Credit by Examination

CREDIT BY EXAMINATION OVERVIEW

UNT offers several ways for you to earn credit toward your bachelor's degree even before you attend your first class as a freshman. While you are still in high school, you may take Advanced Placement (AP) courses and examinations, as well as College Level Examination Program (CLEP) subject examinations, to earn college credit. These examinations are administered by the College Board. You also may take International Baccalaureate (IB) higher-level examinations to earn credit while you are still in high school. Once you enroll at UNT, you may take examinations administered by UNT departments to test out of courses and earn credit.

RECEIVING CREDIT BY EXAMINATION

As a UNT undergraduate, you may apply credit earned by examinations taken when you are still in high school, examinations taken at another college or university and examinations taken once you enroll at UNT. AP examinations and their equivalent UNT courses are listed in the following section. For other tests, the dean of the UNT school or college in which you will earn your degree will decide whether the credit you earn can be applied toward your degree. Credit by examination may not be used to reduce certain general requirements you must meet to earn a bachelor's degree. These requirements include completing at least 31 semester credit hours on the UNT campus, completing in residence at least 24 of the last 30 semester hours required for your degree, and completing at least 24 semester hours of advanced courses at UNT, including 12 advanced hours in your major. You cannot use an examination to receive credit for any course that is a prerequisite to a course in which you have already earned college credit. Credit by examination cannot be substituted for any grade, including an "F", that you earned for a course in high school, at UNT or at another college or university. The credit you earn through examination will not be included in your grade point average at UNT, but it will be included in your accepted semester credit hours and on your UNT transcript.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) EXAMINATIONS

Students typically complete an AP course offered by their high school to before taking an AP examination in that subject. However, in consideration of homeschooled students and students whose schools do not offer AP, The College Board does not require you to complete an AP course before taking an AP examination. AP examinations are offered each May in most school districts. You must score a 3, 4 or 5 to earn college credit. Specify code 6481 to have your test scores sent to the UNT admissions office.

CLEP SUBJECT EXAMINATIONS

CLEP examinations are scheduled throughout the year at college campuses and are open to anyone. Each examination requires a fee. To find out where CLEP subject examinations are offered in your city, contact your high school counselor or the testing center of a local college. When you take a CLEP examination, specify code 6481 to have your test score sent to the UNT undergraduate admissions office. The office will certify the examination credit if you score at or above the average national CLEP score for that subject. Certified credit may or may not be applied toward your bachelor's degree by the dean of your school or college.

Following are the CLEP subject examinations you may take and the maximum number of credit hours that may be applied toward your bachelor's degree with acceptable scores on the examination. For a current list of acceptable scores, contact the UNT undergraduate admissions office.

International Baccalaureate (iB)

UNT awards a minimum of 24 semester hours credit to students who have completed the International Baccalaureate Program and have received the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Students must make a minimum score of 4 on all tests that count toward the diploma.

A student who has completed a high school International Baccalaureate Program but has not earned the diploma and who has scored 5, 6 or 7 on the higher level IB examination will receive college credit at UNT. Credit is awarded as listed in the chart below.

EXAMINATIONS ADMINISTERED BY UNT DEPARTMENTS

Once you enroll at UNT, you may earn credit in certain courses by taking examinations offered by UNT departments. Check with the departments to learn which examinations are offered.