2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Test-Out: Departmental/School

Departmental/School test-out differs from advanced placement in that the examinations are administered and credit awarded solely by the department/school, and not through national institutions such as CLEP, ACT, etc. Therefore, the student should contact the department/school for information on which courses are available for test-out and examination dates.

Policies: Students expecting to test out of a course should not enroll in the course. The student must be enrolled at Northwest, however, for the period during which the test-out is administered and credit is awarded.

The student must apply for test-out with the appropriate department chairperson/school director. The chairperson or director determines what courses are available for test-out and will arrange for the test-out process in accordance with department/school policy. Where a test-out will result in schedule changes, the entire test-out process should be completed before the end of the 100% refund period.

Test-out may not be taken to supersede a "C," “D” or “F” grade. Test-out may be repeated twice in eligible classes, subject to department/school approval, but a period of six months must elapse between testings. A letter grade of “A,” “B,” “C,” or “D” will be assigned.

Procedure:

Each time a test is taken, the student must purchase a test-out through the Marketplace Mall on the Student Account Services website. (See “Fees and Costs” section.) A separate form must be purchased for each course, except for unit courses with labs. The form will be routed to the appropriate Department. The department chairperson, director, or coordinator will assign a grade to the Registrar’s Office by completing a Credit by Examination form available on the Registrar’s website at www.nwmissouri.edu/registrar/forms.htm on the Faculty Forms tab.