Lansing Community College
Procedure Details

Procedure Title: Nationally Normed Exam Review
Procedure #: AA.020
Revision #: 002

Unit Responsible: Academic Affairs
Individual Responsible: Academic Affairs Project Manager

Effective Date: 09/27/2024
Initial Approval Date: 02/17/2023
Last Review/Update Date: 09/27/2024
Next Review Date: 09/01/2027

*Does this procedure support a Board Policy? Yes
If yes, identify: 3.030 – Academic Records, 3.100 – Credit for Previously Acquired Knowledge and Learning Experience

Board policies can be found at: LCC Board of Trustees Policy Page

*Does this procedure support HLC criteria? Yes
If yes, identify: 2B, 4A

HLC Criteria can be found at: HLC Accreditation Criteria

*Does this procedure support a State or Federal Regulation? No
If yes, identify: Michigan PA 251 of 2022, Sec. 3(c)(viii)(D)

*Note: Standard Operating Procedures should be in furtherance of some LCC policy and/or accreditation criteria, even if the relationship is not direct. Assistance in determining this information can be obtained from the Academic Procedure Advisory Committee (APAC) and/or the Accreditation Liaison Officer.

Nationally Normed Exam Review, BP 3.030, BP 3.100

1. Purpose

To ensure that transferability of nationally normed exams is reviewed biennially for accuracy.


2. Scope

This procedure applies to Academic Affairs, academic program areas that have or might have transfer equivalencies from nationally normed exams, and Registrar’s Office staff processing nationally normed exams


3. Prerequisites

  • Transfer credit, including from nationally normed exams, may be applied toward a Lansing Community College (LCC) Associate Degree or an LCC certificate.
  • There is no limit on the number of credits which a student may transfer in from external sources; however, except for approved consortial programs taught primarily by partner schools, graduation with an LCC award requires that 15 semester credits of an Associate Degree be taken directly from LCC and that one-fourth of the semester credits of a certificate be taken directly from LCC.
  • The Registrar’s Office maintains a webpage of incoming transfer equivalencies from various sources, including nationally normed exams.


4. Responsibilities

  • Academic Affairs Project Manager (AAPM) – In consultation with pertinent academic program areas and the Registrar’s Office as needed, responsible for determining incoming transfer equivalencies from nationally normed exams and for communicating the determinations to the Registrar’s Office.
  • Academic program areas – Responsible for investigating possible incoming transfer equivalencies from nationally normed exams when requested by Academic Affairs.
  • Transcript Processing Specialist – Responsible for maintaining a webpage of incoming transfer equivalencies from various sources, including nationally normed exams.


5. Procedure

  1. Biennially, in preparation for even-numbered curricular years, the AAPM will review current transfer equivalencies for nationally normed exams listed on the Registrar’s Office Transfer Equivalencies webpage in light of the recommendations of the American Council on Education (ACE) to determine any variance in the following:
    • Course equivalence (in consultation with academic program areas as needed);
    • Minimum exam score for award of credit;
    • Number of credits awarded.
  2. The AAPM will determine any necessary changes to current transfer equivalencies and will instruct the Transcript Processing Specialist to update the Transfer Equivalencies webpage accordingly.
    • Any non-equivalent course removed from the Transfer Equivalencies webpage still may be requested for transfer and then applied toward degree or certificate requirements per Transfer Credit - General Credit.
  3. The Transcript Processing Specialist will update the Transfer Equivalencies webpage as needed.


6. Reference


7. Definitions

Nationally normed exams include the following:

  • Advanced Placement (AP);
  • College-Level Examination Program (CLEP);
  • DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST);
  • International Baccalaureate (IB).