Credit By Exam | Distance Learning Systems (DLSI)

Options in Credit by Exam

Students after graduating high school have the opportunity to get credits by taking examinations that are recognized by the college they are enrolling. Credit by exam enables you to earn college credit before you decide to take college. Getting a credit will save you some time and money and will allow you to take on another subject, major or finish your course earlier than usual. There are colleges and universities that permit students to get as much as 30 hours of credit in certain academic areas. Some colleges allow more, depending on their program. There are different “credit by examination” programs that are recognized by most colleges, for example the College Level Examination Program, the International Baccalaureate Program and the Advanced Placement Program.

You can generate 3-8 semester hours of credit per test, based on your score and the subject, in an AP exam. If you are a transfer student, you must submit your AP and CLEP scores, less than 12 semester hours, to the college you are enrolling. Your school will still evaluate your score and the subjects you took.

You can skip many core courses and receive credit for them by taking a college credit examination and advanced placement. The college credit examinations are generally recognized by colleges and universities. If you pass these examinations, you can earn one-third or more of the credits mandatory for a degree. The examinations are accessible in more than 150 subject areas which gives you a lot of options. The exams are comparable to final examinations given by colleges and universities. Nevertheless, credit by examination is quite fast, this means it saves you time, but requires you a lot of preparations. It is an affordable way to receive a college credit which makes it very convenient and a must option.

Getting a Credit by Examination

Credit by examination has been a more appealing program for people who are in the service. This is because they no longer need to take the courses they already know or have a background with. They no longer need to pay the costly tuition to be able to get the credit. This makes the credit by examination a great choice for many students, who are busy with their work or their daily activities.

Different programs are developed to let the students get the credit by demonstrating their knowledge regarding the subject by passing the standardized test. Service members, their spouses and civilian employees are allowed to receive civilian college credits through subject-based examinations.

The credit by examination is an excellent shortcut in getting credits but not every school accepts the program. But the program does have its limits also. It’s not designed to cater every subject or cover the whole course. Most schools who offer the program usually place a limit on how much credit can be earned in this manner.

If you are interested to take the test, there are a bunch of programs who offer it. But, not all colleges and universities accept it. Make sure that your chosen school accepts the program so that you won’t waste your time in taking the test, or you will still have the time to look for another college or university which accepts it. The first thing you need to do is to speak in detail with prospective schools to ensure you won’t be disappointed. You must pick also the best program that is best suited to your abilities. You may ask people who already took the test for advice so you may know what are the things you need to prepare and the requirements needed.

Credit by Examination in Texas

High School students in Texas High are now allowed to get credit by examination which is a mandate by the State Law. The students must first speak with their advisers to clarify the process and then undergo evaluation before application. Applications must be given to the advisers by April 2. And the schedule of the examinations will be on April 7-9, 2014.

To be able to get credit ranking, learners must achieve a certain ranking. This is to ensure that the students will do their best in studying. If students have taken the class, the ranking must be 70 % or higher. If they haven’t a ranking of at least 90 % is needed. This is to ensure that the students are in a greater capacity to pass the exam and that they will be motivated to do their best and get a higher score.

“It’s state law that all educational institutions are needed to provide a means for learners to get credit ranking”. Schroeder said, “We like it for especially kids that are local speaking students, they can successfully pass the lower level Language sessions. Or if it’s a student that wants to take the speech class and not use that term because they want to take another class in that semester.” This program understands the situation of the students and making it more uncomplicated.

According to Schroeder, credit ranking by evaluation is also a way for learners who might have lost a credit ranking due to absences that can easily successfully pass the evaluation without having to be present during summer. The State is ensuring the quality of education through programs in schools that will help and benefit the students. Credit by evaluation is free, while during summer is not. For more information regarding this topic, contact an educational adviser in Texas.

CLEP Basic Questions

If you’re looking to go to college to finish your degree in a field that you already have some experience in, you might want to check into the CLEP, or College-Level Examination Program. This is an exam-for-credits program that is run by the College Board, the same company that designed and provides the SAT’s and the AP’s. By successfully testing out of training that you are already acquainted with, you can save a lot of both cash and time on your degree.

1. Who are they for? The CLEPs are usually recommended for learners with some real-world experience in the subject they are being tested on. Army members, those who have served internships and those who have developed on-the-job skills make strong applicants for getting credits through exams. It’s essential to know beforehand that the assessments are usually identified as being pretty challenging, so you’ll want to ensure that you have an excellent knowledge of the subject, or you’ll end up wasting cash on the test and then having to take the course anyway.

