Credit for Standardized Examinations
Advanced Placement (AP) exams are administered by the College Board to high school students enrolled in “AP” designated courses throughout the United States. Each exam has a course guide that provides an overview of the course including learning objectives and concept outlines. Exam scores range from 1-5 with five being the highest. For a complete description Advanced Placement exams, visit the website at: https://aphighered.collegeboard.org.
Thomas Nelson Community College awards advanced standing credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams in accordance with Virginia Community College System (VCCS) policy, which sets the minimum acceptable exam score at three (3) on AP exams. Credit may be awarded differently for scores that exceed the minimum. Faculty within the subject area review the learning objectives for Advanced Placement exams and determine equivalent courses offered at the College. Credits are awarded based on the information provided on the attached AP Table .
Cambridge International (A/AS Level) Program
Cambridge International exams, commonly known as A levels or AS levels, are administered by the University of Cambridge and completed by students in the United Kingdom and international education programs in 160 countries. Each exam has a syllabus that provides an overview of the course including learning objectives and content outlines. Exam scores range from A-E with A being the highest. For a complete description of Cambridge International exams, visit the website at: http://www.cambridgeinternational.org.
Thomas Nelson Community College awards advanced standing credit for Cambridge International exams in accordance with Virginia Community College System (VCCS) policy, which sets C as the minimum acceptable exam score. Credit may be awarded differently for the AS level as compared to the A level exam. Faculty within the subject area review the learning objectives for Cambridge International exams and determine equivalent courses offered at the College. Credits are awarded based on the information provided on the Cambridge International Table .
College Level Exam Program (CLEP)
The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) is administered by the College Board and offers subject level examinations to allow students document their existing knowledge for 100 and 200 level collegiate courses. A fact sheet is published for each exam that provides a description of the exam content, required knowledge and skills, and study materials. For a complete description of CLEP exams, visit the website: https://clep.collegeboard.org/exams/offered.
Thomas Nelson Community College awards advanced standing credit for CLEP exams in accordance with Virginia Community College System (VCCS) policy, which sets 50 as the minimum acceptable exam score. Credit may be awarded differently for scores that exceed the minimum. Faculty within the subject area review the learning objectives for CLEP exams and determine equivalent courses offered at the College. Credits are awarded based on the information provided on the CLEP Table .
DSST (also known as DANTES) Program
DSST, also known as DANTES , offers subject level examinations. DANTES is the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support, which promotes educational opportunities for service members and veterans. A fact sheet is published for each exam that provides a description of the exam content, sample questions, references, and scoring information. DSST exams use scaled scores and each test has a different scale. For a complete description of DSST exams, visit the website: http://getcollegecredit.com/testprep/#courses.
Thomas Nelson Community College awards advanced standing credit for DSST exams in accordance with the minimum recommended scores provided by the American Council on Education (ACE) for courses that have equivalencies at the College. Faculty within the subject area review the learning objectives for DSST exams and determine equivalent courses offered at the College. Credits are awarded based on the information provided on the DSST/DANTES Table .
International Baccalaureate (IB) Program
International Baccalaureate (IB) exams are completed by high school students enrolled in “IB” courses in schools approved to offer the International Baccalaureate curriculum. The coursework is typically completed during the junior and senior years of high school. The courses occur at two levels, “SL” and “HL” which refer to “standard level” and “higher level” respectively. The standard level “SL” may only require one complete year of coursework; the higher level “HL” course is of more depth and complexity and typically requires two complete years of coursework. Each IB course has a subject outline and detailed course guide. Exam scores range from 1-7 with seven being the highest. For a complete description of International Baccalaureate (IB) exams, visit the website at: http://www.ibo.org/general/who.cfm.
Thomas Nelson Community College awards advanced standing credit for International Baccalaureate (IB) exams in accordance with Virginia Community College System (VCCS) policy, which sets the minimum acceptable exam score at five (5) for these exams. Credit may be awarded differently for scores that exceed the minimum. Faculty within the subject area review the learning objectives for International Baccalaureate (IB) exams and determine equivalent courses offered at the College. Credits are awarded based on the information provided on the IB Table .
Credit may be awarded when a student holds an industry certification or professional license that is deemed equivalent to a course or series of courses within a program offered at Thomas Nelson Community College. Students must be enrolled in a program at the College for which the course is required and, in most cases, have earned at least six (6) credits in the program before applying to receive advanced standing credit for certification or licensure.
Students seeking credit for Certification or Licensure should complete the following steps:
- Review the certification and licensure list for the appropriate academic division to determine if the certification or license held is applicable to their program of study.
- Complete the Request for Transfer Evaluation form. Submit the form and required documentation to Enrollment Services, Griffin Hall, Room 208 (Hampton campus) or Student Services, Room 117 (Historic Triangle campus). The form can be obtained at these offices or on the College website.
- Enrollment Services will confirm the student is enrolled in a program at the College for which the courses are required, attach a degree progress report, and forward along with a Transcript Evaluation Form to the academic division dean or designee for review and approval.
- The student will be notified of the review results by an Enrollment Services representative.
Business, Public Services, Information Systems and Mathematics (BPSISM)
Communications, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CHSS) - Currently, there are no industry certifications or licenses for which student can receive advanced standing credit in programs offered by the Communications, Humanities and Social Sciences Division.
Health Professions (HP)
Science, Engineering and Technology (SET)
Challenge examinations are available for selected courses offered at Thomas Nelson Community College. A challenge examination provides the student with an opportunity to demonstrate mastery of course learning objectives based on previous learning experiences. Students must be enrolled in a curriculum at the College for which the course is required and, in most cases, have earned at least six (6) credits in the program before applying to receive advanced standing credit. A passing score on the examination will result in credit being awarded for the selected course.
Visual arts challenge exams are completed in the form of a portfolio review. A satisfactory review of the portfolio will result in credit being awarded for the selected course(s).
NOTE: Students may not complete a challenge examination for a course in which they have previously enrolled or audited within the Virginia Community College System.
Business, Public Services, Information Systems & Mathematics Division - Challenge examinations are not currently offered by this academic division.
Communications, Humanities and Social Sciences Division
Health Professions Division - Challenge examinations are not currently offered by this academic division.
Science, Engineering & Technology Division - Challenge examinations are not currently offered by this academic division.
Students seeking credit by Challenge Examinations should complete the following steps:
- Review the challenge examinations offered to determine if an examination is available for their program of study.
- Secure and complete the Challenge Examination Form. The form can be obtained from the appropriate academic division office or on the College website.
- Submit the Challenge Examination Form to the appropriate academic division office. A separate form is required for each challenge examination. The division dean or designee will confirm enrollment in the curriculum for which the course is required, confirm the student has not previously been enrolled in or audited the course, and notify the designated faculty member of a request for challenge examination or visual arts portfolio review.
- The designated faculty member will contact the student to make an appointment for the challenge examination or visual arts portfolio review.
- Upon completion of the challenge examination or visual arts portfolio review, the designated faculty member will record the results and submit the results to Enrollment Services, Griffin Hall, Room 208 (Hampton campus) or Student Services, Room 117 (Historic Triangle campus). Credit for the appropriate course(s) is documented on the academic transcript.
- The student will be notified by a representative from Enrollment Services (Hampton campus) or Student Services (Historic Triangle campus) when the process is complete.
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