Rule 3344-21-03 | Credit by examination.
At Cleveland state university, matriculated students can earn credit toward degree requirements through examination. The credit by examination program permits a student to begin college work at a level consistent with his or her academic background, to avoid repeating course material already mastered, to pursue a more flexible schedule, and to reduce the time required for graduation. Students may use the credit by examination program to demonstrate college level achievements and proficiencies acquired outside a university classroom. Most often this means knowledge gained by independent study, employment, specialized study courses, or honors courses in high school.
(A) Cleveland state university recognizes four different types of examinations for credit.
(1) Advanced placement program ("APP"). This is the oldest credit by examination program. It is offered under the auspices of the college entrance examination board to high school students who have completed an official advanced placement course. Arrangements for testing are made through the high school in which the student is enrolled. CSU grants freshman year credit, (four to twelve term credits), for each examination score of three, four, or five. Credit is available in art, biology, chemistry, computer science, economics, English, foreign languages, history, mathematics, music, physics, political science, and psychology. A transfer student who received APP credit at another institution should have the official score report mailed directly to the CSU admission office.
(2) Departmental examinations. Some departments at the university have developed end-of-course examinations for certain courses or learning sequences in the curriculum. The administration and grading of these examinations, as well as the level of achievement required for credit, are in the hands of the department chairperson. Questions about course examinations for credit should be directed to the appropriate department office.
(3) College level examination program-general examinations ("CLEP-general exams"). This is a series of five comprehensive examinations developed under the auspices of the college entrance examination board. CLEP-general exams are administered at the CSU counseling and testing center as well as at other testing centers across the country and by the defense activity for non-traditional education support. For a score of five hundred or above, credit is granted as follows: Humanities, twelve term hours; mathematics, four term hours; natural sciences, twelve term hours; social science - history, twelve term hours. For a score of five hundred and a satisfactory essay, four term hours are granted in English. Registration forms for the CLEP-general examinations are available at the CSU counseling and testing center, rhodes tower, room 1235. A transfer student who received credit for the CLEP-general exams at another institution should have the official score report sent to the CSU admission office along with his or her college transcript.
(4) College level examination program-subject examinations. These are essentially end-of-course-examinations for thirty-five widely taught undergraduate courses. The examinations are administered at the CSU counseling and testing center as well as at testing centers across the country and by the defense activity for non-traditional education support. Examinations are available for courses taught in the departments of accounting, biology, business law, chemistry, computer and information science, economics, English, foreign languages, history, management, marketing, mathematics, political science, psychology, and sociology. Either four or eight term hours of credit, depending upon whether the course covers one or two terms of work is available for each examination. With the exception of the mathematics examinations all CLEP-subject examinations are composed of an objective and an essay section. An objective examination score of fifty-two and, for most courses, the essay section approved by the department concerned is necessary for credit to be granted. Registration forms for the CLEP-subject examination and additional information about the examinations are available from the CSU counseling and testing center, rhodes tower, room 1235. A transfer student who received credit for CLEP-subject examinations at another institution should have the official score report and essay sent to the CSU admission office along with his or her college transcript.
(B) The following regulations apply to the credit by examination program:
(1) Credit is available only to matriculated degree seeking students.
(2) Credit granted for successful completion of an examination shall be entered on the student's permanent record as hours earned. A grade is not assigned.
(3) If a student does not receive a score high enough for credit, no entry is made on the student's permanent record.
(4) Credit shall not be granted for areas of study or for particular courses in which a student has already earned or been granted CSU credit.
(5) Credit shall not be granted for a course if the student has previously earned or been granted credit for a more advanced course in a learning sequence.
(6) Generally, CSU does not approve for credit the score made when an examination has been repeated.
(7) CLEP credit may not be part of a student's final fourty-five term hours.
(8) The maximum amount of credit for each type of examination is listed below:
(a) Advanced placement program no limit
(b) Departmental examinations fourty-five term hours
(c) CLEP-general examinations fourty-four term hours
(d) CLEP-subject examinations fourty-four term hours
(9) All students are urged to discuss their plans with their academic advisors before taking any examinations for credit.
(C) For graduate students, not more than one-half the credits required for the degree may be earned by a combination of examination and transfer.
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