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Common Transfer Credit Issues

Credit by Examination

Credit by examination awarded by another institution is accepted as transfer credit under the following conditions:

  • Credit-by-exam must be recorded on the student's official transcript by the sending institution with a normal catalog course number.

  • Credit-by-exam must be posted on transcript with a grade of at least C−, the symbol CR, or a similar designation representing credit earned without letter grade.

The guiding principle is that, to be treated as transfer coursework, credit-by-exam should be submitted in the same manner as classroom credit.

To ensure credit-by-exam is comparable to classroom coursework, it must appear on transcript with a course number offered in residence at the sending institution and listed in the institution's catalog, so that content and level can be evaluated in the same way classroom credit is assessed. Generic credit hours awarded by examination are nontransferable. Course requirements waived by examination, without an award of credit, cannot transfer because no original credit exists.

Likewise, to ensure achievement in credit-by-exam is comparable to classroom standards, the credit must appear on transcript with a letter grade or with the institution's standard designation (if any) for course credit earned without a letter grade (CR, P, etc.).

When submitted as described above, credit-by-exam is counted in the GPA and credit hours for transfer admission and for re-admission of former UT Austin undergraduates.

Restrictions on the use of credit earned by examination toward satisfaction of degree requirements also apply to transferred credit-by-exam.

Students with transfer credit originally awarded on the basis of a national test (AP, CLEP, IB, SAT Subject/SAT II, etc.) will not be granted credit-by-exam at UT Austin based on the same examination.

Transfer of undergraduate credit, including credit originally earned by examination at other institutions, is the responsibility of the Office of Admissions. Student Testing Services is responsible for credit by examination originating at UT Austin.