Credit by examination is subject to the following:
- Credit by examination may not duplicate credit earned at Shawnee Community College or received in transfer.
- Credit by examination may not be given for a lower level course by students who have received credit in the subject area beyond the course in which the examination is requested.
- A student currently enrolled in a course but desiring to earn credit by examination must apply for and complete the examination by the end of the fourth week of classes.
- A student cannot receive credit by examination and subsequently enroll in the course and earn a grade.
- A proficiency examination may not be attempted more than twice in a given course.
- Course credit earned by examination will be recorded as “Proficiency Credit” or “CLEP Credit.” No transcript record is entered unless the examination is completed successfully. No grade is recorded, nor can a prior grade be changed or removed by credit by examination. Credit earned by examination is not included in the computation of a student’s grade point average (GPA).
- A maximum of 30 credit hours toward an associate degree or one-half of the credit hours for a certificate may be credited.
- A person seeking credit by examination must have previously completed courses in which credits have been earned at Shawnee Community College.
Proficiency Credit
A student who has acquired knowledge and competency applicable to an educational goal through informal means may earn credit and/or exemption from certain course requirements through proficiency examination. A student seeking to take a proficiency examination must first see an on campus adviser to obtain an Application for Proficiency Examination. The student should then pay the $20 Proficiency Examination Fee at the Bursar’s Office. The Division Chair responsible for the course should then be contacted by the student.
Proficiency examinations are offered at the discretion of the Division Chair responsible for the course subject to the approval of the Vice President for Instructional Services based on the degree to which competency or ability in a given area can be adequately evaluated by a proficiency exam. The Division Chair will assign a full time faculty member to administer and score the exam. Credit received from Proficiency Examination will appear on the student’s transcript.
Advanced Placement
Shawnee Community College accepts credit from Advanced Placement Examinations based on the American Council on Education guidelines. This program allows high school students to earn college credit by successfully completing the Advanced Placement Examination. Students seeking Advanced Placement credit must request that an original score report be sent to the Registrar.
Credit received from Advanced Placement Examinations will not count in the current semester hours and therefore does not calculate in part-time/full-time status and/or toward financial aid. Credit granted for Advanced Placement will appear on the student’s transcript.
Partnerships for College and Career Success
The Shawnee Community College Partnership for College and Career Success is a cooperative agreement with the Five County Regional Vocational System and the 12 area public high schools. This partnership enables high school students to begin earning college credit while simultaneously earning high school credit while staying in their own high school environment. Students take high school career/technical classes in an approved program area and earn dual credit. The student will be fulfilling high school requirements as well as earning college credit towards a degree or certificate at the same time.
Certified Nurse Assistant Proficiency Examination (Illinois Department of Public Health)
The college serves as an official testing center for the Illinois Department of Public Health for administration of the Certified Nurse Assistant Proficiency Examination. Individuals interested in taking this examination should contact the Illinois Department of Public Health in Springfield.