College Credit by Examination

There are five ways to receive college credit by examination:

• College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)
• College Board Advanced Placement Examination (CBAPE)
• Dantes Subject Standardized Tests (DSST)
• International Baccalaureate Examination (IB)
• Challenge Examinations

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

National Standardized Exams

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) helps you gain recognition for what you know. You may test in numerous subject areas which require a minimum score of 50 for three credits. Normally CLEP exams should be completed prior to the second semester. For more information, contact 775-753-2144.

• Current GBC Course Equivalents and Credits Granted for CLEP Examinations
• Taking the CLEP at the Testing Center on the GBC Elko Campus

College Board Advanced Placement Examination (CBAPE)

GBC 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.

• Current GBC Course Equivalents and Credits Granted for CBAPE Examinations

Dantes Subject Standardized Tests (DSST)

Before 2004, the DSST exams were available only to military personnel through DANTES (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support), a division of the Department of Defense that provides educational support to military members. In 2004, the tests were acquired by Prometric and became available to anyone seeking college credit.

Current GBC Course Equivalents and Credits Granted for DSST Examinations

International Baccalaureate Examination (IB)

These exams are completed by high school students through the IB diploma program.

Current GBC Course Equivalents and Credits Granted for IB Examinations

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 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* 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 through Fall 2013. Beginning Spring 2014, the successful grade will be an “S”, signifying that the student earned a C- or above on the challenge exam.
• 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.

For More Information Contact

Great Basin College
Admissions & Records Office  
1500 College Parkway 
Elko, Nevada (USA) 89801 

Why Great Basin College

Great Basin College wants to be your choice for higher education. GBC offers associate and baccalaureate level instruction in career and technical education and academic areas. About 3,800 students are enrolled online from across the country and on campuses and centers across 86,500 square miles, two time zones, and ten of Nevada’s largest counties. We border Arizona, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and California. We are GBC!