There are three ways to receive college credit by examination:

• College-Level Examination Program (CLEP),
• College Board Advanced Placement Examination (CBAPE), and
• Challenge Examinations.

You may earn a maximum of 30 semester credits from credit by examination, using any combination of the exams listed below.

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) helps you gain recognition for what you know and can do, no matter how or where you learned it. You may test in numerous subject areas which require a score of 50 for three credits. Normally CLEP exams should be completed prior to the second semester. Each test is $65.00 and all tests are computer generated. For more information, contact 775.753.2272.

College Board Advanced Placement Examination (CBAPE)

Great Basin College credit may be granted to students who have achieved appropriate scores on one or more of the College Board Advanced Placement Examinations. These tests are administered each year in May and are available to high school students who have taken Advanced Placement courses in high school. Please contact Admissions and Records for more information.

Challenge Examinations

Challenge Examinations may be given to enrolled students who have accumulated a great deal of information outside the classroom without formal instruction. Students who would like to “challenge” a course must obtain a Petition for Credit by Examination (PDF*) and pay a non-refundable fee of $25.00 for each course challenged.

Conditions are as follows:

• Each student is responsible for obtaining a Petition for Credit by Examination (PDF*), seeking approval(s), arranging to complete the challenge examination, and requesting the official score be posted on the petition and sent to the Admissions and Records Office.
• A maximum of 15 credits in a single subject area may be obtained through challenge examinations.
• Courses cannot be challenged if a student has taken a more advanced course in the same area.
• Challenge examinations do not apply toward the 15-credit residency requirement for graduation.
• Challenge examinations do not count as part of a student’s credit load for any given semester.
• Challenge exam credits cannot be used for financial aid credit load standing.
• Challenge examinations are not usually transferable and in many cases, will not count for licensing agencies.
• Successful challenge examinations are posted as a “P” (Pass) on the student’s transcript.
• Students must complete the challenge during the same semester in which the request was made.
• Great Basin College reserves the right to deny any petition for credit by examination.

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