Advanced Placement, Credit-By-Exam, and Test-Out Opportunities

UW-Stevens Point offers numerous opportunities for earning college credit outside of traditional college classroom instruction.  These opportunities may allow you to graduate sooner than normal or take advantage of additional coursework outside of your major.  If you are a self-learner, have substantial preparation in certain subject matter, or have appropriate life experiences, you are encouraged to pursue one or more of the following opportunities.

Please note: You may count a maximum of 32 credits earned under Advanced Placement (AP), credit-by-exam, and test-out toward the 120 credits required for graduation.  These credits are recorded on your academic record and apply toward graduation.  They are not assigned grades, are not calculated in your grade point average, and are not included in your semester courseload. 

Incoming New First-Year and Transfer Students: If you have taken AP, IB, or CLEP exams, you will need to have your official score report sent to the UW-Stevens Point Admissions Office to review for possible credit.   Please review the test categories to determine how to send your scores to UW-Stevens Point. 

Advanced Placement (AP)

UW-Stevens Point grants credit and advanced placement for scores of 3, 4 and 5 on all AP exams. If you are awarded credit, it will be entered on your permanent record after you enroll at UWSP. Contact your high school or our Admissions Office, Room 102, Student Services Center, 715-346-2441, admiss@uwsp.edu, for additional details.

Click here to view the UW-Stevens Point Advanced Placement Examination Policy
 

Sending Your AP Scores to UW-Stevens Point

For students who indicate UW-Stevens Point as a receiving institution when they take the AP examinations in May, we receive the scores in early July.

If you did not request that your scores be sent to us at the time you took the exam, there are three ways to get them to us:

  1. You can bring your official copy of the score report to the Admissions Office (Room 102 Student Services Center). We will make a copy of your score report to keep for our records.
     
  2. You can request a copy of your scores from your high school.  Please ask them to put the school seal on the copy and mail to:
    Admissions Office
    Room 102 Student Services Center
    UW-Stevens Point
    Stevens Point, WI 54481

  3. You can contact AP and have your scores sent to us.  Information on how to do this can be found on the AP website.  The UW-Stevens Point school code is 1919.

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

CLEP, offered by the College Board, offers general examinations covering broad areas such as humanities, natural science and social science, as well as subject areas such as accounting, biology, American history, and psychology. UWSP grants credit for acceptable scores (determined by each department) on many of the CLEP examinations. Credit will be entered on your permanent record after you enroll at UWSP. UWSP offers CLEP testing through the Testing Services Office. We are an open test center, which means that anyone, not just UWSP students, may register to take CLEP exams. For information on exam fees and to make an appointment to take an exam, please contact: Testing Services, Delzell Hall Third Floor, UWSP, Stevens Point, WI 54481, 715-346-4472.

Click here to view the UW-Stevens Point CLEP Examination Policy 

Sending Your CLEP Scores to UW-Stevens Point 

If you indicate UW-Stevens Point as a score recipient at the time you took your CLEP exam, your score report will automatically be sent to us.  If you do not indicate UWSP as a score recipient, you will need to request a CLEP transcript.  Instructions for obtaining CLEP transcripts may be found on the CLEP web site. 

International Baccalaureate (IB)

UWSP awards college credit for scores of 4, 5, 6 or 7 on various higher level (HL) and standard level (SL) International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations. A student must be enrolled in an authorized school to be eligible to sit for IB examinations. Additional credit will be awarded to students who complete the full diploma programme.

Click here to view the UW-Stevens Point International Baccalaureate Policy 

Sending Your IB Transcript to UW-Stevens Point 

If you indicate UW-Stevens Point as a receiving institution at the time you take your IB examinations, we will automatically receive your IB transcript (usually in August).  If you do not indicate UW-Stevens Point as a transcript recipient, you may request your transcript by following the instructions on the IB web site.  

Other Credit Earning Alternatives

Prior Learning Assessment

If you have had experiences equivalent to college level learning which relate to coursework at UW-Stevens Point, you may receive college credit for these experiences. For example, you may be eligible to gain academic credit for prior learning from your past employment, volunteer work, publications, or your participation in seminars, workshops, job-related training programs, or military training programs. For further information, see the Prior Learning Assessment page in our catalog or contact the Academic and Career Advising Center, Room 320, Albertson Hall, 715-346-3226.

Advanced Standing and Retroactive Credit

Some departments administer placement tests when you first enroll. If the test results indicate that you should start at a higher level than the entering freshman course, you may have the opportunity to earn retroactive credit for the course. In foreign language, for example, you can earn up to 16 retroactive credits if you place into 313 and earn a grade of B- or better. Check the departmental listings in our catalog or contact the appropriate department chair for additional information.
 

Test-Out

You may test out of a number of general education (GEP) courses. When you pass a departmentally approved test in a GEP course, the requirement to enroll in the course is waived. You don't earn credit when you test out, but the course applies toward fulfillment of that GEP.  For example, if you test out of Communication 101, you satisfy the Communication 101 GEP without enrolling in the course.  See "Test-Out and Credit-by-Exam Policy" under the General Education Program section of our catalog or contact individual departments for more information about their test-out opportunities.