With more than 2,000 colleges and universities now accepting transfer credits from standardized exams (such as CLEP, DSST, and UExcel exams), it’s a great time for students to save time and money. These exams cost as little as $80. They can help students bypass college classes that cost up to 10 or 20 times as much more.
Here are some other factors to consider:
- Enrollment requirements
Some colleges won’t accept standardized exam credits unless you are already enrolled at the time of the exam. So before you start registering for exams, you should explore your college options. It helps to contact experts, who know the most about different colleges’ transfer policies.
- Validation requirements
Some colleges only accept credit-by-examination credits if you can pass a more advanced course in the same subject. In other words, they want to ensure you truly passed the equivalent of Spanish I by waiting to see how you perform in their own Spanish II course. Not all colleges are this fussy; we can tell you who's more flexible.
- Departmental requirements
Standardized exams like CLEP and DSST typically involve multiple-choice questions or short essays. Some college departments don’t trust that exam graders will use rigorous standards when grading open-response questions. Before they will award exam credit, these departments may ask you to complete an essay paper or give an oral presentation on the subject. If you’re not thrilled about the extra layer of work, ask us which schools won’t require it.
- What type of degree do you want to earn?
Some colleges only award two-year associate degrees in technical/vocational fields. Some colleges only award four-year bachelor’s degrees in academic fields. You might find a great school for accepting exam credits, but you need to be sure it’s also a school that suits your degree plans.
- What are your long-term career plans?
If your ultimate career goal requires graduate study (a master’s degree or a doctorate), you should be thinking about factors like specialized accreditation and graduate program admissions now. Not all colleges can prepare you equally. And some graduate schools will only accept students from specially-accredited programs.
For example, if you’re interested in becoming an engineer, you should focus your college search on ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) accredited programs. Among engineering students, ABET accreditation is often a requirement for federal financial aid eligibility and certain engineering scholarships. Many forms of professional licensure and engineering certification also require graduation from an ABET-accredited program as a minimum qualification.
- Do you prefer an online, campus-based, or hybrid (both online and on-campus) college?
Since you probably can’t complete ALL your degree requirements via credit-by-examination, you’ll want to make sure you can easily attend any remaining classes that are required. Is it easiest for you to complete classes online or at a local campus? Luckily there are plenty of options in all categories.
Most students discover that it’s hard work comparing credit-by-examination policies. Even if you’re able to find transfer policy information on a college website, it’s unlikely you’ll get clear answers to all of the questions listed above.
In order to help students compare different colleges and their policy on transfer credits, our team works with individual students. We offer complimentary advisement and a custom credit analysis, to evaluate any previously earned credits or professional experience that might allow you to bypass additional courses. To learn more about free credit-by-examination advice, or about how we prepare students for standardized exams, contact our team.
Contact Achieve Test Prep today for more information or visit http://www.achievetestprep.com/bloggd.
