Tests & Exams for College Credit Online
Wouldn't it be great if you could get college credit for the things you already know? With StraighterLine's help, you can. While you might already be familiar with credit-bearing exams like AP tests, or CLEP exams, StraighterLine also gives you the option of taking a PLA—short for "Prior Learning Assessment"—that lets you earn college credit for life experiences learned on the job or in the military.
In most cases, you'll still need to study to make sure you pass. But when you're ready, you can just take a single exam through StraighterLine instead of taking an entire course—and if you score well, you'll earn credit on your transcript and move one step closer to earning your degree.
Other testing options like CLA assessments, don't earn you college credit but will show potential employers how strong your critical thinking, problem-solving, and reading skills are—and help set you apart from job-seekers who haven't taken them.
Programs
AP
The Advanced Placement (AP) is a program created by the College Board offering college-level curriculum and examinations to high school students. Colleges often grant placement and credit to students who obtain high scores on the examinations. The AP curriculum for the various subjects is created for the College Board by a panel of experts and college-level educators in each subject.
CLA
The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+) – a problem-based assessment developed by the Council for Aid to Education (CAE) and offered in cooperation with StraighterLine – is designed to test your analytic reasoning, critical thinking, problem solving, and written communication skills. These very skills are high among those that employers require of recent college graduates and new employees.
The CLA+ is a smart way for you to show potential employers how strong your problem solving and writing skills are. Just think of it as written proof that you've got what it takes to succeed.
CLEP
Developed by the College Board, the people behind AP and SAT, the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) test mastery of college-level material acquired in a variety of ways — through general academic instructions, significant independent study or extracurricular work. CLEP exam-takers include adults just entering or returning to school, military service members and traditional college students.
PLA
Colleges and universities around the world use the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) process to evaluate what you've learned outside the classroom for the purpose of assigning academic credit. PLA allows you to translate the real-world knowledge you've gained through work experience, corporate or military training, civic activity, independent study, and even hobbies into actual college credit that counts.
You’ve gained skills and knowledge in your life and on the job. But did you know that you could earn college credit for the things you already know? The first step is demonstrating that the knowledge you have is “college level.” StraighterLine’s partners can help you evaluate the level of your learning through a process called Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) and give you the courses and tools you need to translate your real-world experiences into real college credit.
The Advanced Placement (AP) is a program created by the College Board offering college-level curriculum and examinations to high school students. Colleges often grant placement and credit to students who obtain high scores on the examinations. The AP curriculum for the various subjects is created for the College Board by a panel of experts and college-level educators in each subject.
The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+) – a problem-based assessment developed by the Council for Aid to Education (CAE) and offered in cooperation with StraighterLine – is designed to test your analytic reasoning, critical thinking, problem solving, and written communication skills. These very skills are high among those that employers require of recent college graduates and new employees.
The CLA+ is a smart way for you to show potential employers how strong your problem solving and writing skills are. Just think of it as written proof that you've got what it takes to succeed.
Developed by the College Board, the people behind AP and SAT, the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) test mastery of college-level material acquired in a variety of ways — through general academic instructions, significant independent study or extracurricular work. CLEP exam-takers include adults just entering or returning to school, military service members and traditional college students.
Colleges and universities around the world use the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) process to evaluate what you've learned outside the classroom for the purpose of assigning academic credit. PLA allows you to translate the real-world knowledge you've gained through work experience, corporate or military training, civic activity, independent study, and even hobbies into actual college credit that counts.
You’ve gained skills and knowledge in your life and on the job. But did you know that you could earn college credit for the things you already know? The first step is demonstrating that the knowledge you have is “college level.” StraighterLine’s partners can help you evaluate the level of your learning through a process called Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) and give you the courses and tools you need to translate your real-world experiences into real college credit.
The StraighterLine Advantage
- Lengthy application and delay to start
- Pricey textbooks required per course
- Conform to their schedule
- No flexibility in exam schedule
- Finish in 9 to 12 weeks
- Complicated transcript process
- One-year tuition and fees ($30,094*)
- Sign up and get started in minutes
- eTextbooks included for FREE
- Work at your own pace
- Take your exam when you’re ready
- Finish in less than 30 days (4-6 weeks)
- No-fee transcripts and easy credit transfer
- One-year tuition and fees ($1299*)
*Tuition data from “Trends in College Pricing: 2013” The College Board.
(At 4-year public and private institutions, tuition and fees ranges from $8,000-$30,000 per year)