Departmental/School Test-Out
Departmental/School test-out differs from advanced placement in that the examinations are administered and credit awarded solely by the department/school, and not through national institutions such as CLEP, ACT, etc. Therefore, the student should contact the department/school for information on which courses are available for test-out and examination dates.
Policies: Students expecting to test out of a course should not enroll in the course. The student must be enrolled at Northwest, however, for the period during which the test-out is administered and credit is awarded.
The student must apply for test-out with the appropriate department chairperson/school director. The chairperson or director determines what courses are available for test-out and will arrange for the test-out process in accordance with department/school policy. Where a test-out will result in schedule changes, the entire test-out process should be completed before the end of the 100% refund period.
Test-out may not be taken to supersede a "C," “D” or “F” grade. Test-out may be repeated twice in eligible classes, subject to department/school approval, but a period of six months must elapse between testings. A letter grade of “A,” “B,” “C,” or “D” will be assigned.
Procedure: Each time a test is taken, the student must purchase a test-out form from the Bursar/Cashiering Office. (See “Fees and Costs” section.) A separate form must be purchased for each course, except for unit courses with labs. The student is to submit the form to the department/school prior to testing. The department chairperson, director, or coordinator will complete the form and return it to the Office of the Registrar for processing immediately after the testing period.