Ways to Complete University Core Requirements Other Than by Course Work

In addition to taking approved courses, students may satisfy individual GE requirements within the university core by: (1) transferring acceptable credit from other academic institutions, (2) receiving credit from Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations, or (3) passing exemption or challenge examinations offered for some classes at the university.

Transfer Credit

The application of transfer credit to university core requirements is handled by the Transfer Evaluation Office on the Provo campus, A–183 ASB, 801–422–2500. Consortium agreements have been reached with several junior and community colleges to facilitate the transfer process for students who have completed certain associate degrees. The Transfer Evaluation Office can be contacted for up–to–date information regarding the status of those agreements with other institutions.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Credit

The results of some Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams may be used to waive certain university core requirements and to obtain general university credit. AP or IB credit posted to a transfer institution will be evaluated upon BYU’s standards and not those of the transfer institution. The Advisement Support Office ( Provo campus), B–238 ASB, 801–422–3641, can be contacted for details regarding credit hours and exemption from university core requirements for both AP and IB exams.

Note: College–Level Examination Program —BYU stopped giving credit for general exams in 2000. At this time, BYU does not give credit for subject exams either. CLEP credit posted to another institution’s transcript is reevaluated based on BYU’s standards.

Exemption and Challenge Examinations

Some requirements can be accomplished by successfully completing an examination. Two types of examinations are available: the exemption exam and the challenge exam. The primary difference between an exemption exam and a challenge exam is that an exemption exam is used exclusively to fulfill a university core requirement. No academic credit or letter grade is posted to the transcript. The challenge exam, however, is not restricted to university core courses, and academic credit and a letter grade may be posted to the transcript if the student so chooses. A student may take an exemption or challenge exam for a single course only once during each semester or term. Students do not have to be enrolled in a course to take an exemption or challenge exam. However, some of the exams are given early enough each semester/term so that students who are enrolled and pass the exam may drop the course. Students not enrolled in a course have an opportunity to take the challenge or exemption exams offered at the Testing Center .

Exemption Exams: No Credit or Grade
Exemption exams are offered for select university core courses only. Although passing an exam completes the GE requirement, it does not earn academic credit or a letter grade and does not appear on the transcript. A fee payable at the Testing Center is required for the exams. A passing score on an exemption exam is reflected on the progress report as fulfilling the requirement. However, no academic credit will be posted on the transcript of grades. The procedure to take an exam and request exemption from a course follows.

Challenge Exams: Graded Credit
A challenge exam may or may not be offered for a course at the discretion of the department. Passing a challenge exam earns credit and a letter grade for the course, which appears on the transcript if the student elects to accept the grade. Challenge exams are not restricted to general education courses. Some challenge exams are offered in the Testing Center , and others are arranged through the department offering the course. A fee payable at the Testing Center is charged for exams offered in the Testing Center . A fee payable at the Cashier’s Office, D–155 ASB, is required for exams that are offered through individual departments. Check with the department to see if the exam is offered in the department or in the Testing Center . To earn academic credit and a letter grade for the course, the student must submit a Challenge Examination Form, provided by the Testing Center or the department, to the Records Office, B–150 ASB. No additional fees are charged to post credits to the transcript. The student’s transcript and grade–point average reflect the grade earned on the exam.