ORIGINATOR: Associate Provost, Undergraduate Student Affairs

SUBJECT:  Policy 151.10 - Credit by Examination for Undergraduate Students

1. General
   
   
   1. In accordance with the Board of Regents Policy III-1.40 - Policy On Credit By Examination And Portfolio Assessment, approved on February 22, 1990, UMUC will award credit by examination provided (a) there is no duplication of other academic credit, (b) the scores presented meet UMUC standards in effect at the time the exam was taken, and (c) the credit is within the limitations noted below. There is a limit of 60 semester hours (s.h.) of credit for previous learning based on examinations. All 60 s.h. may be taken in standardized examinations. Or, of the total of 60 s.h., up to 30 s.h. may be taken for previous learning based on institutional examinations such as course-challenge and portfolio assessment.
      
      
   2. Students are encouraged to receive academic advising before registering for any examinations. UMUC is not responsible for determining a student's prior knowledge or preparation for these exams. Approval to take the examinations does not guarantee award of credit; other conditions, such as appropriate score, must be satisfied.
      
      
2. Standardized Examinations
   
   
   1. Standardized examinations such as Excelsior College Examinations (formerly ACT/PEP and Regents), the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations, DANTES examinations, the Advanced Placement (AP) examinations administered by the College Board, International Baccalaureate examinations, and various professional examinations evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE) are acceptable for credit.
      
      
   2. Acceptable scores for CLEP, DANTES, Excelsior and AP examinations and others are recommended by ACE, and are available from the undergraduate academic advisors and at www.umuc.edu. ACE recommendations are also found in their Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services and Guide to Educational Credit by Examination.
      
      
3. Institutional Examinations
   
   
   1. Examinations offered and transcripted by other regionally-accredited colleges and universities may also be accepted for credit.
      
      
   2. Information about acceptable grades for course examination credit awarded by other regionally-accredited institutions is available from the undergraduate academic advisors.
      
      
4. UMUC Course-Challenge Examinations
   
   
   1. Academic credit may be earned for any UMUC undergraduate course for which a suitable examination can be prepared and administered. Course-challenge examinations are comprehensive tests of the material that is normally presented through a semester-long course and provide a student the opportunity to establish academic credit for competencies not obtained through formal classroom study. Full course tuition payment is required for course-challenge examinations.
      
      
   2. Any degree-seeking UMUC student who is currently enrolled, with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better, and who has received an official evaluation and an advisor’s verification may apply for a course-challenge examination. UMUC-Adelphi students may obtain an application from the Prior Learning Office and return the completed application to the Prior Learning Office. UMUC-Europe and UMUC-Asia students may contact the Director, Student Affairs.