Academic Credit by Examination
The Advanced Placement (AP) Program is available through many high schools and enables a high school student to earn credit toward college in a variety of subjects. Usually these courses are equivalent to college freshmen/sophomore-level courses such as American Government, American History, Composition, and so forth. College credit will be awarded based on standardized exams administered at the high schools in mid to late May.
High school students who earn AP exam scores of 3 or higher (on a scale of 1-5) on most exams and who submit official score reports to West Georgia's Admissions Office will automatically receive credit for coursework. Scores of 4 or higher are required to receive credit for history exams.
The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) is offered at West Georgia by appointment and allows persons to earn college credit by achieving appropriate cutoff scores on nationally standardized exams. Exams available cover a range of courses including math, history, government, literature, and sciences. Test registration information is available through the Testing Office (678-839-6435).
As with AP testing, CLEP is a great way to earn college credit. Not only will a person save time by not having to take a course containing material he or she already knows, but the student will also save money by not having to pay for a college class. Thus, CLEP enables a student to move through his or her freshman and sophomore years at a faster pace.
Departmental Exams. A few of the academic departments at West Georgia also offer the opportunity for credit by examination. The English Department, for example, allows persons who feel confident about their writing skills to write an essay evaluated by a departmental committee. If a passing credential is earned, the person will be allowed to exempt English 1101 and/or 1102, depending on the score. The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures also allows students to exempt certain introductory foreign language courses. To receive credit by examination, the student must pay a fee of $6/credit hour fee.
Test dates vary, so interested persons should contact the departments (English 678-839-6512; Foreign Language 678-839-6515) for details.
