The exams Porter awards credit for
Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level, and College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams, plus Cambridge A-Levels, can all earn Porter credit. Each subject has a minimum score and a specified number of credits and, often, a specific Porter course it satisfies — published in a table on the Registrar's site and in the catalog.
Getting the scores here
Credit is not automatic. You must have the official score report sent from the testing agency directly to Porter Admissions; a score on your high-school transcript is not sufficient. Do this the summer before you enroll so the credit is on your record before you register for your first term and can place you out of the right courses.
How much counts
There is usually a cap on total credit by examination (commonly around 30–45 credits) that can apply to the degree. Exam credit fills requirements and reduces the number of courses you take, but like transfer credit it does not count toward the residency requirement — the credits you must complete at Porter.
When to use it and when to skip it
Use exam credit to skip a course you have genuinely mastered and move to the next one. Think twice about using it to place out of a foundational course in your major if your exam was a while ago or the material is shaky — starting a hard sequence on a weak foundation is a common way to struggle. You can decline exam credit and take the course; talk to the department.
IB and A-Level specifics
IB credit is typically awarded for Higher Level exams at a set score, and sometimes for a full IB Diploma as a block. Standard Level exams earn less or nothing. A-Level credit is evaluated subject by subject. Send the official results from the IB Organization or the relevant board.
If a score is not on the table
If you have an exam that is not listed, or a score just below the cutoff you think should count, ask the Registrar's transfer team — some cases go to the department for review. Bring the exam description and syllabus.
Fictional information
UW–Porter Falls is a work of parody. Every office, person, building, phone number and statistic on this page is invented; nothing here describes a real institution or a service you can actually contact.