What Classes Can You Test Out of, and How Can You Do it?
Posted: August 27, 2021 | Author: Kierstin Pitcher-Holloway | Read Time: 2 minutes
Are you excited to start earning your degree, but overwhelmed by all the general education courses that you have to pass before you get there? Or maybe you’re annoyed at the prospect of taking a class that covers material you’re already familiar with? If either of these scenarios sounds familiar, then you might consider testing out of a class or two.
How to Test Out of College Classes
At Southern Utah University the Office of Academic Success strives to meet students where they are as learners, and offers specialized testing among a number of additional services.
Specialized Testing Services provides test proctoring for non-course exams including specialized exams, CLEP exams, non-university agencies for licenses and certifications, national tests, Accuplacer Next Generation English, Accuplacer English Remote placement exams, and English 1010E Test-Out Exam.
CLEP Testing
Perhaps one of the most popular ways for testing out of a course is by taking a CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) exam. CLEP is a College Board testing program that is designed to give students course credit based on test performance. Each CLEP exam costs $89 in addition to SUU’s $25 testing fee for a total cost of $114 per test. SUU accepts a maximum of 30 credit hours of general education courses from CLEP testing. SUU CLEP Policies detail which tests are accepted and what general education requirement is satisfied by the test.
Testing Services Coordinator, Jennifer Leard strongly recommends CLEP testing. She also believes that students who took college courses while in high school are prime candidates for CLEP testing. “A lot of students will take the AP classes without passing the exam,” said Leard. “There is a good possibility that these students will pass the CLEP exam.”
While CLEP testing is much cheaper than your average course, you still don’t want your testing fee to go to waste. So it’s a good idea to make sure you’re adequately prepared for the test. Students can prepare for the test by finding online CLEP Practice Tests and Study Guides to use before the actual exam.
Testing by Major
There are also a number of ways for students to test out of language classes and certain departments provide specialized testing internally. That said, for certain majors undergraduate students may want to avoid testing out of a general education course, in order to increase their chances of getting into a specific graduate program.
“Talk to your student success advisors to make sure testing out is a good option for you,” said Leard. “Students can also speak to professors and department heads to find out if their department offers any internal testing or what tests they would recommend.”
For more information on testing out of college classes, email specialized testing at specialtest@suu.edu or call at (435) 865-8113.
Tags: College Prep Testing Center
