Credit By Exam

AP Seminar--course to be determined after review by Dean and Chair 

Note: Parkland College does not give academic credit for AP scores below 3.

Effective as of September 1, 2020

 House Bill 4330 requires that public universities in the State of Illinois accept the State Seal of Bi-literacy as equivalent to two years of foreign language coursework taken in high school and establish criteria for awarding equivalent course credit. 

In accordance with HB 4330, students are required to be enrolled at the public university or community college and be the ones to initiate the request for foreign language course credit. Credit is not processed automatically upon receipt of a high school transcript. The student must submit his or her request within 3 academic years of graduating from high school by bringing the actual document bearing the State Seal of Bi-literacy (whether the diploma or the transcript) to Admissions and Records (U214).

Through CLEP, a person can demonstrate knowledge that merits academic credit. On-the-job experience, military training, personal reading, correspondence courses, or telecourses are some of the sources that can prepare an individual to earn college credit. 

Each educational institution determines its own policy regarding which CLEP tests it accepts, the minimum scores required to earn credit, and the amount of credit awarded. Individuals interested in participating in CLEP should find out about the acceptability of credits earned through CLEP at a particular college or university before taking a CLEP test. 

Parkland College accepts  CLEP scores of 50 or higher in the following exams for proficiency credit in selected courses:

CLEP Exam                                                                                    Course Credit

Introductory Psychology............................................................PSY 101

Introductory Sociology...............................................................SOC 101

Principles of Macroeconomics...................................................ECO 101

Principles of Microeconomics....................................................ECO 102

Western Civilization I...................................................................HIS 101

Western Civilization II..................................................................HIS 102

History of the U.S. I.......................................................................HIS 104

History of the U.S. II......................................................................HIS 105

College Composition Modular plus a written exam 

evaluated as satisfactory by Parkland College faulty.................ENG 101

Please see  Professional Testing for further information.

To apply, the student submits the Petition for Credit by Examination form to the appropriate department chair. A separate petition must be filed for each course for which the student seeks to earn credit by proficiency. The department decides whether a proficiency test is appropriate for any particular subject area, discipline, or course. Proficiency credit is counted toward graduation and is recorded on transcripts as P. The maximum amount of proficiency credit allowed toward a degree or certificate is 25 percent. The credit is not included in the calculation of the grade point average and may not be used to establish full-time eligible status. The department chair recommends that a student is eligible for proficiency credit testing; the division dean approves the granting of credit upon the student’s successful completion of the examination. Proficiency examinations are administered at times set by the department. For more information about credit by proficiency test, contact the appropriate division dean or department chair.