| Approved by the: | University Senate - February 20, 1997 Administration - June 16, 1997 Board of Regents - no action required |
| Interpretation approved by the: Presented for information to the: |
Educational Policy Committee - Fall 2002 University Senate - October 31, 2002 |
The University of Minnesota offers "proficiency examinations" and "special examinations for credit" to currently registered undergraduate degree-seeking students which are given at the discretion of the appropriate academic department. In addition, the University, with the concurrence of the appropriate academic department, also recognizes and awards credits based on examinations which are taken as a part of the Advanced Placement program, the International Baccalaureate Program, and CLEP program. Once special exam credit has been awarded, the credits will remain on the student's transcript unless the credit was awarded in error.
1. Proficiency Examinations shall be administered by the appropriate academic department, require no fee, and yield no credit or grade but may fulfill prerequisites for advanced courses or satisfy requirements. Proficiency examinations may be taken at any time, and if the student's work is of passing quality, a notation shall be made on his/her transcript saying "Course X satisfied by proficiency examination." A student may not first take a University of Minnesota course and earn a grade, subsequently take a proficiency exam for that course content, and then request that the original course grade be bracketed from the transcript.
2. Examinations for Credit shall be without fee if taken during the student's first term in residence or the first term after an absence of a year or more, otherwise a fee will be charged. Credits earned by examination shall not count as residence credits. A student may not first take a University of Minnesota course and earn a grade, subsequently take an examination for credit for that course content, and then request that the original course grade be bracketed from the transcript.
A student must do "C-" quality work on an "examination for credit" to earn credit, and a notation shall be placed on the transcript showing the course and credits earned. Effective fall 1999, examinations for credit earn the letter "T." These credits will be included in the cumulative credits (but not term credits) but the "T" grade will not be reflected in either the term or cumulative grade point average. If the student fails to do "C-" quality work on the examination, no notation shall be made on the transcript.
The "examination" administered by a department may be a typical final examination, an oral test, written papers or projects, or any other combination of work which will satisfy the examiners that the student has adequately achieved the values of the course.
Minimum standards for awarding credits by examination shall be determined by the academic department giving the examination. Minimum standards for awarding credits on nationally-administered examinations shall be established by the appropriate academic department. The national examinations shall be reviewed every five years to determine whether the minimum standards remain appropriate.
No department shall be required to give examinations for credit or to offer credits for nationally-recognized tests.
Credits may be awarded for a particular course if the academic department reviewing the national examination determines that the material in the test is substantially similar to that of an existing course; if the material is judged to be of college level but not substantially similar to an existing course, general departmental credits are assigned.
3. Procedures for handling examinations shall be established by the Office of the Registrar.