CPL: Section 7-Credit Earned from other Exams

Credit Earned from other Exams

General Information

Northern Virginia Community College grants college credit for faculty approved national exams listed in this section. Through a comprehensive review process NOVA’s faculty, evaluates the instructional content of the standardized examinations to make clear recommendations about specific NOVA courses to which the underlying passing exam is equivalent. The following additional exams are eligible for college credit. If you do not see an exam listed here or in other sections of the CPL Manual, please consult the Credit for Prior Learning Unit at pla@nvcc.edu to discuss other CPL methods. 

Abitur Example

Abitur exams are college preparatory instruments designed to measure a student’s command of introductory level college material. NOVA currently recognizes the following Abitur Exams and will reward credit for the scores designated in the chart below.

Certified Manager (CM) Program Exam

The Certified Manager (CM) Program is sponsored by the Institute of Certified Professional Managers and founded by the National Management Association. The Institute is a business center of the College of Business at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Credit for prior learning is available effective Spring 2006, for students who take the exam and meet the following conditions reflected in the chart.

DANTES Subject Standardized Tests & Exams (DSST)

Administered by Prometric, DSST Exams (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests) were created under the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support program to provide college credit to military service members.  In 2006, these exams were made available to military and civilian examinees. NOVA awards specific course credit to students who pass DSST exams with a minimum score of 400, as recommended by the American Council on Education. The attached table overviews the DSST Exams NOVA recognizes, the minimum score requirement and the NOVA equivalent and credits earned for the appropriate score.  A complete listing of current and prior tests can be found at http://getcollegecredit.com.  Requests for credit for DSST Exams not shown here should be made to Credit for Prior Learning Committee. 

Excelsior College and UExcel Examinations

NOVA recognizes the Excelsior College and UExcel Examinations, formerly known as ACT Proficiency Exam Program (PEP). Credit is granted in accordance with the recommendations of the American Council on Education National Guide at http://www2.acenet.edu/credit

Certification of Computing Professionals: ACP & CCP Exams

NOVA provides credit for students who provide an ACE transcript showing that they have successfully completed the Associate Computing Professional (ACP) Exam or the Certified Computing Professional (CCP) Exam within the past 10 years.  If both exams have been passed, no more than 9 credits of IT Electives can be awarded overall.

New York University (NYU) Foreign Language Proficiency Exams

NOVA awards credit for students who have completed NYU’s Foreign Language Proficiency Exams. This option is intended for students who were educated in a language other than English and they wish to earn college credit for their native language. NOVA will accept the 12-Point exam for World Language 201 and 202. Scoring for this test can take up to eight weeks and the scores are valid for five years. Students must take the exam at a designated location in the United States if not taking it at NYU. Credit is awarded based on ACTFL ratings. Students take a 12-point exam that tests listening, reading, and writing skills. Students are given two hours to complete the entire 12-point exam.

• A score of at least 7 -9 points (Intermediate-Mid) for a 201 level course.
• A score of 10 -12 points (Intermediate-High) may receive credits for levels 201 and 202
  • If credit is earned for a 201 and/or a 202 level in a language, 101 and 102 level courses will be waived. The student should enroll into General Education courses to meet the minimum credit requirement for the degree. 
• A successful score on any language exam for a language course not taught at NOVA will receive up to six Humanities elective credits based on the score. 
  • HUM elective credits may be substituted for language credit requirements in the A.A. Liberal Arts degrees. 
• The chart below has examples of college credit awards. More information on exam offerings can be found at NYU’s website.

Assessment by Local Exam (ABLE)

Using exams prepared by NOVA faculty, Assessment by Local Exam (ABLE) allows students to receive credit for courses by demonstrating they have acquired the competencies through prior education or other experiences. In most cases, students must contact the department offering the exam to determine if they are qualified to take the exam; they may have to meet certain background requirements in order to qualify.

There is no charge for ABLE exams or for having credit recorded on the student’s permanent record. Credits earned through ABLE exams do not count towards the College residency requirement and may or may not transfer to other institutions of higher education. The ABLE exams and instructions are listed below.   

