Credit By Exam Program | Distance Learning Systems (DLSI)

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.

Credit by Examination in College

I just cannot explain how thrilled I am about credit by examination. These applications are the only reason that I and many others are college graduates. Do not think for a moment that you will not learn something in the process of getting these examinations. And especially, do not be amazed at how much you already know as you study for them. The key to remember when planning for an examination is that the common system of 70% = pass is no longer is applicable. These assessments are designed to evaluate your knowledge of a topic as opposed to normal college student taking the class. Well, guess what? Average is a big range. Most of these examinations only require you to get about half the solutions right to earn credit. That is why I and so many other applicants find we did much better than we thought after getting our score.

Most schools take credit by examination. Some schools design their own examining programs, but the majority gives credit based on the American Council on Education (ACE) credit recommendation. Each evaluation is given a suggested amount of credit by ACE. Most schools will prize the suggested credit, however they are not required to. So, please check with the college of your choice to validate their credit by examination policy, such as the most of credit they will take by testing.

Each evaluation suppliers have their own style and framework. It is important to understand each company’s guidelines and specifications. Most of the examinations are not that challenging. I never studied for more than three times for a three credit by examination and not more than seven times for a six credit by examination. You will need to take a number of each to get your speed, but once the momentum is going, do not quit. The best measure that I used was to take as many practice assessments that I might find on the topic. Once I reached the 80-90% level, I was prepared. Once you get going, you find it simple to take two or more examinations in one day.

Credit by Exam in Military College

One technique of higher education credit that is used and not known by many service members is credit by exam. Credit by exam is very easy, you organize to take a test, and then depending on the pass/fail of test, you will either have credit granted to you or not. The best part is that any expenses that are normally billed for credit by exam programs are often handled by the army. So you are able to take examinations, have the army pay for the exam charges, and then any examinations that you generate a passing grade will provide you higher education credit toward your academic objectives. Taking CLEP examinations are easy. You simply organize with your control or platform knowledge workplace for the time frame and date of the examination. On the day of the exam, you have to carry with you a main image ID (your Military ID card or state released license) and a secondary ID with you to the examination grounds or test area. Many people have the training and learning or experience to be able to complete some of the examinations that are available, but because it is not a well-known program or they are uninformed that such applications are available, then, they do not take benefits of credit by exam possibilities.

The exams are often administered by DANTES, or the Defense Activity for Non Traditional Education team. They assist and are one of the major sponsors for the exams, and help organize a time and place for army service members to take them. College evaluation applications, or CLEP examining, are exams that are available for any employees in the army who desire to take them. It is an excellent way to monetize upon your experience and data, and to obtain and generate college credit by successfully passing the test.

Ways to Save Time and Tuition Fees

You will find several kinds of Credit by Exam options. Listed here are five of the very popular:

College Level Examination Program (CLEP). CLEP is easily the most popular option and it has exams in liberal arts, languages, business, science and math. The completed exams are transferable to just about all colleges for either 3 or 6 units. The CLEP website offers practice tests, study guides and locations of test centers. Costs for CLEP and all sorts of other Credit by Exam choices are usually under $100/test.
DSST Exams. DSST Exams formerly were known as DANTES Exams and were just for military personnel. Today, DSST Exams in liberal arts, business, education and criminal justice can be found to the student, traditional or adult student. Test prep and test locations are online.
Excelsior College Exams or UExcel Exams have numerous tests in areas not included in CLEP or DSST, including Nursing and upper division (junior and senior year) business exams.
Thomas Edison College Examination Program (TECEP) is another method to earn credit for formerly learned understanding. You will find Upper Division exams in Network Technology and business, in addition to exams in PR (public relations), Nutrition and Technical Writing.
Challenge exams originate from the local college or university. If you’re already enrolled in a college and wish to “test out”, your college may offer this other option. Often, a student will go ahead and take the challenge exam, get a listing of study materials and go ahead and take the final exam. The minimum score for that challenge exam is generally 75% or 80% to become counted as credit.

Credit by Exam – Explained

Credit by Exam give learners credits that go toward earning an associate’s level, bachelor’s level or higher education and trade or vocational certification. Students take the examinations needed in their chosen field of study, which evaluates their knowledge in the subject. Testing sites throughout the US bring in The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and Advanced Placement (AP) examinations at various times during the year. Most institutions consider the credits gained by the Credit by Exam program as transfer credits, so the school policies determine the gained credits for the degree. ACE or the American Council on Education grants other examinations acknowledged for higher education credit, such as the Excelsior College Exams and Dante’s Subject Standardized assessments, among others.

Most mature learners have experience in the labor force that can go for a degree program, saving them the time it takes to receive a four-year degree. Many mature learners generate up to 40 credits toward a degree program through testing. Another advantage of the Credit by Exam system is the money stored on expenses. Older students have families to provide for and spending under 100 dollars for an exam, help them to save thousands for higher education courses. These exams also help older learners who have already earned a degree but have been in the workplace for a period of time. They can generate training credits using their work experience and specific skills.

Many adults are not confident enough to take these examinations because they taken any exams for a while. This is especially true of those searching for healthcare occupations, such as nursing because of the specialized and healthcare information required to complete the examinations. Programs are available to help get ready for the examinations in particular higher education areas if individual preparation is difficult or if students feel anxious on textbook learning.

Credit By Exam

Students who would like to earn credit for any course by which they’ve didn’t have prior formal instruction may test through credit by exam. Students must demonstrate 90% or greater mastery on the exam to be able to earn credit. Exams are scheduled throughout May, June as well as in August before school begins. Programs can be found in the school counselor and should be returned to the counselor for processing. The applying due dates are on the Test Calendar. Parents must be aware that you will find no exceptions readily available for students to check at other occasions and really should plan summer time vacation agendas accordingly.

There is no fee for the exam. The outcomes is going to be mailed to the parents, counselor, and registrar (when the student passed) following the points are completed. No information about the test results could be provided on the phone or by email due to privacy laws and regulations. Students under certain conditions may have the ability to take Credit by Exam for any course in that they have experienced prior instruction but didn’t receive credit. This method should be authorized by the campus principal (or designee).

Students who make an application for Credit by Examination are strongly urged to start planning for the exams as quickly as possible. Students need to try to get Credit by Examination the moment they understand the need or need to test simply because they may have to know the outcomes over time to create other plans to get the credit if they’re not successful in the exam. Students testing Without Prior Instruction may test the same course only once in a twelve month period. Students who require checking several classes are urged to start testing with core subjects like English and Mathematics. Application ought to be made with the school counselor. Students may complete programs anytime throughout the entire year but must satisfy the application due dates established for every testing session.