Credit by Examination

The basic purpose of Credit by Examination is to allow unit credit, for prior or advanced knowledge of class material. Credit by Examination is also considered “challenging a course.” Students may request a chal-lenge of subject matter in which they are especially qualified through previous training or experience. Examinations will be sufficiently comprehensive to determine if the student has essentially the same knowledge and skills as a student who successfully completes the course.

Credit by Examination is available under the regulations listed below:

1. Students must be currently enrolled at Cypress College in a course other than the course being challenged.
    
2. Students must contact the division office to obtain the courses that can be challenged.
    
3. Credit by Examination may be taken only for a course listed in the catalog of the community college the challenge course is offered.
    
4. Students should read the course description in the catalog to gain understanding of the class content.
    
5. Students can receive credit for a maximum of 15-semester units.
    
6. A previous enrollment or audit for a course, a grade (including a W) prevents a challenge.
    
7. Prior credit or advanced placement cannot have been previously received.
    
8. Credit by Examination is not intended to replace make-up examinations for college courses not completed or courses taken in high school.
    
9. Less advanced courses cannot be challenged if they are considered lower in degree than those already taken.
    
10. Students may challenge a course only once.
     
11. Credit by Examination will not be posted to the transcript until all fees or holds have been resolved.
     
12. Credit by Examination is graded on a Pass/No Pass basis. If students choose to have passing results recorded on their permanent record, the Pass (P) grade and the unit value will appear with a notation indicating the credit was obtained by Credit by Examination.
    Note: A Pass/No Pass option should be discussed with a counselor if a student is planning to transfer to a four-year institution. Many transfer institutions do not accept Credit (CR) or Pass (P) grades for major, minor and general education requirements.
     
13. Some of the courses challenged may be taken for a letter grade and will be posted to the student’s permanent record with a notation that the credit was obtained by Credit by Examination; however, it will not count towards the twelve residency units required by Cypress College to earn an associate degree.

To initiate a petition for Credit by Examination, students must confer with the instructor and Division Dean no later than the eighth week of the semester. Criteria for petition approval will be determined by the division. General guidelines will include evidence of previous learning experience and evidence to indicate probable success in the examination.

If it is determined that a student’s prospects for examination success are satisfactory, the student must obtain the signatures of the instructor and dean on the Credit by Examination petition. The student must submit the completed petition to the division dean no later than the end of the eighth week of the semester. The time and place of the examination, its content, and the arrangement for its administration are determined by the division. The examination must be given before the end of the semester and students must contact the division for the examination results.

The following courses may be challenged by examination: