Ever test out of a college course?

[xeemzor]

My university offers the option to test out of some courses. They list a few courses that I would like to try to test out, but I have never had any formal education on the material. The test is multiple choice and on marketing material, so I don't think it would be too hard to cram for. Everyone I have talked to has hated the professor who teaches this course, so it would be a great boon not to have to take a course with him.

Has anyone every actually tested out of a course by just cramming a book for a few weeks? How difficult is the test?

 

[RESmonkey]

It all depends. Usually, it's harder then the final for the class.

 

[Leros]

I personally wouldn't do it unless it was something really easy for me. Like taking algebra or taking Spanish I if you had several years of Spanish in high school.

 

[her209]

Like AP tests?

 

[eLiu]

I tested out of physicsII (electricity/magnetism). The placement exam or whatever you call it was more or less about as hard as the final from the class (and the same length).

I've had friends test out of CalcI (singlevar), calcII (multivar), difeq, linear algebra, and physicsI (mechanics). These are all doable at my school. But the chemistry exam is apparently INSANE. Hardly anyone passes that.

Is there any penalty for failing?

 

[Leros]

I think the only penalty is wasting your time and money.

 

[Zugzwang152]

nope, i got some AP credit though.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
It all depends. Usually, it's harder then the final for the class.

I take it you didn't test out of any English courses.

 

[Wonderful Pork]

I tested out of Chemistry and Spanish at the entrance exams. Boy am I glad my EE degree only needed that 1 Chem class, lots of my friends ended up dropping it the first semester cause it was so intense.

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: her209
Like AP tests?

Similar...but called CLEP tests (at least they were when I was in school).

Edit: CLEP testing.

 

[JDub02]

I AP'd out of english, calc, and chem. There was nothing in place to test out of a course. Universities are all about money .. testing out would deprive them of some revenue.

 

[911paramedic]

Status Course Date Placed
Approved ANAT 1 11/4/2008
Approved BIO 10 11/4/2008
Approved PHYSIO 1 11/3/2008

I just proved my qualifications as a paramedic and they waived these as required prerequisites. Problem is, they are needed for graduation so I had to take them anyways.

 

[Ramma2]

I took and passed several CLEP exams offered to me through the National Guard before I started college.

If I remember correctly I started school with 3-4 credits of astronomy, english, and math, 8 credits of spanish (I took 4 years in HS), and they gave me 3 credits for phys ed for going through basic training.

It was good for not having to take and pay for those classes, but having more than a full semester of credits under my belt let me register for classes before the other freshmen did so I easily got into all the classes I wanted.

 

[magomago]

Originally posted by: Wonderful Pork
I tested out of Chemistry and Spanish at the entrance exams. Boy am I glad my EE degree only needed that 1 Chem class, lots of my friends ended up dropping it the first semester cause it was so intense.

Lol you funny EEs and thinking basic chem is hard xD

 

[Platypus]

When I was in school I tested out of 2 years of Spanish by taking a written and oral exam.

 

[TruePaige]

Originally posted by: Platypus
When I was in school I tested out of 2 years of Spanish by taking a written and oral exam.

I guess that's the same in any language.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I tested out of the first 2 Englishes. I think that was it.

 

[Spineshank]

I tested out of 3 computer courses.

 

[Platypus]

Originally posted by: TruePaige

Originally posted by: Platypus
When I was in school I tested out of 2 years of Spanish by taking a written and oral exam.

I guess that's the same in any language.

indeed :lips:

 

[TruePaige]

Originally posted by: Platypus

Originally posted by: TruePaige

Originally posted by: Platypus
When I was in school I tested out of 2 years of Spanish by taking a written and oral exam.

I guess that's the same in any language.

indeed :lips:

Rawr...I guess you can be a tutor now.

:beer::beer::beer::beer::lips::heart:

 

[zerocool1]

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
It all depends. Usually, it's harder then the final for the class.

Yep. But it's also usually pass/fail.
Tested out of a year of german with an annoying multiple choice exam that i wasn't even expecting.

 

[Brainonska511]

I placed out of general chemistry with AP Chemistry credit (so I took O-Chem my first year). But I guess that isn't testing out.

Oh yeah, there was a language placement test I had to take during orientation and it put me in Spanish 20100 (2nd year Spanish), so I didn't have to take a language.

I've never really gone out of my way to test out of a class though.