit has been awarded. Find out before you take a CLEP exam what type of credit you can receive or whether you will be exempted from a required course but receive no credit.
Prior course work
Some colleges won't grant credit for a CLEP exam if you've already attempted a college-level course closely aligned with that exam. For example, if you successfully completed English 101 or a comparable course on another campus, you'll probably not be permitted to receive CLEP credit in that subject also. Some colleges won't permit you to earn CLEP credit for a course that you failed.
Additional stipulations
Important Note: The College-Level Examination Program has a policy that candidates may not repeat a CLEP exam of the same title within six months. Scores of exams repeated earlier than six months will be canceled and test fees forfeited.
Colleges usually award CLEP credit only to their enrolled students. There are other stipulations, however, that vary from college to college. Here are some additional questions to keep in mind:
Do you need to formally apply for CLEP credit by completing and signing a form?
Do you have to "validate" your CLEP score by successfully completing a more advanced course in the subject?
Does the college require the optional free-response (essay) section for the examinations in Composition and Literature as well as the multiple-choice portion of the CLEP exam you're considering?
Will you be required to pass a departmental test such as an essay, laboratory, or oral exam in addition to the CLEP multiple-choice exam?
Knowing the answers to these questions ahead of time will permit you to schedule the optional free-response or departmental exam when you register to take your CLEP exam.
Scores & Transcripts
Receiving, sending, and canceling scores
Receiving scores
Normally, you should receive your score report instantly with the exception of the English Composition with Essay.
Sending score reports
At the time you take the exam, you can indicate in test software the college, employer, or certifying agency that you want to receive your CLEP test scores. There is no additional cost for this service — your exam fee covers it. If you haven't decided by the time you take the test which institution you want to receive your scores, leave that item blank.
Canceling
If you don't want your scores reported, notify the administrator before you complete the exam. You will be asked to verify that you want your score canceled in the testing software. You CANNOT cancel your scores once you've seen your instant score report.
What your score means
Your score report shows the total scaled score for each exam you took. Total scaled scores fall between 20 and 80.
Comparing scores
CLEP exams are developed and evaluated independently and are not linked to each other except by the Program's common purpose, format, and method of reporting results. For this reason, direct comparisons should not be made from one CLEP exam to another. Nor are CLEP scores comparable to SAT® scores or scores of other tests that use similar scales.
Exam Descriptions
CLEP examinations cover material taught in courses that most students take as requirements in the first two years of college. A college usually grants the same amount of credit to students earning satisfactory scores on the CLEP examination as it grants to students successfully completing that course.
Many examinations are designed to correspond to one-semester courses; some, however correspond to full-year or two-year courses. Unless stated otherwise in its description, an examination is intended to cover material in a one-semester course.
Each exam is 90 minutes long, and, except for English Composition with Essay, is made up primarily of multiple-choice questions; however, some exams do have fill-ins.
Each description now includes specific information on knowledge and skills required and study resources.
DSST EXAMS
DSST is an effective method to provide your college with evidence of prior learning. In fact, the 37 exams available at a competitive fee compliment other credit by exam programs such as CLEP. Prior Learning Assessment will help you accelerate your path to degree completion while saving you the time it takes to sit through a course as well as the additional dollars spent on tuition.
Today, there are many educational alternatives to the classroom—you can learn from your job, your reading, your independent study, and special interests you pursue. You may already have learned the subject matter covered by some college-level courses.
The DSST® Program is a nationally recognized testing program that gives you the opportunity to receive college credit for learning acquired outside the traditional college classroom. Colleges and universities throughout the United States administer the program, developed by Prometric, yearround. Annually, over 90,000 DSSTs are administered to individuals who are interested in continuing their education. Take advantage of the DSST testing program; it speeds the educational process and provides the flexibility adults need and makes earning a degree more feasible.
Since requirements vary college to college, please check with the credit-awarding institution before taking a DSST. More than 1,800 colleges and universities currently award credit for DSSTs, and the number is growing every day. You can choose from 37 test titles in the areas of Social Science, Business, Mathematics, Applied Technology, Humanities, and Physical Science. A brief description of each examination is found on pages 5 through 6 of this booklet.
Reach Your Career Goals Through DSSTs
Use DSSTs to help you earn your degree, get a promotion, or simply demonstrate that you have college-level knowledge in subjects relevant to your work.
