Testing

If you have acquired substantial knowledge in a specific subject area, you may consider an exam as a substitute for completing the usual classroom requirements of a course.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Administered by the College Board, CLEP provides college credit for examinations that test college-level knowledge in specific disciplines. Work with your adviser to see if a CLEP exam fulfills a degree requirement. CLEP centers are conveniently located on or near several Penn State campuses across the state.

DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST)

DSST exams may provide additional coursework credits for your program of study, depending on your major. Work with your adviser to review the possibilities.

Credit by Exam with Penn State

Some academic departments and programs have made these exams available. Contact your adviser to start the process. The links below explain other rules about grading, not taking an exam if you've already taken the course, and completing forms. A $30/per credit fee is charged, regardless of final grade. The examples below are not the only exams available but have links for you to reference.

Courses/Tests with ACE Credit Recommendations

  • Policies
  • Procedures
  • If you have comepleted a course and/or exam that says you can earn college credits, you may send your transcript to Admissions if the course/exam has credit recommendations from the American Council on Education. Have your transcript sent to Admissions, and send your syllabus to crediteval@psu.edu.

You can find additional information here at ACE.

You can check the National Guide to see if your course/exam has credit recommendations.

You may check the Transfer Credit tool using American Council on Education as your institution to see if the course/exam has already been evaluated for credit. If so, have your transcript sent to Admissions, and those credits will be added to your record. Remember--your major will decide if/how the credits will be used.