Credit by examination is college credit awarded when a student passes a standardized exam that an institution has pre-approved as equivalent to one or more of its courses.
How it works
The student reviews the institution’s credit-by-examination or transfer-credit chart, selects an approved exam, prepares, and tests. A passing score (commonly 50 on CLEP) is reported to the institution. The registrar posts the credit if the score meets the institution’s threshold and the student is within any residency or total-exam-credit limits.
Example: a student needs three credits of introductory psychology. The institution accepts CLEP Introductory Psychology with a score of 50 or higher and awards three credits. The student passes with a 58. The three credits appear on the transcript as transfer credit and satisfy the requirement. The same student cannot use the exam if the institution’s policy caps exam credit at 30 hours and the student has already reached that limit.
How it differs
Transfer credit is credit earned through coursework at another institution. Competency-based education embeds ongoing assessment inside a program; credit by examination is a one-time external exam. Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams are also credit-by-examination routes but are typically taken in high school.
Common errors
Assuming every institution accepts every CLEP or DSST exam at the ACE-recommended score. Counting exam credit toward a residency requirement that explicitly excludes it. Taking an exam before confirming it maps to a required course rather than an elective.
References
- 1. CLEP and DSST program descriptionsExam options and typical credit awards
- 2. Institutional credit-by-examination policiesLimits and recording as transfer credit
Credit by examination is college credit awarded when a student passes a standardized exam that an institution has pre-approved as equivalent to one or more of its courses.