If you have knowledge and competencies that match a specific course description, you might opt to take a Departmental Exam, which means you take a comprehensive exam for a course without actually taking the class. Experiential Learning arranges for departmental exams, but, please keep in mind that the exams are issued only upon approval of the academic department. Other assessment methods may be more appropriate for some courses. Request for Departmental Exam form in our Forms section.
Before requesting a departmental exam, you should:
Be active in a degree program at Old Dominion University.
Determine that the course is a requirement for your curriculum.
Review the course syllabus and understand what is expected for the exam.
Determine if you have sufficient knowledge to take an exam.
Ask if a CLEP exam is already available for the course you are challenging*.
Allow adequate time for arrangements to be made (minimum 3 weeks).
Do not request an exam at key times in the semester, e.g., mid-term and final periods, spring break, semester breaks.
*If a CLEP exam is available for the course you want to challenge, and Old Dominion University accepts it for credit, the CLEP exam is the only option (other than a training evaluation) you may use. Departments do not provide departmental exams or portfolio evaluations if a CLEP exam is available. Please review information about the Testing Center at Old Dominion University, a list of CLEP exams and ODU course equivalencies.
