PLACEMENT AND CREDIT BY EXAMINATION - ALGEBRA (M301)

Policies Effective for the Academic Year 2008-2009*

*This is to be used as a guide only. Policies are subject to change.

UT Austin provides you with the opportunity to earn course credit by examination. Such credit will satisfy degree requirements in the same way as credit earned by passing a course, except that it will not count as credit earned in residence. Although you may take tests before you enroll in UT Austin, you must be a currently or previously enrolled student in order to receive credit. Unsuccessful attempts to earn credit by examination will not become part of your official transcript.

Faculty members in the Department of Mathematics select the tests, set the levels of performance required for credit, and specify who is eligible to earn credit by examination, DIIA-Student Testing Services assists the department by communicating policies, giving the tests, and reporting the credit.

COLLEGE LEVEL EXAMINATION PROGRAM (CLEP)
SUBJECT EXAMINATION IN COLLEGE ALGEBRA
WITH UT AUSTIN SUPPLEMENTARY ITEMS ON ALGEBRA

To earn credit for Mathematics 301, you must take the CLEP Subject Examination in College Algebra and a supplementary test, usually containing 10 questions, prepared by UT Austin faculty members.

In many degree plans, M 301, College Algebra, cannot be applied toward meeting degree requirements; however, it can be used to absolve a high school deficiency in mathematics. Also, credit for M 301 (corresponding to a grade of at least C) can be used in lieu of a score on the College Board SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 1 to meet the mathematics background prerequisite for enrolling in M 305G, M303D, or M 316.

ELIGIBILITY FOR CREDIT BY EXAMINATION IN M 301
To be eligible for credit, you must not have a passing or failing grade or a grade symbol of CR or X for M 301 or its equivalent.

Also you cannot claim credit by examination for M301 if you have received credit with a grade of C or better for any calculus course. This requirement does not apply to calculus credit earned by examination. If you take a test and earn credit by examination for calculus, you may subsequently take the CLEP Subject Examination in College Algebra and The UT Austin Supplementary Items on Algebra and earn credit for M 301.

Level of Performance Required for Credit

Because eligibility for credit is not based on CLEP scores alone, no minimum satisfactory CLEP scores are listed in this handout.

TEST ADMINISTRATION

LIMITED TEST CENTER ADMINISTRATIONS
All administrations of the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) Subject Examinations use the computer-based test (CBT) format. These administrations are limited to prospective, current, and formerly enrolled students of UT Austin. The CLEP Subject Examination in College Algebra is offered on campus. The UT Austin Supplementary Items on Algebra are administered immediately following the CLEP examination.

Official score reports are sent by the College Board. UT Austin students should list UT Austin as a score recipient to have an official report of your scores sent to UT Austin.

Test Periods: This test is offered on the UT Austin campus during scheduled test periods. Please check the test schedule for details.

Test Registration: You must register for a test online.

Test Registration for Students with Disabilities: If you require academic accommodations or assistance due to a documented disability, you should contact these two offices at least five business days before the day of the test:

• Services for Students with Disabilities, in the Office of the Dean of Students at ssd@uts.cc.utexas.edu,  http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/ssd/, or (512) 471-6259 to seek approval for authorized accommodations;
• DIIA-Student Testing Services at (512) 232-2662 to register and make arrangements to take the test.

Registration Fee and Test Fee Payment: When you confirm your registration for a test you will be immediately billed a non-refundable test registration fee of $15. In addition, there is a test fee of $65 (the test fee will increase to $70 effective July 1st). This fee is payable directly to CLEP. You will pay the test fee when you arrive to take the test. You may pay with credit card, money order, or check (made payable to CLEP).

Repeating the Test: Neither the CLEP Subject Examination in College Algebra nor The UT Austin Supplementary Items on Algebra may be repeated within six months.

Admission to the Test Room: When you register online you will be given the location of your test room. You must present, at the test room, a generally accepted form of identification that includes both your signature and photograph. All other test materials will be provided. For the CLEP Subject Examination in College Algebra, a nongraphing scientific calculator is available to candidates during the examination as part of the testing software. For the UT Austin supplementary test questions, you may bring a nonprogramable hand calculator, but it may not be shared. All calculators are subject to inspection by the test administrator.

Amount of Time Needed at the Test Administration: The maximum working time for the CLEP Subject Examination in College Algebra computer-based objective test is 90 minutes. At institutional administrations of the CLEP Subject Examination in College Algebra, the UT Austin Supplementary Items on Algebra are administered immediately following the CLEP Examination.

Test Description: You can find a test description for the CLEP Subject Examination in College Algebra at the College Board web site.

Test Results: Results are on the computer screen at the end of your testing session for the CLEP Subject Examination in College Algebra. Once they are available, results may also be found online.

Score Reports: The UT Austin score report will indicate whether your score qualifies you for credit by examination and, if so, the course grade for which you qualify.

OPEN TEST CENTER ADMINISTRATIONS
The College Board has a nationwide network of centers in which CLEP Examinations are offered. The fee for one CLEP Examination is $65 (the test fee will increase to $70 effective July 1st) plus an additional service fee. A complete list of test centers and a test description for the CLEP Subject Examination in College Algebra are available through the College Board web page. Prospective or current UT Austin students who elect to take examinations in this type of administration must list UT Austin as a score recipient (code 6882) if they wish scores to be reported here. Approximately two weeks after the test date, score reports are mailed from Princeton, NJ, to you and to the institution you designated as score recipient. Your CLEP score report will give only your score on the CLEP Subject Examination in College Algebra. Before your eligibility for M 301 credit can be determined, you must arrange to take the UT Austin Supplementary Items on Algebra, which is offered only on the UT Austin campus. You may make an appointment to take the supplementary items by calling DIIA-Student Testing Services at (512) 232-2662. When you make your appointment, you will need to make arrangements to submit a non-refundable test registration fee of $15. An official copy of your CLEP scores for the College Algebra examination must be on file with the IAE before you may take the UT Austin Supplementary Items.

Sample questions for the UT Austin supplement

PETITIONING/CLAIMING CREDIT

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