2. How much do they cost? Each test is $80, obviously more affordable than a college course, but it can add up if you’re trying to test out of a lot of topics. While the CLEPs are definitely a less expensive choice than a conventional college course, this is certainly not a simple way out of college sessions. If you don’t have a strong knowledge on the subject, it’s probably not suggested to try testing out of something that is required knowledge in your field.

3. What colleges and universities accept them? While the College Board indicates that CLEP credits are approved by some 2,900 colleges and universities, it might be of interest to note that there are about 4,600 degree-granting organizations in the U.S., which means there is a very excellent possibility that your university won’t take these credits. Many of the top U.S. educational organizations have ceased getting these credits completely and many more have put a limit on the number of credits that you can get in this way. The best way is to check out your college or university’s web page and look for details on Credit-by-Examination. If they don’t have it posted, you can get in touch with the registrar’s office and they should be able to help you.

Reasons to take Credit by Exam

As college tuition prices continue to increase at universities across the country, some learners are looking for more cost-saving, non-traditional routes to college. One way that you can preserve countless dollars on expenses is by getting an examination to get college credit in place of a conventional three-credit course. Many American universities and colleges will actually allow you to test out of certain programs with a credit by exam, allowing you to be able to take more classes that can get prepare you for your upcoming profession. In fact, here are some reasons why you should consider credit by exam:

1. Save Time: Credit by examinations can help decrease the number of hours and classes you may need for a degree program. You have the versatility to schedule the test on your own time and to make a study plan that continues as long as you need it to.

2. Save Money: A test costs only $80! On average, one college is worth $250. Add up 3 credits and that’s $750! You do the math.

3. Credit = Credit: Over 1,900 organizations allow credits for credit by examinations. Whether you are seated through a class of 400 learners taking notes or passing a credit by exam, the credits are worth the same!

4. Variety of Resources: With the help of online practice examinations and several third-party sources, you can make sure that you will be guided on your path to success.

5. Immediate Results: About 100 questions later, click “finish” and viola! The test results are reported directly on the screen at the end of each test. These results are usually sent by mail to the college student and their organization five weeks after the test.

6. Get Ahead: If you look through the record of available test subjects, you’ll probably find that there is a subject you already know well! Take advantage of the practice tests to see how much information you already know. Then test out of programs that you’re already an expert in.

College Level Examination Program Test Taking Tips Part 2

Don’t let the test taking get the best of you. Sometimes taking a test can save you time and money. The CLEP (College Level Evaluation Program) examination has been the most commonly efficient credit-by-examination system and is approved by over 2,900 universities. CLEP allows you to take an exam to earn higher education credits without taking the course, enabling you to save lots of money. Here are some easy tips that will help you stay relaxed and successfully pass your College Level Examination Program test:

Read the entire question, including the multiple choice answers before putting down your answer. Instructions typically tell you to choose the best answer. Study all the answers before you choose one, even if the first or second answer option looks appropriate to you.
Pace yourself and keep an eye on the time. Always make sure you are not going to fast or too slow. The common duration of answering the questions should be about 30-45 seconds. You should have answered at least 50 percent of the questions in a section when half of the time for that section has passed.
Don’t spend a lot of your energy and effort on any one question. If you don’t know the answer after you’ve considered it briefly, go on to the next question. Mark the question so you can come back to it later.
Any answer is better than no answer. Do not leave a question empty. There are no penalties for wrong answers. If you can recognize apparent wrong answers, you have improved your possibilities of answering it properly.
Don’t waste your time. Most students’ spend by reading too much into the question by looking for faults in query terminology or styles in appropriate answers. CLEP places significant amounts of effort into creating legitimate, efficient and reasonable examinations.

Credit by Examination and Advanced Placement Credit

Advanced Placement Credit: A qualified person who has taken school level work in high school may get academic credit. Examinations used to determine advanced placement are the Advanced Placement Test of the College Entrance Examination Board and The Achievement Tests in English Composition and Intermediate Mathematics (Level 1). A last determination of credit is made after results have been assessed by the college.

Credit by Examination: College credits are generally earned through participation in scheduled classes. Then again, a few courses permit credit by examination. A student at presently enrolled, who presents satisfactory proof that he or she is qualified in a specific subject may get credits for a course by an examination (“challenge examination”) approved by the proper instructional department or through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Satisfactory proof may be and not restricted to, work experience, non-credit courses, course work taken at non-authorized establishments, or military courses. Such exams include:

College Board Advanced Placement (AP)
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
International Baccalaureate Program (IB)
College Board Achievement Test (ACH)
Scholastic Aptitude Subject Test II (SAS)
Defense Language Institute (DLI)
American College Testing Proficiency Examination Program (PEP)
(DANTES)
GRU Departmental Examinations (DEPT)

A student may take challenge examinations before enlisting, yet will usually get credits for courses tested just after successfully finishing six semester hours. Courses in which a learner is or has been enlisted may not be tested and courses which require demonstration and provision of skills (useful, lab sciences and courses requiring field work or execution, for instance) may be tested just with the authorization of the director of the office offering the course. There is usually a $5 per credit hour charge for departmental “challenge” exams.

