Proficiency Examination

A student who evidences prior proficiency for selected courses due to previous work or educational experience may apply for credit by examination provided the student is currently enrolled in the college or has completed all admission requirements. The student desiring to attempt such an examination must initiate a request with the appropriate department chair or dean. The department chair or dean will process each request according to the following conditions:

1. The course must be listed in the course description section of the current college catalog and have been approved for credit by examination by the Administration.
2. All requests for credit by examination must be approved by the Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer.
3. No student may sit for credit by examination unless the student can provide, in writing, valid reason(s) for being examined.
4. No student may attempt more than ten percent (10%) of the required credit hours per curriculum by means of credit by examination.
5. Since all courses do not lend themselves to credit by examination, the department chair or dean in the curriculum will present a list of courses suitable for credit by examination to the Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer. These lists will be updated with the revision of each general catalog. Interim additions or deletions will be announced through addenda to the current catalog.
6. The examinations are to be totally comprehensive standardized tests approved by the curriculum advisory committee and on file with the Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer. Since the examination will be comprehensive, the student should be aware that some examinations may require several hours to complete and should prepare accordingly. If standardized tests are unavailable for courses approved for credit by examination, completely local objective tests will be prepared by the local instructor(s) and approved by the curriculum committee.
7. When a curriculum requires a practical application of skills, a demonstration of such skills as part of the examination will be included.
8. Students who fail a credit by examination will not be reexamined on that course for credit.
9. Students who have failed or withdrawn from a course with a failing grade will not be permitted to take credit by examination. At the end of each semester, the instructor will indicate on the appropriate grade report whether a student withdrawal was passing or failing.
10. All credit by examinations must be given at the main campus of Bladen Community College by the Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer or the appointed representative.
11. Any student who wishes to obtain credit by examination must pay a test fee equal to the tuition fee for the course for which credit is sought.
12. Students who want to take credit by examination must request and complete their proficiency exam by the ten percent point of the semester in which the examination is to be given.
13. Credits earned by examination are considered in the same way as transfer credits and will not be used in the computation of grade point averages.
14. Grades given for credit by examination should be either a “CR” for satisfactory or a “U” for unsatisfactory. A minimum grade of 70% will be required for passing any test taken for credit by examination.