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Academic Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual
Topical Index: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

E-2: CREDIT BY EXAMINATION

The academic unit offering the course determines whether it will make credit by examination available. If credit by examination is available for the course, the procedure for requesting credit by examination is as follows.

Procedure:

  1. Student submits a request for credit by examination for a specific course through the prior learning assessment form in the student information system.
  2. Requests for courses not previously approved will be sent to the Office for Prior Learning Assessment, which will contact the unit offering the course to see whether credit by examination is available. All other requests will be routed to a designated approver in the college, school, or campus.
  3. Designated approver routes request to a faculty subject matter expert on the student's campus of enrollment. If no subject matter expert is available, approver sends request to the Office for Prior Learning Assessment, which will route the request to a subject matter expert at another campus.
  4. Subject matter expert reviews the student's request and discusses the format and expectations for successful completion of the examination with the student.
  5. If the student decides to continue the process, the student and subject matter expert schedule the examination within six months. The subject matter expert notifies the academic unit that the examination has been scheduled. The academic unit notifies the bursar, and the bursar bills the student's account.
  1. Upon completion of the examination, the subject matter expert evaluates the student's performance and submits the grade for the examination.
  2. All approvers and the student receive notice when the grade is submitted, and the process is complete.
  3. If the student's performance on the exam does meet the standards of acceptable achievement equivalent to a grade of C or better as determined by the subject matter expert, the credit by examination code (CRX) will be posted to the student's record but will not appear on the student's official transcript until the student has completed a credit-bearing course at Penn State. Credit by examination cannot be used for Grade Forgiveness in policy H-2.

Senate Policy:  42-50.1, Credit by Examination

NOTE: Additional information may be found in Procedure RC2006 available through Systems and Procedures.

Approved: ACUI (5-13-76)
Revised: ACUE (7-26-96)
Revised: ACUE (5-3-01)
Revised: Editorial (7-2-13)
Revised: Editorial (4-18-16)
Revised:  ACUE (3-3-22)