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CBE (Credit by Exam)

Earning College Credit in Non-Traditional Ways at CSI

At the College of Southern Idaho, you don’t always have to take a full class to earn credit. CSI offers other ways to earn credit, like Credit by Examination (CBE)—a process where you show that you already know the material by passing a test or completing a required task instead of taking the course.

You can use CBE to earn up to one-third of the total credits needed for your degree. However, this limit may be different depending on your major, so be sure to ask your advisor for details.

There are costs involved: for each CBE credit, you’ll be charged 20% of the regular in-state tuition rate, plus any testing or processing fees. Also, CBE credits do not count toward financial aid eligibility, meaning they won’t be included in the number of credits required to qualify for or maintain financial aid.

Credits earned through CBE do count toward graduation, but they show up on your transcript as a Pass (P) grade and don’t affect your GPA.

One more important note: If you use CBE to skip ENGL 101 and ENGL 102, CSI still requires you to take ENGL 201: Intermediate Expository Composition to graduate with an Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree. 

ACT (American College Testing Program)

The ACT assessment measures high school students' general educational development and their capability to complete college-level work. Certain ACT score level benchmarks allow students to gain CBE.

AP (Advanced Placement)

AP exams are used by high school students who are advanced enough in a specific subject area to place them in a more advanced term of study in that subject matter. Certain AP score level benchmarks allow students to gain college credits by exam. 

Challenge for Credit Hours

Students may challenge a course, with the permission of the instructional dean, department chairperson, and instructor by passing a comprehensive test with a “C” grade or better for that course.

NOTE: Not every course may be challenged. Check with the appropriate department chair to see if the course you wish to challenge may be challenged.

CLEP (College-Level Examination Program)

CSI accepts subject matter CLEP scores for the courses and general education areas outlined below. If the official transcript score(s) submitted is at or above the approved scores recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE), students can transcript the corresponding credit amount listed for each course listing. CLEP exams are administered by the CSI Testing Center. For more information, please contact campustesting@csi.edu (208) 732-6532. 

SAT

The SAT assessment measures high school students' general educational development and their capability to complete college-level work. Certain SAT score level benchmarks allow students to gain CBE.

Vertical Credit

A student may receive vertical credit for a prerequisite course with the permission of the instructional dean, department chairperson, and the instructor if the student passes the enrolled course with a grade of "C" or better.