Undergraduate Credit By Exam
Overview
Students who have prior experience with some introductory courses can request to receive credit for the course by completing an exam process. The CSC Undergraduate Advising Office determines eligibility for the credit-by-exam and then refers the student to the appropriate faculty representative who administers the credit-by-exam process for the given course. Upon successful completion of the credit-by-exam process, students will receive credit, but no letter grade, for the course; credit-by-exam courses do not count in your GPA. Students who do not pass the credit-by-exam will be enrolled in the appropriate course by the CSC Undergraduate Advising Office.
Students may attempt credit by exam once for each class. There is absolutely no cost to you for taking a credit by examination and no transcript record is made if you don’t pass the exam. Students may not attempt credit by exam for a class they have already failed or been enrolled in past Census Day. An attempt is defined as a letter grade, a withdrawal, S/U (credit-only) grade, or transfer credit.
There is no limit to the number of classes that can be applied to your degree using Credit By Exam. Some classes, however, are not eligible for credit by exam.
Approval
Email Ms. Marini (tamarini@ncsu.edu) with your name, Student ID number, the course that you want to receive credit for, and a rationale for why you have the requisite knowledge of the course’s learning outcomes. If you want to receive credit for a course that has a prerequisite (e.g., CSC 216 has a pre-requisite of CSC 116), you must first show transfer credit for the pre-requisite course or take the credit-by-exam for the prerequisite course.
Students who are not CSC majors also need the approval of their academic adviser as per the University policy. The academic advisor should also email the alias listed above.
Timeline
To receive credit-by-exam for the next semester, you must start the credit-by-exam process by the date given below. Take into account any prerequisite chains when considering credit-by-exam. For courses not listed below, you’ll want to email Ms. Marini (tamarini@ncsu.edu) at least 6 weeks before the beginning of the next term to find out if a credit-by-exam is possible.
Courses
| Course | Faculty Representative | CBE Information | Fall Deadline | Spring Deadline | Summer Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSC 111 | Dr Jiao | Project + Written Exam | Start 2 weeks before first day of the Fall semester | Start 4 weeks before first day of the Spring semester | Start 2 weeks before first day of the Summer I semester |
| CSC 113 | Dr Battestilli | Project + Written Exam | Start 3 weeks before first day of the Fall semester | Start 5 weeks before first day of the Spring semester | Start 3 weeks before first day of the Summer I semester |
| CSC 116 | Dr. Balik | Project + Written Exam | Start 3 weeks before first day of the Fall semester | Start 4 weeks before first day of the Spring semester | Start 2 weeks before first day of the Summer I semester |
| CSC 216 | Dr. Heckman | 3 Guided Projects + Written Exam | Start 3 weeks before first day of the Fall semester | Start 5 weeks before first day of the Spring semester | Start 3 weeks before first day of the Summer I semester |
| CSC 217 | Dr. Heckman | Programming Activity | Start 3 weeks before first day of the Fall semester | Start 5 weeks before first day of the Spring semester | Start 3 weeks before first day of the Summer I semester |
| CSC 226 | Dr. Schmidt | Written Exam | Start 2 weeks before first day of the Fall semester | Start 4 weeks before first day of the Spring semester | Start 2 weeks before first day of the Summer I semester |
| CSC 230 | Dr. Sturgill | Written Exam | Start 2 weeks before first day of the Fall semester | Start 4 weeks before first day of the Spring semester | Start 2 weeks before first day of the Summer I semester |
| CSC 316 | Dr King | Beginning 7/22/2024: Project + Written Exam | Start 3 weeks before first day of the Fall semester | Start 5 weeks before first day of the Spring semester | Start 3 weeks before first day of the Summer I semester |
Credit by Exam for E 115 is typically offered twice a year at the beginning of the term.
More information can be found on the E 115 Credit by Exam Web page.