Save Time...
You don’t have to sit through classes when you have previously acquired the knowledge or experience for most of what is being taught and can learn the rest yourself. You might be able to bypass introductory-level courses in subject areas you already know.
Save Money...
Bypassing classes that you earn credit for through the DSST Program enables you to save money on your way to earning your degree. You can use the funds instead to make more advanced courses that can be more challenging and rewarding.
Improve Your Chances for Admission to College
Each college has its own admission policies; however, having passing scores for DSSTs on your transcript can provide strong evidence of how well you can perform at the college level.
Gain Confidence Performing at a College Level
Many adults returning to college find that lack of confidence is often the greatest hurdle to overcome. Passing a DSST demonstrates your ability to perform on a college level.
Make Up for Courses You May Have Missed
You may be ready to graduate from college and find that you are a few credits short of earning your degree. By using semester breaks, vacation time, or leisure time to study independently, you can prepare to take one or more DSSTs, fulfill your academic requirements, and graduate on time.
If You Cannot Attend Regularly Scheduled Classes...
If your lifestyle or responsibilities prevent you from attending regularly scheduled classes, you can earn your college degree from a college offering an external degree program. The DSST Program allows you to earn your degree by study and experience outside the traditional classroom.
Fact sheets for each DSST exam are available from http://www.getcollegecredit.com
Excelsior Exams
Show What You Know and Earn the College-Level Credit You Deserve
Earn college-level credit accepted at Excelsior College and hundreds of other colleges and universities around the world. Earn the credit you need to:
- Complete your degree efficiently and affordably
- Earn the credit you need for promotion or certification
- Demonstrate what you know for college admission or placement
- Choose From 51 Excelsior College Exams
- Choose from 51 exams in the arts and sciences, business, nursing, and education, many offering upper-level credit. Study independently, using an array of valuable learning resources available directly from Excelsior College.
- Ask an admissions counselor or your academic advisor how credit from Excelsior College Examinations may satisfy your degree and elective requirements and thereby move you closer to your educational or career goal.
- Check with your employer or labor organization about tuition assistance policies when you earn college-level credit efficiently with exams.
- Test at a time convenient for you at nearby Pearson Testing Centers®, open up to six days a week.
After the exam...
- When you take a multiple-choice exam, you will get an unofficial grade report on the spot.
- Use the Examination Transcript Request link on the left side of your MyEC page to request an Official Examinations Transcript (free MyEC user account and login required).
For more information about Excelsior College Examinations email: testadmn@excelsior.edu
UExcel®
OpenCourseWare and Credit-by-Examination: a Perfect Blend for Earning College Credit
What is OpenCourseWare?
OpenCourseWare (OCW) are university self-study courses that are available to the public without charge via the Internet.
What is Credit-by-Examination?
Traditionally, credit-by-examination (CBE) is a process for ascertaining student knowledge and awarding credit for college-level subjects—regardless of how that knowledge was gained—by taking an exam. Examination scores are provided to a student’s college of choice for evaluation and potential awarding of advanced placement or credit. CBE has been in existence for more than forty years and is becoming a popular option for students of all ages.
By using OCW to learn subject matter and credit-by-examination to demonstrate knowledge in a particular subject, individuals can save significant time and money while working toward a college degree.
About OpenCourseWare
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), developer of the most well-known OCW program, is the driving force behind the OpenCourseWare (OCW) Consortium. The OCW Consortium is a worldwide community which includes Yale University, University of Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins, Stanford and hundreds of other globally renowned universities that have made courses available online.
Course materials are posted using a variety of learning platforms including syllabi, written documents, audio and video lectures, lesson notes, reading lists, assignments and even exam papers on the Web. In addition to English, many of the courses are available in a variety of languages.
Through OpenCourseWare, anyone with access to the Internet has the opportunity to listen to and watch lectures delivered by distinguished educators, independently complete class assignments, network with other students from around the world, and view actual exam questions used by instructors to test course knowledge—all at no cost to the student.
Earning College Credit
Although OpenCourseWare allows students access to university-level courses from prominent institutions, work is not graded and the institutions do not award course credit or provide a degree or certification. Therefore, in order to earn college credit, a student must take, and pass a test through a credit-by-exam program.
