Credit By Exam

advanced placement & credit by exam
OVERVIEW

Advanced Placement (AP) Credits

Students are eligible to receive University of Michigan credits for Advanced Placement exams they have completed in high school. The score necessary to receive University of Michigan credit varies by subject and will be reviewed by your academic advisor during summer orientation. You can also check the Admissions AP website: http://www.admissions.umich.edu/apguidelines.html

Retroactive Credits in a Language (via UM Placement Test)

You may be eligible to receive up to 8 retroactive credits for study in a foreign language if you score well on a UM-administered placement test. There are three ways you can get retroactive language credit:

If you take the UM language placement exam and place into a fourth-term language course (French 232, German 232, Hebrew 202, Latin 232, Spanish 232), you can then enroll in that fourth-term course. If you receive a grade of "B" or better in the course, you will be awarded 4 retroactive credits for the third-term course (in addition to the 4 or 5 credits you receive for the fourth-term course).
If you take the UM placement exam and meet the Language Requirement by placing out of the fourth-term course, it may be recommended that you take the fourth-term course. If you receive a grade of "B" or better in the course, you will be awarded 4 retroactive credits for the third-term course (in addition to the 4 or 5 credits you receive for the fourth-term course).
If you take the University of Michigan placement exam and meet the Language Requirement by placing out of the fourth-term course, you can then enroll in an appropriate upper-level language course. If you receive a grade of "B" or better in the course, you will be awarded 8 retroactive credits for the third and fourth-term courses (in addition to the 3 credits you receive for the upper-level course).

Retroactive Credits in a Language in combination with AP Credits

You may receive a maximum total of 8 credits through the retroactive language credit program (described above) and an Advanced Placement language exam. For example, if you get a score of 4 or better on the AP Spanish Language exam you will receive 3 credits for Spanish 275. If you then enroll in Spanish 276 and receive a grade of "B" or better in the course, you will receive 5 retroactive credits for the third and fourth-term courses (in addition to the 3 credits you received from the AP test and the 3 credits for taking the Spanish 276 course). * Policy details, qualifying scores, and number of credits awarded vary slightly from department to department. You should check with your academic advisor if you have questions about whether you are eligible to receive retroactive credits.

AP Credits in Mathematics

If you score well on an Advanced Placement exam in most subject areas, you receive appropriate credit immediately upon submission of your AP test results. The Mathematics Department, however, has a slightly more complicated policy.

If you score well on either the Calculus AB or BC Advanced Placement exam, you will receive 2 or 4 credits immediately. In addition, if you then enroll in a more advanced mathematics course, you will be awarded an additional 2-4 credits. If you receive a score of either 3 or better on the Calculus AB exam or a score of 3 or better on the Calculus BC exam, you will receive 2 credits for Math 120, our Calculus I (AP) course. If you then successfully complete a more advanced mathematics course (for instance, Math 116 or Math 175), you will receive an additional 2 credits in Math 120.

If you receive a score of 4 or better on the Calculus BC Advanced Placement exam, you will receive 2 credits for Math 120, our Calculus I course, and 2 credits for Math 121, Calculus II. If you then successfully complete a more advanced mathematics course (for instance, Math 215 or Math 285), you will receive an additional 4 credits: 2 credits in Math 120 and 2 credits in Math 121.

Talk to your academic advisor if you have questions about placement and AP credits in mathematics. If you wish, you will also have an opportunity during orientation to speak with a Mathematics Department advisor about your placement and AP credits.

FAQAPcredit

Q: Can I use my AP credits to meet the Distribution Requirement?

A: Advanced Placement credits may not be included as part of your Area Distribution. They may, however, be used as electives or as concentration prerequisites.

Q: How do I know if I received AP credits?

A: Because scores are often not reported until late summer, you may not know your Advanced Placement test scores when you come to orientation. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will notify you when your AP scores have arrived, but in the meantime, you should inform your academic advisor if you have taken any AP exams. Your advisor can tell you what score you will need in order to receive degree credit, and together you should make your "best guess" about what related course (if any) to enroll in. Your AP credits should appear on your transcript by the middle of your first term.

Q: Will I receive credit for a course I take at UM if I already have AP credits for it?

A: No. If you take a course you have received AP credits for you will lose the AP credit.

Q: Can I use my AP credits towards the 120 credits I need to graduate?

A: Yes. AP credits can be counted towards graduation.

Q: Can I use my AP credits to meet course and concentration prerequisites?

A: In general, yes. For example, if you are planning on majoring in economics, you can use your AP credits in micro and macro economics to meet the prerequisites for an economics concentration.

* It is important to note that each department has a different policy on Advanced Placement credits. Some departments do not allow students to use their AP credits to meet prerequisites. For a complete list of departments that accept AP credits, consult with your academic advisor or faculty concentration advisor.

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