Instructional and Testing Services

Melinda Lyles, Director
226 Administrative Science Building
Telephone: (256) 824-6725
Email: lylesm@uah.edu

The tests used for admissions, credit by examination, and placement which are administered through this office include: the ACT Assessment, the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), the UAH English Language Placement Test (ELPT), the General Educational Development (GED) Testing Program, the Graduate Record Examination Subject Test (GRE), the Miller Analogies Test (MAT), the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), and the UAH Chemistry, English and Mathematics Placement Tests. Applications and information pertaining to the following testing programs are also available: the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT), the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the PRAXIS Series for beginning teachers, and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Testing calendars with dates and deadlines, as well as information pertaining to testing, are available in the Office of Instructional and Testing Services.

Placement Tests

All students who are beginning college-level course work in English, mathematics, chemistry, or a foreign language (if taken in high school) are placed at the level best suited to their academic preparation and background.

ACT scores and high school grades determine placement in English and mathematics. The UAH English Language Placement Test (ELPT) is administered to non-native speakers of English to determine initial placement. A placement test may also be required for entry into some mathematics classes.

To register for Chemistry 121, a student must be placed in CH 121 from results of the Chemistry Placement Test, or must have taken CH 101 or its equivalent.

A student who has had formal training in French, German, Spanish, or Latin is placed on the level of that language according to the number of units and grades earned in high school. A student who takes a language other than the one in which he or she has had formal training will begin with level 101.

The Chemistry, Mathematics, and English Language Placement Tests are scheduled regularly. The Residual ACT Test is administered once each semester. Students wishing to take these tests should register in the Office of Instructional and Testing Services (824-6725) at least three days before the tests are to be given. Students will be notified at the time of the tests when they can expect to receive the results of the tests. There is a charge for the Residual ACT. There is no charge for the Chemistry Placement Test, English Placement Test, and the Mathematics Placement Test. If a student has not received placement recommendations before enrollment, he or she should contact the Office of Admissions.

Credit by Examination

At UAH a student may obtain a maximum of one-fourth (normally 32 semester hours) of required degree credits by examination. There are four alternatives by which a student may gain credit through examination at UAH: 1) departmental examinations, 2) the Advanced Placement (AP) Program, 3) the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and 4) International Baccalaureate (IB). Credit by examination is not granted in the following cases: 1) if a student has been enrolled in a comparable course for more than three weeks; 2) to remove a failure already recorded for a course; or 3) to satisfy the residency requirement for graduation.

1) Credit by Department Examination

Departmental examinations for credit in specific courses may be given by a department upon application by the student and with the approval of the department chair. Students may apply for such a test if they have taken college-level work in secondary school, in a non-collegiate class or on a tutorial basis, or through private study. Credit, if awarded, will be recorded without grades or quality points and will not, therefore, be included in calculation of the grade point average. The amount of credit allowable through departmental examinations is determined by the appropriate academic dean and the department chair concerned.

Departments offering credit by examination on tests constructed by the department:

2) Advanced Placement Program

Several UAH departments award credit to students who have earned designated scores on Advanced Placement (AP) Program examinations of the College Entrance Examination Board. AP examinations are usually taken at the end of an AP-designed course of study in high school. The subjects in which credit is presently awarded are biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, English composition and literature, American and European history, mathematics, music, physics, political science, and some foreign languages. Credit, if awarded, will be recorded without grades or quality points and will not, therefore, be included in calculation of the grade point average.

AP CREDIT

3) College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

The College Level Examination Program is a national program under which a person can receive credit for college level achievement. Anyone who has practical knowledge in an area through independent study, work experience, cultural exposure, or intensive reading, may take these tests. The policy for CLEP credit varies with each institution. The policies listed herein are those of UAH. For a complete listing of testing dates and registration deadlines, contact the Office of Instructional and Testing Services in Room 226, Administrative Science Building.

The examinations that measure achievement in five basic areas include: English composition, humanities, mathematics, natural sciences, and social sciences and history. Credit by examination can be given only if examinations were taken before entering college or during first semester in college, providing the student has not been enrolled in a comparable course for more than three weeks. The student may be awarded six hours elective credit per examination. Information about minimum score requirements is available in the Office of Admissions and the Office of Instructional and Testing Services. Credit is recorded without grades or quality points and is counted as elective credit only.

CLEP Examinations

Credit by CLEP examination is allowed if the appropriate academic department has approved the CLEP test for use by the University. Credit awarded for CLEP examinations will be recorded on the student's record without grades or quality points and will not, therefore, be included in calculation of the grade point average. If a student does not pass a CLEP test, no record is placed on his or her transcript. Examinations may be retaken six months after initial testing. Listed below are UAH courses in which a student may receive CLEP credit, along with specific CLEP test titles and minimum score requirements.

4) International Baccalaureate (IB)

The University of Alabama in Huntsville recognizes International Baccalaureate (IB) credit with a score of 5, 6, or 7 on the higher-level examinations. Reports of IB scores should be sent to the UAH Office of Admissions for evaluation. Additional credit may be awarded on a course-by course basis as approved by the department. (Some departments may award credit based on the subsidiary examinations.) The academic unit responsible for the student's program of study will determine the application of credits toward specific degree requirements. Credit, if awarded, will be recorded without grades or quality points, and will not, therefore, be included in the calculation of grade point average.

For further information concerning CLEP, the AP program, the IB program, or department examinations, contact the Office of Instructional and Testing Services.