CLEP Preparation Steps

The College Level Examination Program is an arm of College Board, which provides a way for speeding up the completion of college courses. Based on the institution’s guidelines, CLEP assessments can help learners generate college credits or postpone certain specifications if they have already designed proficiencies in certain subject areas.

Here are some steps to adhere to help guide your approach.

1. Check out the CLEP website – Now that you have read through the CLEP website, it’s a chance to find out which test(s) you should take. On the home-page of the CLEP website, there is a “Search Institutions” bar. Do this! There are 33 CLEP assessments available, but each college/university has a different approval policy. You do not want to take a test that will not be accepted by your college/university. Instead of getting the test, save the $80 and put it to good use elsewhere.

2. Verify your facts – It is not sensible to make presumptions about college policy based on third party information. Now that you are equipped with some baseline details, cross reference it with your institution’s course catalog and double check the registrar’s office to make sure the details found on CLEP web page is up to date.

3. Get ready for the test – When taking CLEP assessments, it’s important to plan in advance. It does not appear sensible to get $80 and not know what you are getting into. The College Board provides several 100 % free resources, many of which can be found in the internet.

4. Sign-up for the test – Registering for a CLEP test is probably the most convenient part of the process.

Not every college will promote their CLEP policy where it is readily available. CLEP tests can help learners facilitate their course completion, which could result in less income for the college, a fact that some organizations would like to cover up. CLEP tests can also be an affordable solution to taking summer classes, but it all depends on the college’s policy.

Deferring Cost Thru Credit by Exam

It used to be that students attending college could only get credits by sitting through weeks-long lessons, writing notes and passing a litany of assessments. Now, however, there may be a more effective way of making credits for classes in a shorter period and at a portion of the cost. There are no projects to finish, no assessments to take, and no lessons or classes to attend, just an examination to pass. Sound interesting? Students looking for a more efficient way to generate a degree might want to consider credit by exam programs, which have become well-known among those who want to speed up their time in school and save costs simultaneously.

“Credit-by-exam programs have been used for years and keep growing today because they offer real value to students and enable them to finish degree requirements more effectively than getting traditional programs,” says Marc Singer, vice provost of the Center for the Assessment of Learning at Thomas Edison State College, which recently arranged several of its credit by exam programs with open programs to make new routes for students to generate credit. Currently 3,000 universities in the U.S. accept credit-by-exam as transfer credit. The programs allow students to generate credit by passing a single examination and are an excellent fit for independent students, students who possess college-level knowledge and students who are excellent test takers.

Credit by exam programs are not, however, a one-size-fits-all strategy to learning. For instance, those students who choose an organized environment and getting a lecturer and other students may not do as well with getting one test that includes a semester’s worth of material. This strategy does tend to work well for busy adult students who have competitive requirements on their time and who want to work individually. Two of the most well-known credit-by-exam programs in the U.S. are the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP exams) and DSST examinations. “Students considering credit-by-exam programs should talk with their educational consultant to make sure credits from the examination they are planning to take can be transferred to fulfill a requirement in their degree program,” says Singer.

College Level Examination Program Test Taking Tips

Do not let test taking get the best of you! Sometimes getting a test can save your money. The CLEP (College Level Examination Program) examination has been the most widely trusted credit-by-examination system and is accepted by over 2,900 universities. CLEP allows you to take an exam to earn higher education credits without getting the course, allowing you to save lots of money.

Here are some easy tips that will help you keep calm and pass your College Level Examination Program exam:

Read the entire question, including the multiple option solutions before putting down your answer. Guidelines usually tell you to select the best answer. Study all the solutions before you choose one, even if the first or second answer choice looks right to you.
Pace yourself and keep an eye on the clock. Always make sure you are not going to fast or too slow. The average duration of answering to questions should be about 30-45 seconds. You should have responded to at least 50 percent of the questions in a section when 50 percent of the allotted time has passed.
Don’t spend too much time on any one question. If you have no idea what the answer is after you’ve considered it temporarily, go on to the next question. Group or mark the questions so you can come back to it later.
Any answer is better than no answer. Do no leave a question blank. There are no penalties for wrong answers. If you can identify obvious wrong solutions, you have increased your chances of answering correctly.
Don’t waste your time. Most test takers spend too much into the question by looking for faults in question terminology or styles in appropriate answers. College Level Examination Program puts significant amounts of effort into developing valid, reliable and fair examinations.