Student Development (SDV) ABLE Exam Instructions

NOVA’s Testing Centers are offering the SDV ABLE exam to students remotely. The student should send a message to their nearest campus testing center email address and provide the highlighted information:  

Full Name:

NOVA Student ID Number: 

Expected graduation date:  

Do you require accommodations?  

*If yes, please include a copy of your current Memorandum of Accommodation (MOA).  

Eligibility 

Students who enter NOVA with advanced study skills and knowledge of college processes may be able to take the SDV ABLE exam. The exam is available through any campus testing center or NOVA Online. First time to college students, below the age of 24, are ineligible to take the exam in their first year. If student’s program requires SDV 101, please check with the department to determine if the SDV ABLE exam will fulfill the requirement. Students who have earned a grade in SDV are ineligible to take the exam. This exam can only be taken once. Students will receive an email confirming their eligibility with the instructions and password to access the test in Canvas.

NOTE: If the student takes the ABLE exam while enrolled in the SDV course and wishes to use the exam results to fulfill the course requirement, it is the student’s responsibility to drop the course before the Census Date for a full tuition refund, or no later than the last day to withdraw without grade penalty.

About the Exam

The exam is free. There are 50 questions that reflect the course content of SDV 100. The exam may be taken only one time. Students will receive a score at the end of their exam. Credit will be applied, if appropriate, to the student’s permanent record.

NOTE: If the student pass and wish to use the exam results to fulfill a current enrolled course requirement it is the student’s responsibility to drop the course before the Census Date for a full tuition refund, or no later than the last day to withdraw without grade penalty. Furthermore, students are encouraged to review the Academic Calendar and consult an faculty advisor or counselor before deciding to drop a course.

Please keep in mind this assessment adheres to the rules and principles outlined in our NVCC Student Handbook: Academic Integrity. NOVA expects students to complete the work on their own, and that they will not utilize any resources outside of the test itself. Following these guidelines will provide the best results to reflect student’s actual abilities in college level coursework. 

         Health (HLT) 141-Introduction to Medical Terminology ABLE Exam Instructions

The HLT 141 ABLE exam is now available to students remotely. Students can request the exam by emailing the Medical Education Campus (MEC) testing center and provide the following  information:

Full Name:

NOVA Student ID Number: 

Expected graduation date and degree plan:

Do you require accommodations?  

*If yes, please include a copy of your current Memorandum of Accommodation (MOA)

Eligibility 

Students who enter NOVA with pre-existing knowledge or experiences with medical terminology may be eligible to take the HLT 141 ABLE exam. The exam is available only through NOVA’s MEC campus testing center. For most MEC Campus programs, the exam is administered based on your eligibility, except for the Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) program, which requires permission from the program director in addition to meeting the eligibility requirement.

Eligibility is determined by MEC Testing Staff once the student sends an email requesting the exam. Before sitting for the exam, students will fill out a credit by ABLE examination form. Students are advised to check with the department to determine if the HLT 141 ABLE exam will fulfill their degree requirement. Students who have earned a grade in HLT 141 are ineligible to take the exam. This exam can only be taken once.

Students will receive an email confirming their eligibility with the instructions and password to access the HLT 141 exam in Canvas.

About the Exam

The exam is free. There are 50 questions that reflect the course content of HLT 141. Students will have 2 hours to complete the exam and it can only be taken once. Scores will be available at the conclusion of the exam. Credit will be applied, if appropriate, to the student’s permanent record upon achieving a passing score of 70%.

NOTE: If the student pass and wish to use the exam results to fulfill a current enrolled course requirement it is the student’s responsibility to drop the course before the Census Date for a full tuition refund, or no later than the last day to withdraw without grade penalty. Furthermore, students are encouraged to review the Academic Calendar and consult a faculty advisor or counselor before deciding to drop a course.

Please keep in mind this assessment adheres to the rules and principles outlined in our NVCC Student Handbook: Academic Integrity. NOVA expects you to complete the work on your own, and that you will not utilize any resources outside of the test itself. Following these guidelines will provide the best results to reflect your actual abilities in college level coursework.

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Last Reviewed 1/22