Lansing Community College
Procedure Details

Procedure Title: Credit by Examination
Procedure #: CEWD.002
Revision #: 003

Unit Responsible: Community Education & Workforce Development (CEWD)
Individual Responsible: Experiential Learning Coordinator

Effective Date: 10/11/2024
Initial Approval Date: 10/04/2019
Last Review/Update Date: 10/11/2024
Next Review Date: 10/01/2027

*Does this procedure support a Board Policy? Yes
If yes, identify: 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 and/or Assumed Practices? Yes
If yes, identify: 4A

HLC Criteria can be found at: HLC Accreditation Criteria

*Does this procedure support a State or Federal Regulation? No
If yes, identify: N/A

*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.

Credit by Examination, BP 3.100

1. Purpose

To allow students who may have previous knowledge or experience to prove competency when appropriate and gain credit by comprehensive or other applicable exams.


2. Scope

Applies to current students requesting credit for certain courses by taking comprehensive or other applicable exams, academic departments and administrators responsible for authorizing testing for credit, faculty members grading the exams, and personnel processing requests for credit.


3. Prerequisites

Students must be admitted to Lansing Community College (LCC). 

  • A student may obtain credit for certain courses by taking a comprehensive or other applicable exam, if available.
  • Credit earned by examination must be directly related to specific course(s) required within the student’s declared program of study. Developmental coursework is excluded from consideration. 
  • The Credit by Examination Application must be submitted to the Experiential Learning Coordinator.
  • A non-refundable $150 processing fee, per exam, must be submitted. Fees are subject to change.
  • The decision of LCC to award credit by examination does not obligate any other institution to accept such credits in transfer.
  • Credits awarded through any of the Prior Learning applications/exams will be applied to the students record as transfer credit.
  • Appropriate credit by examination is applicable toward LCC General Education requirements for all degrees, including degrees that otherwise would require completion of the full Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA). However, due to statewide rules, credit by examination is not applicable to the MTA endorsement at this time.
  • LCC does not accept the transfer of credit for Credit by Examination awarded at other institutions.
  • Regardless of the number of credits transferred in, Lansing Community College (LCC) awards require that the following be earned directly from LCC (except for approved consortial programs taught primarily by partner schools): 
    • Associate Degrees – at least 15 semester credits toward the program of study;
    • Certificates of Achievement – at least 7.5 semester credits toward the program of study;
    • Certificates of Completion – at least 25% of the semester credits toward the program of study.


4. Responsibilities

  • Student – Responsible for initiating meetings with program advisor and submitting appropriate application and application fee(s).

  • Registrar’s Office – Responsible for completing all procedures and adhering to the guidelines as it relates to awarding credit.

  • Academic Division/Departments/Faculty – Responsible for administering and scoring course exam(s) administered to students seeking credit by examination. 

  • Experiential Learning Coordinator (ELC) – Reviews with students their potential prior learning credits and, if appropriate, helps them through the application process.

  • Divisional Contact – Responsible for communicating with program faculty and administration and Experiential Learning Coordinator.

5. Procedure

  1. The student should meet with an advisor in the program for which credit is being sought.

  2. The student must meet with the ELC to discuss the student’s experiences to determine which, if any, method of prior learning credit is the most appropriate.

  3. The student makes a Credit by Examination request to the ELC.

  4. The student will submit the Credit by Examination application. A non-refundable $150 processing fee must be submitted per exam along with the application.

  5. The Divisional Contact receives notification of the application and verification of payment.

  6. The Divisional Contact then contacts the appropriate Faculty to provide the requested exam(s) to Testing Services.

  7. The Divisional Contact will notify the ELC that exam is ready at Testing Services.

  8. The ELC will contact student to schedule the exam.

  9. The student will complete any authorized examinations.

  10. The appropriate Faculty will grade the examination(s).

  11. The Faculty will notify the Divisional Contact and ELC of the student’s passing status from the exam.

    1. Examinations earning less than a 2.0 will be noted in the advising notes of the student’s educational record in the College student information system.

  12. Credit approved by the academic division will be posted to the student’s academic record by the Registrar’s Office.

  13. Any approved course credit will post in the semester in which the examination was completed.

  14. The Registrar’s Office will notify the student via LCC student email once credit is granted.


6. Reference

Student Rules, Requirements, and Procedures webpage

Credit for Prior Learning webpage


7. Definitions

n/a