University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Policy Name: Credit by Examination
Policy Number: LR 503.5
Effective Date: April 1, 2010 (review date)
Policy
Credit by Examination
UA Little Rock offers students the opportunity to obtain credit through examination in certain courses. There are currently seven sources of examination credit:
- Departmental Examination Program (DEP)
- College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
- Excelsior College Examinations (formerly Regents College and ACTPEP)
- Advanced Placement Program (AP)
- Defense Activity for Non‐Traditional Education Support (DANTES)
- International Baccalaureate (IB)
- Foreign Language Placement Exams (FCAPE, GCAPE, SCAPE)
All tests conform to these general regulations:
- Students who successfully test out of a course shall receive credit hours for that course with a credit grade (CR) but no grade points
- The examination shall be administered at least once per semester and in such a manner as to facilitate access by the student.
Departmental tests and CLEP subject examinations are administered at UA Little Rock. Excelsior College Examinations are computer‐based tests administered at Pearson VUE Testing Centers. Any prospective, currently enrolled, or continuing student may take these tests.
Students who take CLEP, AP, DANTES, IB or Excelsior College Examinations should have official score reports sent directly to the UA Little Rock Office of Testing Services for evaluation. Credit obtained through examination is recorded as approved hours on the student’s official, permanent record without grade or grade points after the student has been enrolled at UA Little Rock for one semester. Additional information may be obtained from Testing Services by calling 501-916-3198 or at the website: https://ualr.edu/testing/.
Credit by Exam, Your GPA, and Your Academic Records
Credit obtained through examination is recorded as approved hours on the official permanent record without grade or grade points after the student is enrolled at UA Little Rock. Credit by exam does not affect your grade point average, and you must be attending courses in order for credits to be posted.
There is no limit on the number of hours you may earn through credit by exam. Schedules for the examinations vary. It is important that registration deadlines and score reporting dates for each program be carefully observed.
Transferability of Credits
Credit by exam policies vary considerably from campus to campus. Receiving credit at one school is no guarantee of receiving credit at another school.
If you are transferring in to UA Little Rock and you tested out of courses at another school, check UA Little Rock’s policies to determine if you (a) took tests that are accepted at UA Little Rock; and (b) made a passing score according to UA Little Rock policy. If you did, contact the national testing company (for example, CLEP) to have an official score report sent to UA Little Rock Testing Services for evaluation. Photocopies and student copies are unofficial and will not be accepted.
If you earn test-out credits at UA Little Rock and you decide to transfer to another university, you will need to check with that university to determine their policy. Again, the fact that you have test-out credits posted on your UA Little Rock transcript is not a guarantee that the credits will be recognized elsewhere.
Procedures for Establishing Credit at UA Little Rock
Official CLEP, AP, ECE, DANTES, and IB score reports must be sent directly to the Office of Testing Services from the national testing company.
Departmental exams generally are graded in the department, and related reports are released from the department. The procedure for documenting credit is the same as described above.
Policy Review
Only examinations that have been approved by the faculty of the appropriate department are included in the credit by examination program.
Decisions as to which tests are accepted are made by UA Little Rock faculty members. The minimum score required for each approved test has been set by the faculty of the department involved.
Credit by examination satisfies degree requirements in the same way as credit earned by passing a course. Unsuccessful attempts to earn credit by examination will not be reflected on the academic record.
Special Accommodations
Special testing accommodations are provided for students with documented disabilities. Specific arrangements should be made with the Testing Coordinator well in advance of registration for CLEP or DEP exams. Registration information for AP and ECE exams includes directions to be followed for those tests.
Source: UALR Undergraduate Catalog 2009-10, p. 32
Revised:
Approved By: VCESS, April 1, 2010
Custodian: Testing Center