Language and Math Placement

Math Credit by Examination

During your FTCAP day, you received an academic profile that covered your proficiency in math, chemistry, and English among other things. Students that are advanced in their math studies and have done well on the Penn State math placement exam may have been given the option to "Take a test for Credit." This provides students that have a background in college-level calculus with the option to take an examination for credit in either Math 110 or Math 140 for a per credit fee.

This test is essentially a final exam for Math 110 or Math 140, the two first-semester calculus courses that Penn State offers. If you receive a "C" or higher the credits will be added to your Penn State transcript however no grade will be assigned. Please see senate policy 42-50 for details of how the course will appear on your transcript.  If you have additional questions about the credit by examination route, and/or questions about the content and process of the exam, please contact the Math Department or your Smeal academic adviser.

Did I take Calculus in High School?

Penn State’s math placement exam tests your preparation for college calculus by covering foundational pre-calculus topics that you need to have mastered to move on to calculus. If you had a very strong high school math curriculum and did very well on the placement test, it is possible that you were given the option to do the credit by examination for calculus. Unlike the math placement exam, however, this test covers calculus credit. If you have not had a course in calculus it is exceptionally unlikely that you will be able to do well on this test.

Do I have AP or College Credit?

If you received credit for Math 140 by taking the AP Calculus Exam, or if you have college transfer credit specifically for Math 110 or Math 140 from a calculus course taken while in high school (via a dual-enrollment program for example), you do not need to take this exam. You AP or transfer credits provide the same credits you could gain by taking this exam.

Do I have a strong background in Calculus?

The credit by examination is not an easy test. It is essentially an examination of a rigorous college level calculus course, so if you have any hesitation in saying that you have a strong knowledge of calculus, you likely don’t want to take this high-stakes exam. If you didn’t take an AP or Honors level version of calculus, and you didn’t receive a "B" or above in that course, it is unlikely that you will be successful on this exam.

In rare cases, students that did not already have AP or college transfer credit for Math 110 or Math 140 have been able to secure credit for one of these courses by taking the credit by examination route. However, we strongly believe that this is the exception and not the rule.

Language Proficiency Exam

Smeal requires that students demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language at or above the 12^th credit level (link to language proficiency requirement page). In some cases, you may already be proficient in a language other than English as a native speaker, or because of courses or instruction that you received prior to arriving at Penn State. In those cases, you have the opportunity to take a for-credit or non-credit language proficiency exam to establish that you have met or exceed Smeal’s language requirement. If you believe that this applies to you, we suggest that you speak with your Smeal academic adviser, and also read the Language Department’s proficiency certification policy