College Credit by Exam for World Languages
There are generally 3 types of tests that a student can take when going to college to receive college credit by exam for world languages.
1. A college placement test
Most colleges require a student to take a placement test to determine which course level is appropriate for their skills, if they would like to continue language study begun in high school or at another college/university.
No preparation is necessary for the placement test – it is intended to be a tool to place the student in the course most appropriate for their level.
Placement tests are usually offered during the summer orientation program, and on the first day of the fall and winter terms.
Based upon the student's results from the placement test, they will begin their language study at the level determined to be most appropriate as a result of the abilities demonstrated on the placement test.
2. The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) test
CLEP is a national program of credit by examination that offers students the opportunity to earn college credits for college-levelachievement. Personal reading, on-the-job experience, adult school, or other life experience may prepare students to earn collegecredit by examination.
3. The Advanced Placement Test
Students may receive credit for Advanced Placement exams they complete in High School. Policies governing AP credits vary from school to school and department to department. In some cases a score of 3 or better on the AP exam may be enough to receive credit. In other cases, a 4 or better is required on the exam. In other cases students need to take an additional course or to meet with a concentration advisor in order to receive credit.
The following pages will go through credit by exam that can be earned at several schools in Michigan. If your school is not listed, please check the college website to see what credits are possible at that individual institution.
University of MichiganAnn Arbor
College of LSA
Retroactive Credits in a Language
(via UM Placement Test — for French, German, Hebrew, Latin and Spanish only)
You may be eligible to receive up to eight retroactive credits for study in a foreign language if you score well on a UM-administered placement test. There are three ways you can get retroactive language credit:
- If you take the UM language placement exam and place into a fourth-term language course (FRENCH 232, GERMAN 232,HJCS 202, LATIN 232, SPANISH 232), you then can enroll in that fourth-term course. If you receive a grade of “B” or better in the course, you will be awarded four retroactive credits for the third-term course (in addition to the four or five credits you receive for the fourth-term course).
- If you take the UM placement exam and meet the Language Requirement by placing out of the fourth-term course, it may be recommended that you take the fourth-term course. If you receive a grade of “B” or better in the course, you will be awarded four retroactive credits for the third-term course (in addition to the four or five credits you receive for the fourth-term course).
- If you take the University of Michigan placement exam and meet the Language Requirement by placing out of the fourth-term course, you then can enroll in an appropriate upper-level language course. If you receive a grade of “B” or better in the course, you will be awarded eight retroactive credits for the third- and fourth-term courses (in addition to the three credits you receive for the upper-level course).
Advanced Placement Test
A score of 4 or 5 on any language test will give 3 credits.
SaginawValleyStateUniversity
CLEP (French example - similar scores apply for Spanish and German):
French – Level 1 French Language CLEP test – score of 50 gives you 4 credits and 75 gives you 8 credits
French – Level 2 French Language CLEP test – score of 50 gives you 12 credits and 75 gives you 16 credits
Advanced Placement - AP test score of 4 or 5 will give credit in French, German and Spanish
GrandValleyStateUniversity
AP French/Spanish/GermanLanguage- 8 credits(score of 3); 12 credits (score of 4) 16 credits (score of 5)
Foreign Languages CLEP credits
ScoreCredits
College French FRE 101 and FRE 102 50 8
Levels 1 & 2 FRE 201 and FRE 20262 16
College German GER 101 and GER 10250 8
Levels 1 & 2 GER 201 and GER 202 63 16
College Spanish SPA 101 and SPA 102 50 8
Levels 1 & 2 SPA 201 and SPA 202 66 16
WesternMichiganUniversity
Retroactive Credit
Placement in a 2010 class or above can result in retroactive credits (up to four hours) if the student completes the next class in the sequence with a grade of "C" or better. Placement at the 3000 level can result in retroactive credits of 8 credit hours. Questions concerning placement or language study may be directed to an advisor for the respective language or the department chairperson.
