Hi everyone, I know I have asked this before but never really got an answer but some info would be very useful. Athabasca offers the possibility of challenging some of their courses, i.e. if you believe that you should get the credit you do not have to do the coursework. Seems like a sideways look at portfolios to me. My difficulty is the criteria which they apply for such a scheme, how do they decide who gets the credit and who does not. The website says you need to ask the course leaders/professors. if anybody has any ideas how this operates please let me know as some of the courses on their I feel I could challenge but do not want to waste time (and money, although it does not seem expensive). Thanks for the help,
Why not just contact the university and speak with one of the instructors for a course you are thinking about challenging? Then post your findings here for the rest of the readers.
Very many universities offer this option -- they just don't make it very well known. It's called institutional credit by examination or simply test-out and you can find it in many university and community college bulletins. Most students will say they've never heard of such a thing at their university -- but then, they don't know about pass-fail option or course substitutions either. The typical method is this: You meet with the designated professor of that course. He/she gives you a syllabus. Then, if you think you can meet the requirements of that syllabus he will give you the end of course exam (or equivalent). If he thinks you know what people in his class know -- you get credit. Usually this is a pass-fail option. This can be very useful in cases where you have a course that won't transfer for whatever reason and just don't want to take it again. You will have more success if you tell them you want to test their course so that you can go on to others at a higher level than if you say "this stuff is easy and I already know it" -- in the latter case, he might just feel compelled to prove you wrong.
I agree with CoachTurner. to add more, I spoke to two teachers at Athabasca about challenging their computer courses. you have to get an approval from the course teacher before you challenge the course. they told me that I have to do a project and then do the final exam. This is for computer courses. I don't know about other subjects. It could be just an exam and a project. note that you will never receive any help from the teachers, so expect not to ask any question. if you know the subject, then it should be easy. Anyway, best luck
Great thanks for the info, I will give it a try with a medieval hsitory course(I teach some history so this should be OK) Can I use this credit in COSC or Excelsior ?
So far I've challenged one course at Athabasca. My plan is to challenge 2 more. This is how it worked: I wrote Athabasca expressing my interest in challenging the course. They replied with the name of the course instructor. I wrote an email to the instructor incluing my resume. He wrote back and gave me permission to challenge the course. I filled out the forms and sent them in. Then I challenged the course. You can challenge the course with the course materials or without. I think the course materials cost something around 150 Canadian $. I don't know if the course challenge is always the same. For the course I challenged I had to complete 3 projects or assignments and then one exam. 3 relatively quick and cheap credits! I'm not enrolled in Excelsior at the moment, but from what I hear they accept Athabasca credits... hopefully .. because that's my plan too. Brandon
Other challenge options Hello, I am looking for a list or suggestions from others that have taken credit challenge through US RA colleges. I am familiar with Mountain State and Ohio Ind. Study. Thanks. Hille
Get the catalog from the nearest colleges in your area and look in it for their ploicy on institutional credit by examination (testing out). Enroll as a non-degree seeking student (most schools only allow their own students to test out of classes) and begin the process of testing out of classes there. These often appear on transcripts as completed courses -- grade and all. Carefull though -- some schools require full tuition on courses tested for credit.
Testing out Hello, I have found out that the course tests must be from a four year institution. This eliminates our State CC which offer the testing out option. If anyone has tested out of a Spec Ed class please share the institution. Thanks. Hille
