Advanced Credit by Exam

Alternative Ways of Earning College Credit

Anyone who has already started working full time knows how difficult it is to go back to college, get a second degree, or get that post grad course you’ve been wanting. Luckily, the government has acknowledged these needs, which is why there are credit by exams programs. Anybody who is 25 or older and already has some college experience can take this advantage.

Not surprisingly, students who have signed up for this program have a higher course completion rate compared to the students who signed up for the traditional campus courses. This is not to say that students in the program are better, but they possess more motivation to complete their courses. And because of this, the Federal Government as well as companies have taken an interest in these educational opportunities. The government continuously modify the law in order to allow more funding for distance students. Companies have also assisted employees with tuition compensation, and have reaped rewards of these programs. The credit by examination is an amazing effort to allow anyone who wants to pursue a degree, but does not have enough resources to earn it through traditional methods.

Who are the people who commonly benefit from credit by exam programs?

Regular students- Any student who has the capacity of taking up supplement senior high school credit by examination programs can take advantage of it. Many schools who recognize the potential of their advanced students try to offer a wide array of advanced positioning courses. While this is not available in all schools, the institutions offering the program is growing.

Working adults- Looking at the facts, most American University students are actually over 25 and already hold jobs. They try and support their own families while studying which is why they will benefit from this program the most.

Licensed Medical Professionals- Health care professionals have extremely demanding working hours, and cannot strictly follow traditional class schedules. There are many health-care-related courses that have credit by exam programs in order to meet those needs.

Companies- Enhancing the talent pool is one of the goals of companies, and there are many instances wherein trainings are not enough to meet these needs. Credit by exams have been receiving budgets from companies.

Course Placement and Credit by Exams

Earning credits through examinations can determine the course placement of students at a university. Many credit by exams are recommended when enrolling for a particular course, while others are optional. A high school graduate can earn an elective undergrad course if they are able to pass these exams.

Credit by exams have eligibility criteria set, so not everyone aspiring to go to a University are able to earn credits for a preferred course. The requirements are established by the academic department with the approval of the dean.

Earning credits by passing a course is equivalent to passing a credit by exam. The only exception is that credit is not earned in residence. Failure of passing credit earned examinations does not threaten their chances of getting scholarships during the first year of college and does not reflect on their official transcript.

Students with a score eligible for credit has the option to either get a placement only prerequisite or credit only. If the latter is preferred, the Registrar’s office reports the credit the student qualified through credit by exam given that the student is not prohibited from enrolling in the said university. If the students would like to use the qualifying score to enroll in a course, he may do so. A credit-only may later be used as a placement for a course upon student’s petition, but a course credit cannot be changed to placement only. Students who are officially enrolled or former students are allowed to take examinations to establish eligibility for either placement or credit only.

There are also other credit by exams, that upon the approval of the academic dean and department head, a student may take the exam offered by the University. Those who are officially enrolled in the said University will have the chance to take the exam. IF they receive a qualifying score, they will receive credit for their preferred course.

Taking a Credit by Exam

For the majority of college students, the road to earning credit usually requires weeks of paying attention to classes, taking notes, finishing projects and passing a mid-term and final examination. However, if you can earn that credit faster and at a small fraction of the expense of getting a formal course, will you be engaged? There would be no projects to finish and no classes or lessons to go to, just an examination to pass.

Students searching for a more effective style to acquire a college degree must look into credit-by-exam programs, which may have gained popularity among those who wish to speed up their education and save money at the same time. Credit-by-exam programs have already been employed for many years and strive to grow today simply because they offer real value to students and allow them to finish degree demands more proficiently than taking conventional courses.

Almost 3,000 universities and colleges within the U.S. recognize credit-by-exam as transfer credit. The programs permit students to earn credit by passing just one examination and tend to be an excellent fit for self-sufficient students, students who possess college-level knowledge and students who are good applicants.

Credit-by-exam programs aren’t for everybody, particularly students preferring a structured atmosphere and getting together with a teacher and fellow students. Choosing to gain college credit by getting ready for an exam that includes a semester’s worth of content means you need to be self-motivated and encouraged. This method appeals to many hectic adult students who have contending demands on their own time and preferring to work independently.

Students thinking about credit-by-exam programs must consult with their academic advisor to ensure credits with the exam they’re planning to take can be moved to fulfill essential requirement in their degree program.

Ways to Acquire Credits

There are a few ways to obtain college credits even without enrolling to a course. The Government has been supporting the credit by exam program for students who have advanced knowledge of a certain course or subject. They will no longer retake a course they already master. There are many options available to earn credits.

Advanced Placement
After finishing an Advanced Placement course, students have the choice of paying a fee for taking suitable assessment. Test scores identify the kind and number of credits the UO can honor.

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)
The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a countrywide assessment system that makes it feasible for students to acquire college credit through exams. Subject Examinations are available to all students. The educational departments that have permitted the use of these assessments also figure out the scores essential to receive college credit.