However, it is important to know that only one lower-level CBE program, UExcel®, awards actual college credit. UExcel reports letter grades and credits earned by examination on an official transcript from Excelsior College, one of America’s leading distance education institutions. Transcripts can then be sent to a student’s college or university of choice. UExcel is the only lower-level CBE option to offer this service. All other CBE testing organizations issue a transcript containing only a test score—not actual college credit.
UExcel was jointly created by two renowned educational entities— Pearson and Excelsior College. Pearson is a global leader in developing educational products for children, schools, universities, adults and corporations. Excelsior College is an accredited, nonprofit distance education institution with nearly 40 years of experience offering CBE and online education programs. In addition, all UExcel exams have been reviewed by the American Council on Education (ACE), the leading coordinating body for all higher education institutions in the United States. The ACE College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT) has evaluated and made college credit recommendations for all UExcel exams which can be used for transfer credit at a university.
Use OpenCourseWare to Study For a UExcel Exam
There are significant benefits to using OpenCourseWare to study for a UExcel exam:
•
OCW consists of defined, university-level courses, created by respected educators.
•Students can choose the teaching styles that best help them learn, and then demonstrate their knowledge by taking the exam when they are ready.
•Combining OCW with UExcel saves a significant amount of money, as OpenCourseWare is offered completely free-of-charge to anyone with Internet access.
There is no interruption to work schedules as OCW is available anytime a student has an opportunity to view or read course materials.
Students can interact with other learners studying the same course material by taking advantage of the social networking opportunities provided by the OCW’s Next Generation Initiatives.
In a letter to students on the OCW Consortium website, Cecilia d’Oliveira, Executive Director of MIT OpenCourseWare, explains the value of OCW this way:
“Through OCW, we provide an opportunity for [students] to enrich their minds and improve their lives. In the past ten years, we estimate that MIT OpenCourseWare materials have reached 100 million individuals around the world. Forty-three percent of those accessing our site are independent learners, many of whom are unable to pursue formal education due to cost or personal circumstance.“
By blending the quality learning OpenCourseWare provides with college credit earned by demonstrating acquired knowledge with the UExcel credit-by-exam program, students around the world now have a cost-saving opportunity to enrich their minds, improve their lives AND accelerate the path to a college degree.
Links:
UExcel®: http://www.uexceltest.com
OpenCourseWare Consortium: http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm
China Open Resources for Education: http://www.core.org.cn
http://ocw.mit.edu/high-school/
Highlights for High School to help US high school educators and students better use OCW resources.
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/ocw-scholar/
OCW Scholar courses meet the needs of independent learners by delivering content in logical sequences
http://openstudy.com/
OpenStudy.com: a social learning network where students connect with other students studying the same things.
About UExcel
UExcel is a credit-by-examination program that gives students the chance to turn their knowledge into college credit. An alliance between Pearson and Excelsior College, UExcel offers computer-based examinations that can be taken at thousands of test centers around the world. UExcel examinations feature immediate scoring, grading, and learning resources, and are ideal for independent learners, international students, or anyone else who would like to accelerate the completion of their degree or reduce the overall cost of their tuition.
The following UExcel Exams are currently available.
MAT150 Calculus - 4 Credits
ENG110 College Writing - 3 Credits)
PSY101 Introduction to Psychology - 3 Credits
SOC105 Introduction to Sociology - 3 credits
PHY140 Physics - 6 Credits
POL170 Political Science - 3 Credits
SPA102 Spanish Language – 6 Credits
MAT210 Statistics – 3 Credits
Ohio University
Information about the Independent and Distant Learning program at OU can be found at http://www.ohio.edu/independent/
If you are familiar with a particular subject or are able to master content without assistance, you may be able to earn credit through a single comprehensive examination that comprises Course Credit by Examination. You receive a course syllabus that outlines course requirements, grading policy, and the kind of examination to be taken; obtain the textbook; and prepare for the examination without assistance from an instructor. Sample exam questions for many of the courses are included in the syllabus students get upon enrollment. You may enroll at any time, but you must take the examination within six months. Your grade on the examination becomes your grade for the course.
