Grading System

Credit by Examination/Experience

Credit by Examination

Course credit for proficiencies previously developed by the student may be earned by examination. A student who wishes to challenge a course may apply to take a proficiency examination covering the content of the course. Examinations may be arranged to document proficiencies previously developed through employment, military service, secondary education, post secondary non-accredited schools, or correspondence schools.

To earn credit by proficiency examination the student must:

1. Be currently enrolled in the program containing the course for which credit by examination is being sought.
2. Not have previously attempted the course for which credit by examination is being sought.
3. Submit the prescribed application (PDF: 5KB/1p) for approval to seek credit by examination. Application forms are also available from the Student Services Office.
4. Register for the course and pay appropriate tuition and fees as may be required.
5. Demonstrate to the satisfaction of the appropriate faculty member that sufficient justification exists to warrant approval of the request for the examination.
6. Secure written approval from the instructor, the department chair, and the vice president to take the examination.
7. For any course(s) which the student has registered at the beginning of the semester and has attended classes, credit by examination must be gained within the first two weeks of the semester. Courses for which a student has secured approval and has registered after the normal registration period may be challenged at any time during the semester.
8. Arrange an appropriate time at the convenience of the instructor to take the examination.  The student is allowed one opportunity to take a proficiency examination for credit in any given course.

The grade of "CR" (credit by proficiency examination) is the official grade used by the instructor to report successful completion of a proficiency examination. To earn credit by examination, a student must achieve a score equivalent to not less than "C" on the examination. There is no penalty or grade of record for an unsatisfactory grade on a proficiency examination.  Courses on which the grade of "CR" is earned are not included in the calculation of the student’s quality point average.

Credit by Experience

The granting of curriculum credit for non-traditional educational experiences will be considered upon receipt of appropriate official documentation by the vice president of student services.  The vice president of student services will evaluate the documentation to determine the applicability to the student's educational program.  Transfer credit for non-traditional work from an accredited institution is limited to no more than 50 percent of the AAS degree or diploma requirements.  The student will receive written notification of credit awarded on the Transfer Credit Evaluation form.

Curriculum credit for proficiencies developed through various nontraditional learning activities may also be earned as described in the "Credit by Examination" policy.

Curriculum credit may be granted for courses that have been passed by appropriate examination of the Advanced Placement Program (APP), the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES).  Credit will be allowed for APP scores of three and above.  CLEP and DANTES test scores must meet American Council on Education (ACE) minimum recommendations.

1. The student must document a specific work experience or skill that coincides with the skills and tasks required in a particular course.  See Request for Credit by Experience Form (PDF: 5KB/2pp).
2. The department chair will evaluate the documented training and/or experiences which may require a demonstration of one's ability.  Experiences must be approved by the student's curriculum department chair, the subject area department chair, chief academic officer, and the vice president of student services.
3. Veterans may apply credit for training received under the armed forces college training programs and some specialized and technical training completed under the auspices of the armed forces.  Appropriate documentation must be provided.
4. The approved credit recommendation should be submitted to the Registrar's Office.
5. The registrar will record a symbol of "EL" on the transcript with credit hours; however, no quality points will be assigned.
6. Documentation of experience shall be kept on file for five years in the Registrar's Office.