[Last reviewed March 2008]

Description
Various departments at the University have devised (or may be willing to develop, upon special request) examinations administered to individuals or groups for one of the following purposes:

1. To permit students to earn credit for knowledge acquired outside conventional academic settings (e.g., independent study, foreign travel, unaccredited institutions).
2. To permit students to demonstrate proficiency in a prerequisite course.
3. To determine the appropriate level for a student to begin study in a course sequence.

Exams for Credit
Theoretically, students may request to take an examination for credit in any course offered by the University and earn credit without enrolling in the course. Students are charged $50 per credit. See the Instructions for using the Request for Special Examination form below. Credit earned in this manner may be used in the same way as credit earned through actual registration in the course, except that:

1. Credits earned by special examination are not counted toward the University degree residency requirement.
2. These credits are not counted in computing the number of A-F/S-N credits. That is, they are placed outside the total on which the S-N proportion is determined.

To take a special exam for credit, students must first obtain the permission of both the college office and the department.

Limitations
The college has imposed limitations on taking special exams for credit:

1. Students may not receive credit, or credit by examination, for skills courses in reading, writing, or speaking their native language or their language of secondary education. They may receive credit, or credit by examination for knowledge of literature, linguistics, or culture.
2. Effective Fall 1997, any student requesting a special exam for credit for second language skills courses will be assisted by the department in assessing appropriate placement in the sequence, and will be expected to register for and complete at least one course. Upon satisfactory completion of the course (grade of “C-” or higher or “S”), the student can request credit for the preceding courses in the sequence, excluding the first semester. Special exceptions will be made for students acquiring language skills through a University sponsored study abroad program where they did not get credit for their language acquisition. See also “Automatic Credit: Second Language” later in this section.
3. Students may not take a special exam for a letter grade. Effective Fall 1999, examinations for credit earn the letter "T." These credits will be included in the cumulative credits (but not the term credits) but the "T" grade will not be reflected in either the term or cumulative grade point average.
   
4. Special examinations are usually not permitted in laboratory courses, but there are some exceptions.
5. Students may not take a special examination for a course they have failed until at least one semester has elapsed since the failing grade was received.
6. Students may not take a special exam for a course prerequisite to a course already completed without permission from the department. (Routine exceptions are discussed under Automatic Credit.)
7. Students wishing to take special exams in biology must follow the following special regulations set down by the department:
1. Students enrolled in the course must take the exam before the end of the second week of semester (summer day students must take the exam prior to the end of the first week of classes).
2. Students who have taken the exam once may not repeat the exam.
3. Students who have failed Biol 1001 or 1009 may not take the exam.
8. Students may not take a special exam in a course in which they have earned a “D.”
9. Students may not earn credit for directed study courses through special examination. Topics courses should be approved only if they appear to be the equivalent of a course actually taught at the University.
10. Special exam credits are not included in annual probation review.
11. If credit for the same course is available through different types of special exams (i.e., departmental exams, CLEP tests, Advanced Placement exams), only one exam may be taken for credit. The following list summarizes all special exams for credit accepted by the college. (Second language exams are not included because they are normally taken for placement purposes.) Individual arrangements may be made in all college offices.

To see which tests are currently accepted for credit or exemption, see Admission’s College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) Awards page.

Proficiency Exams
Proficiency exams are generally taken instead of courses listed as prerequisite to more advanced courses, or to satisfy major, college, or pre-professional requirements. No credit is awarded for proficiency exams, but if a student passes such an exam, a notation is entered on his or her record. When referring students for a proficiency exam other than a second language or composition, the Request for Special Examination form should be used.

Related Policies/Information
Referring a Student for a Special Exam for Credit

Automatic Credit: Second Language

Special Exams for Credit for Bio 1009

Exemption from Freshman Writing Requirement

Writing Requirement, Section 2.3

Second Language Requirement, Section 2.4

General Credit Requirement, Section 2.5

Advanced Placement Exams, Section 4.6

CLEP Awards, Section 4.7

Forms
Request for Special Examination