CCE courses cost around $300. Here are the CCE titles currently listed on the OU website:
African American History I, 1526-1865
History of the African American Worker
Human Biology
Human Physiology
Bioethics: Bioethical Problems in Biology and Medicine
Biology and the Future of Man
Law and Society
Law of the Management Process
Law of Commercial Transactions
Critical Approaches to Drama
Shakespeare: The Histories
Shakespeare: The Comedies
Shakespeare: The Tragedies
English Literature: 1500-1660
English Literature: 1660-1800
American Literature to 1865
American Literature: 1865-1918
American Literature: 1918 to Present
Humanities—Great Books
Humanities—Great Books: Modern
Western Civilization in Modern Times
Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia
Ancient Greece
Ancient Rome
History of American Journalism
Communication Law
Basic Mathematics
Algebra
Introduction to Calculus
Introduction to Calculus II
Elementary Linear Algebra
Calculus I
Calculus II
Calculus III
Calculus IV
Differential Equations
Medical Terminology for the Medical Assistant
Music Fundamentals
Keyboarding I
Keyboarding II
Business Communication I
Principles of Reasoning
Introduction to Philosophy
Survey of Astronomy
Introduction to Physics
Introduction to Physics
Introduction to Physics
Child and Adolescent Psychology
Educational Psychology
Behavior Genetics and Individual Differences
Introduction to Business Statistics
Introduction to Sociology
Various Language Courses
More information on CCE from OU
Independent and Distance Learning is open to all who can benefit from it, and formal admission to the university is not required for enrollment. Admission to IDL programs, however, does not constitute admission to Ohio University or any of its degree programs. You may enroll for courses at any time during the year. Independent and Distance Learning does not follow the traditional academic calendar, so you can begin your course as soon as you enroll.
If you are a high school student: Although most persons who enroll are high school graduates, it is not necessary for you to have a high school diploma if you are an adult. High school students recommended by their principal or guidance counselor are eligible to enroll in lower division courses.
If you plan to transfer the credit: If you are currently enrolled at another institution of higher education or if you plan to transfer the credit earned, you should obtain written permission from the college that is to accept the credit. Others do not need special permission.
If you reside near an Ohio University campus, you must take your examination at that campus. Others can arrange to have their examinations proctored at another accredited college or university or, if it is more convenient, at an accredited local high school. Ohio University reserves the right to reject a proposed examination supervisor. Detailed information about examination procedures will be included with your enrollment material. You should allow two weeks after your examination is received in the IDLP office for your examination to be graded.
TECEP Exams
The Thomas Edison State College Examination Program (TECEP®) was designed especially with the adult learner in mind, and has enabled students to earn college credit without taking formal courses for more than 30 years.
How TECEP® Exams Work
One way to demonstrate your college-level knowledge and skills is to prepare for and pass a test. Students select a test in a subject area in which they have prior knowledge or experience. Then, they prepare for the test using a test description, and register to take the test when they are ready. Once a student passes the exam, they receive college credit. TECEP® exams are designed for highly independent learners who have the ability to study in a student-centered environment with no time constraints, no assignments, and no mentor interaction.
TECEP fees have been reduced to $99 per test for both enrolled and nonenrolled students.
Information on TECEP can be found at http://tesc.edu/701.php
English Composition
English Composition I (ENC-101-TE)
English Composition II (ENC-102-TE)
Humanities
Public Relations Thought & Practice (COM-210-TE)
Technical Writing (ENG-201-TE)
Introduction to News Reporting (JOU-110-TE)
Social Sciences
Introduction to Political Science (POS-101-TE)
Psychology of Women (PSY-270-TE)
Marriage and the Family (SOC-210-TE)
Natural Sciences/Mathematics
The Science of Nutrition (BIO-208-TE)
Business and Management
Federal Income Taxation (ACC-421-TE)
Business in Society (BUS-311-TE)
Business Policy (BUS-421-TE)
Security Analysis and Portfolio Management (FIN-321-TE)
Financial Institutions and Markets (FIN-331-TE)
Marketing Communications (MAR-321-TE)
Sales Management (MAR-322-TE)
Advertising (MAR-323-TE)
Operations Management (OPM-301-TE)
Human Services
Kinesiology (FIT-211-TE)
Introduction to Human Services (HUS-101-TE)
Computer Science Technology
Network Technology (CMP-354-TE)
