Credit by Examination

Credit may be earned through the following examination procedures. Total credit from proficiency examinations and the College Level Examination Program may not exceed 18 credit hours. There is no limit for Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or GCE A-level or AS-level credit.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

For these examinations, which are administered by the College Entrance Examination Board, Illinois Institute of Technology will award credit under the following conditions:

  • The CLEP examination and the score achieved meet the standards of the university department that offers courses in the area of the examination
  • The CLEP examination is not allowed for courses in which the student has previously enrolled and must be completed before a student’s final 45 credit hours of enrollment at the university
  • Students must observe all rules of the College Level Examination Program regarding the taking of CLEP examinations

Note: Previous acceptance of the examination by another institution does not imply acceptance by Illinois Institute of Technology.

Proficiency Examinations

Any student who believes that, through self-study or outside experience, they have gained the substantive equivalent of the content of a specific course, may ask for an examination. With the approval of the chair of the department offering the course and the Office of Academic Affairs, a proficiency examination will be administered. This is a graded exam and the letter grade will be entered on the permanent record. Proficiency examinations are not allowed for courses in which the student has previously enrolled and must be completed before a student’s final 45 credit hours of enrollment at the university. Students can appeal due to extenuating circumstances or university-sponsored initiatives. The Credit by Examination Form may be obtained in the Office of the Registrar and a per-credit-hour fee is charged for each examination. The fee must be paid before the exam is given.

Third Party Credit-by-Exam or Online College Credit

Illinois Tech students may be eligible to receive transfer credit from third party credit-by-exam services such as the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), Outlier.org, Straighterline, Study.com and Sophia.org. Students are required to receive approval by both Academic Affairs and the department or academic unit offering the course. Contact Academic Affairs for more information.