Credit by Examination
Credit by examination permits officially accepted undergraduate students to challenge undergraduate university courses without subscribing to the courses. Students wanting to obtain credit by examination have to be registered for the term in which the exam is offered. Credit by examination might be earned only in courses in whose content is recognized by the college or university.

College students should get in touch with the Office of the Registrar first to complete an Academic Requirements Committee request to determine eligibility for credit by examination. Students then acquire faculty and department approvals prior to the exam. Students are charged a test fee of $25 per credit hour.

You can avail of any of these methods, with good preparation you may pass the exam and enjoy the benefits of earning a credit as you enter your course in College.

The DSST Credit by examination

A lot of students who are interested in taking a credit by examination recognize mainly the CLEP program. A credit by exam lets you take a credit by getting a good score on a certain course that you will take. The exam will test your knowledge and familiarity of the subject matter. There are other known credit-by-examination programs offered to students like the Dantes credit by examination. It is the same with CLEP which is also widely accepted and recognized by colleges and universities all over the country. It is open to everyone who is interested to take the examination with over 2000 colleges and universities who will recognize your score once you pass the exam.

For each passed DSST exam, you will gain 3 college credit hours which can be equivalent to one course. Imagine what a huge opportunity it is for you to save your time on college as well as money, for you are no longer required to pay for that subject. There are some DSST exams that offer upper-division credit which you can use on your major. The test is not as easy as it sounds, many fail with the examination. It still requires some review and enough preparation to increase your chances to get a good score.

The main goal of the Dantes Credit by examination is to make the college more affordable and less time consuming without compromising the quality of learning and education. The purpose of the examinations is to test whether the students are already an expert or very familiar with the subjects. If they do, they no longer need to take that subject again in college to avoid repetition. The DSST was initially intended to support service members and for active duty and veteran members. The tests are available to civilians as well, and are now being managed by Prometric, an educational services company. This means that anyone who is interested in saving time and money on their path to a college degree can make use of DSST. The DSST exams are currently available in 38 subjects and accepted in almost all colleges and universities.

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.

Students in the Military and Credit by Exam

The recent Federal Fund Sequester has resulted in price range deductions across many government-run programs. And for a while, it was threatening college tuition assistance for active military members and veterans. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Early in April, both the Army and Marine Corps revoked their Tuition Assistance (TA) programs, preventing active-duty military employees from submitting new requests for assistance. The Air Force then followed suit, suspending their own assistance. The Navy considered the revocation, but has not as of yet acted.

2. Only two weeks later, Congress elected to require military branches to provide college tuition assistance to all active-duty employees, thus preserving the system for those serving in the U.S. Air Force, Army and Marine Corps. The restoration of Tuition Assistance for active-duty members is a sign of the military’s commitment to education and improving minds among their ranks.

3. While both houses of Congress decided to reinstate Tuition Assistance across the board, no funds have been set aside to back up the move, so the three military branches that initially revoked assistance will have to figure out ways to implement sequestration price range deductions without touching Tuition Assistance.

The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), an organization dedicated to supporting military and veteran education, never stopped funding DSST examinations as an alternative to generate college credit. Their program remained a choice for soldiers looking for education cost assistance and quickly receive a degree.

Students in the military, as well as their partners, have the choice to generate credits up to 38 subjects through the DSST credit by exam program. And because this college credit opportunity is conveniently located at more than 500 military installations across the nation, thousands of military employees have already experienced the power of DSST tests. Over 1,900 higher-education institutions grant higher education credit to those who take and pass their credit by exam programs, helping to drive those who fight for our nation toward their degree, learning and career goals.

For learners who are studying individually, credit-by-exam programs like CLEP and DSST are popular ways to obtain college credit for their study. As they are provided in a wide range of topics, it’s possible to get the whole primary program of a bachelor’s degree done through these examinations, or to generate an associate’s degree this way. These examinations can save countless numbers in educational costs. However, one drawback to the CLEP examinations is that they are only provided for lower-degree college programs, as are most of the DSST examinations, although 11 of the DSSTs are for upper-degree credit. Anybody who wants to test entirely out of a bachelor’s degree is not out of luck. There are a variety of other options for getting upper-degree college credit by exam.

There are several Excelsior College Exams (ECEs) through which you can generate credit for upper-degree programs. At $240 for a 3-credit examination, they are more expensive than the CLEPs. However, they are provided in a variety of specific topics. Excelsior’s website details examinations which range from Anatomy and Physiology to World Conflicts Since 1900. A variety of medical examinations are provided.

Another choice for getting upper-degree credit-by-exam is the GRE tests. The General Test is mainly for business learners and the wide range of topic assessments contains Biochemistry, Chemistry, Biology and Computer Science. A variety of institutions offer undergraduate credit for these examinations, such as Excelsior, which provides 30 undergrad credits if you pass in the Eightieth percentile and Charter Oak State College, which provides 24 credits if you pass in the Fortieth percentile. The examinations are provided in Oct, Nov, and Apr. If you live outside of the US, they seem to be provided at a broader wide range of places than the CLEPs. This choice is also cost-effective at $140 in the US and $160 in other nations. How much money in college tuition would 30 credits cost at a brick-and-mortar university?