Advanced Placement - scores of 3 - 5 can earn 4 credits
HopeCollege
CLEP
*College French - First Year / 50 / *up to 8 hrs / Fren 101, 102- Second Year / 59 / *up to 8 hr / Fren 201, 202
*College German - First Year / 50 / *up to 8 hrs / Germ 101, 102
- Second Year / 60 / *up to 8 hr / Germ 201, 202
*College Spanish - First Year / 50 / *up to 8 hrs / Span 121, 122
- Second Year / 66 / *up to 8 hr / Span 221, 222
*The language exams have one exam for the first and second year. Credit is granted based on score and course completed. For example, a score of 50 on the French exam gives the possibility of earning 8 credits (101 & 102). However, if credit has already been earned for 102, only 4 hours will be granted (101). Likewise, a score of 62 on the same exam will give the potential for 16 hours of credit, less credit already earned for any of the courses.
Central Michigan University
CLEP:The department accepts up to four credit hours of CLEP credit per language.
Advanced Placement: Credit is given for a score of three or above after a departmental review of each case and an interview with the student.
Retroactive Credit: Students who enroll in an entry level course (102, 201, 202), or a course beyond 202 (FRN 315 or 316, GER 311 or 312, or SPN 214 or 331), and receive a B (3.0) or better are eligible for up to 8 hours of retroactive credit. To qualify, students must be enrolled at the level determined by their score on the placement test, or at a higher level. Earned credits count toward the University Program, but retroactive credits do not.
Eastern MichiganUniversity
CLEP scorecredit
French Language / 50 / FRNH121 (3 hrs)62 / FRNH121/122 (6 hrs)
German Language / 50 / GERN121 (3 hrs)
63 / GERN121/122 (6 hrs)
Spanish Language / 50 / SPNH121 (3 hrs)
66 / SPNH121/122 (6 hrs)
Advanced Placement scorecredit
French Language or French Literature / 3 / FRNH121 (5 hrs)4 / FRNH122 (5 hrs)
German Language / 3 / GERN121 (5 hrs)
4 / GERN122 (5 hrs)
Spanish Language or Spanish Literature / 3 / SPNH121 (5 hrs)
4 / SPNH122 (5 hrs)
OaklandUniversity
CLEP
College French 6 credits Cutting scores: 100 level = 55; 200 level = 70
College German 6 credits Cutting scores: 100 level = 55; 200 level = 70
College Spanish 6 credits Cutting scores: 100 level = 55; 200 level = 70
AP
All Languages – score of 5 = 8 credits, score of 4 = 4 credits and score of 3 = 2 credits
MichiganStateUniversity
CLEP
Foreign Languages (credit based on minimum score)
French Language Level 1 50 42 8 FRN 101, 102
French Language Level 2 59 45 16 FRN 101, 102, 201, 202
College German 50 36 8 GRM 101, 102
College German 60 42 16 GRM 101, 102, 201, 202
Spanish Language Level 1 50 45 8 SPN 102, gcu
Spanish Language Level 2 63 50 12 SPN 102, 201, 202
Advanced Placement
French Language or Literature
5 16 credits FRN 101, 102, 201, 202
4 8 credits FRN 201, 202
3 0 credits Waive FRN 201, 202
2 0 credit Waive FRN 101, 102
1 No credit
German Language
516 credits GRM 101, 102, 201, 202
4 8 credits GRM 201, 202
3 4 credits GRM 201
2 0 credit Waive GRM 101, 102
1 0 credit Waive GRM 101
Spanish Language or Literature
5 16 credits SPN 101, 102, 201, 202
4 8 credits SPN 201, 202
3 0 credits Waive SPN 201, 202
2 0 credit Waive SPN 101, 102
1 No credit
Some WLC Success Stories from students who completed 4 - 5 of years of language study before going off to college:
1. Katie Schornhorst - University of Michigan - 4 credits through placement test
2. Jessica Zilberberg - University of Michigan - 8 credits through placement test
3. Rachel Markowitz – University of Michigan – 8 credits through placement test
4. Matthew Muller – University of Michigan – 8 credits through placement test
5. Ali Furstenau - CentralMichiganUniversity - 9 credits through placement test
6. Jenelle Mittelstaedt – HopeCollege – 4 credits through placement test
7. Leah Tremble - GrandValleyStateUniversity - 8 credits through CLEP test
Updated February 2009