Students may earn credit for prior learning through successful completion of nationally recognized standardized examinations, such as Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Examination Protocol (CLEP), and DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST). For courses where there is no nationally recognized assessment available, students may request to complete a locally developed Challenge Exam prepared and administered by faculty. Below is our Credit by Examination Quick Guide, followed by detailed instructions for each type of credit by examination opportunity.
CREDIT BY EXAMINATION QUICK GUIDE
|
Examination & Link to Credit Crosswalk |
Cost to Student |
Score Eligibility |
|
No WMCC Fee |
3 or Higher |
|
|
No WMCC Fee |
Varies |
|
|
No WMCC Fee |
Varies |
Advanced Placement (AP)
Students may be awarded credit for prior learning demonstrated through a score of 3 or higher on Advanced Placement (AP) exams that are considered part of a student’s degree program. Students should carefully review our WMCC AP Exams Crosswalk, which provides a comprehensive list of AP Exams and the White Mountains Community College courses with which they align. Students who wish to obtain credit for AP exam scores must submit the CPL Request Form to the Admissions Office and request official AP score reports from the College Board to be sent directly to the White Mountains Community College Admissions Office. The official score reports should be ordered during the summer prior to enrollment. More information about how to order an official score report can be found online at https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/sending-scores, by phone at (609) 771-7300, and by mail at College Board, Advanced Placement Examinations, CN6671, Princeton, NJ 08541-6671.
College Level Examination Protocol (CLEP)
Students may earn credits toward a degree by passing College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams in a wide variety of subjects, including English, math, biology, chemistry, psychology, sociology, macroeconomics, accounting, marketing, business law, and other areas. If interested in registering for a CLEP exam, students can view all exam topics, exam content descriptions, and free study resources for each exam at College Board’s CLEP exam website: https://clep.collegeboard.org/clep-exams. At the time of the publication of this guide, each exam costs $89.00, and when registering for an exam through the website provided above, students can also elect to purchase study guides with practice exams at an additional cost of $10.00 to $24.99.
Prior to registering for a CLEP exam, students should carefully review the WMCC CLEP Exams Crosswalk to determine the course credit that may be granted for scores of 50 or higher. Credit granted for CLEP exams does not count toward GPA, and no credit will be granted until WMCC receives a completed CPL Request Form and an official score report sent directly to the White Mountains Community College Admissions Office from the College Board. More information about how to send score reports can be found on College Board’s Send Scores and Transcripts website https://clep.collegeboard.org/scores/send-scores-transcripts.
To ensure timely credit, students should take the exam at least one semester prior to needing the course to advance in any degree path and send the score report to WMCC as soon as it is available. If a student elects to take a CLEP exam for a course already registered for at WMCC, the course must be dropped during the add/drop period of the semester or term for the student to receive a full refund of course tuition and fees.
Active-duty members of the military and some military spouses are eligible for free CLEP exams, paid for through the Defense Activity for Non-traditional Education Support (DANTES) program. To view eligibility requirements, visit https://bit.ly/3uwpE4s. Additional information, including how to access free CLEP exam preparation online courses, materials, and free score reports, can be found at the DANTES website https://bit.ly/3OMB9Nk.
DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST)
Students may earn credits toward a degree by passing DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) exams. DANTES, short for Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support, originally provided these subject-area exams to military personnel only. At the time of the publication of this guide, these exams are available to anyone in the general public for a fee of $100.00 per test.
DSST exams cover a broad range of subject areas, and each exam can be taken in paper-based or digital format at an authorized testing center. You also have the option to take most DSST exams online via a Remote Proctor. To register for an exam at a nearby testing center, visit https://getcollegecredit.com/search/. To register for an online exam, visit https://www.prometric.com/test-takers/search/dantes. Students who wish to take an online DSST exam at White Mountains Community College should contact the Student Success Center to coordinate the date and time and should register through the Prometric website listed above.
Prior to registering for a DSST exam, students should carefully review the WMCC DSST Exams Crosswalk to determine the course credit that may be granted for acceptable scores. To view a list of all DSST exams available, their exam content outlines, and sample questions and answers, visit the DSST website https://bit.ly/3yOo6FB.
Active-duty members of the military and some military spouses are eligible for free DSST exams, paid for through the DANTES program. For additional information, including eligibility requirements and how to access free online preparation courses, materials, and free score reports, can be found at the DANTES website https://bit.ly/3OMB9Nk.
Credit granted for DSST exams does not count toward GPA, and no credit will be granted until WMCC receives a completed CPL Request Form and an official score report sent directly to the White Mountains Community College Admissions Office. More information about how to send score reports can be found online at https://bit.ly/3am4qPX.
Challenge Exam
Students who wish to earn credit for prior learning in a course for which there is no other available credit by examination may have the opportunity to complete a Challenge Exam created and administered by WMCC faculty. The availability of a Challenge Exam varies across programs and courses, and students who are interested should complete the CPL Request Form and submit it to the Admissions Office. If an exam is available, a fee of $25.00 per credit hour will be assessed prior to the scheduling of the exam. Any additional direct costs for a laboratory exam will also be incurred by the student. Students earning a grade of C or better on the exam will receive the corresponding credits for the course they challenged. Only students currently enrolled in a certificate or degree program may request a Challenge Exam, and students may not request an exam for a course in which they were previously or are currently enrolled.