Examinations Administered in High School
SMU grants credit and placement for scores of 4 or 5 on most Advanced Placement examinations taken in high school (see table below). Students may not receive credit for an AP exam, an International Baccalaureate exam and a college course covering the same subject matter; i.e., the course equivalency will only be awarded once. Credit by examination earned at SMU is considered resident credit.

An official copy of test results must be sent from the College Board to the SMU University Registrar's Office so the student can know prior to advising and enrollment what credit he/she has earned. Students can contact the College Board at www.collegeboard.com to have their test scores sent to the University Registrar’s Office

 

AP Examination	Scores	Credits Awarded	Course(s) Credited
American History	4, 5	6 Hours	HIST 2311, 2312
Art	4, 5	3 Hours	ASDR 1300, ASPH 1300, or    ASPT 1300 (student’s choice)
Art History	4, 5	6 Hours	ARHS 1303, 1304
Biology	4, 5	8 Hours	BIOL 1401, 1402
Chemistry	4, 5	8 Hours	CHEM 1303/1113, 1304/1114
Computer Science A	4, 5	3 Hours	CSE 1341
Computer Science AB	4, 5	3 Hours	CSE 1341
Economics:
Macro	4, 5	3 Hours	ECO 1312
Micro	4, 5	3 Hours	ECO 1311
English Lng/C or Lit/C	4, 5	3 Hours	DISC 1311, 1312
Environmental Science	4, 5	3 Hours	GEOL 1315
European History	4, 5	6 Hours	HIST 2365, 2366
Government:
American	4, 5	3 Hours	PLSC 1320
Comparative	4, 5	3 Hours	PLSC 1340
Human Geography	4, 5	3 Hours	HUM 10XX
Languages (Language or Lit):
Chinese Language &              Culture	4, 5	8 Hours	CHIN 1401, 1402
French	4, 5	12 Hours	FREN 1401, 1402, 2401
German	4, 5	14 Hours	GERM 1401, 1402, 2311, 2312
Japanese Language &              Culture	4, 5	8 Hours	JAPN 1401, 1402
Latin	4, 5	14 Hours	LATN 1401, 1402, 2311, 2312
Spanish	4, 5	15 Hours	SPAN 1401, 1402, 2401, 2302
Mathematics:
Calculus AB	4, 5	3 Hours	MATH 1337
Calculus BC	3 if AB subscore of 4	3 Hours	MATH 1337
Calculus BC	4	3 Hours	MATH 1337
Calculus BC	5	6 Hours	MATH 1337, 1338
Music Theory	4, 5	6 Hours	FETC 10XX
Physics:
Physics does not award placement credit for labs.
Physics B	4, 5	6 Hours	SCI 10XX
Physics C (Mech)	4, 5	3 Hours	PHYS 1303
Physics C (E&M)	4, 5	3 Hours	PHYS 1304
Psychology	4, 5	3 Hours	PSYC 1300
Statistics	4, 5	3 Hours	STAT 2331
World History	4, 5	3 Hours	HUM 10YY

College-Level Examination Program
SMU gives credit for CLEP subject examinations based on the specified minimum scores below:
 

CLEP Exam	Score (out of 80)	Credits Awarded	Course Credited
American Literature	60	3 Hours	ENGL 3346
English Literature	60	3 Hours	ENGL 3341
Macro Economics	60	3 Hours	ECO 1312
Micro Economics	60	3 Hours	ECO 1311

SMU Departmental Examinations
SMU also awards credit for departmental examinations offered in a variety of disciplines. Such SMU credit may not transfer automatically to other universities. Credit for examinations awarded by other institutions will not transfer to SMU.

World Languages. All students with at least two years of the same world language in high school are required to take the world language placement examinations given during orientation if they intend to continue the study of that language. Scores on these examinations are used to evaluate the world language competency of entering students so that they may be placed in classes appropriate to their level of achievement and degree program. Students may not enroll in a course below the level of their placement. When the student has successfully completed the course with a grade of C or above, the student will earn retroactively from four to 16 term hours of University credit for the preceding courses in the beginning and intermediate levels of the language sequence. Students must enroll in the course for a letter grade (not Pass/Fail) in order for the course to serve as a basis for granting retroactive credit. Such credit counts toward graduation and serves to reduce the student’s world language requirement in degree programs that require competence in world language. Students must take the language placement examination in order to be eligible for retroactive credit at the successful completion of the course into which they have been placed. Language courses taken at other institutions cannot be used as a basis for granting retroactive credit. Although students may earn retroactive credit in more than one language, the maximum aggregate credit involving more than one language allowed to count toward graduation is 16 term hours.

Physics. The department offers placement exams for PHYS 1303 and 1304 only. The placement exam must be taken in the first term that the student enrolls at SMU and is modeled from the final exam in the PHYS 1303 and 1304 courses.

The Physics Department does not allow test credit for labs (e.g., PHYS 1105, 1106, 4211). The essential element of the lab is the hands-on experience; therefore, substitutes will not be accepted.

Mathematics. Math credit exams are offered for the four courses listed below and must be taken prior to initial enrollment. Calculators are not permitted on these exams, except for MATH 1307. Students interested in credit exams for courses beyond this level may contact the Mathematics Department.

MATH 1307 Introduction to Mathematical Sciences (3 credits)
MATH 1309 Introduction to Calculus for Business/Social Sciences (3 credits)
  (suggested preparation = one full year of high school calculus)
MATH 1337 Calculus I (3 credits)
  (suggested preparation = one full year of high school calculus)
MATH 1338 Calculus II (3 credits)

Computer Science. The Computer Science and Engineering Department offers a credit exam for CSE 1341 Principles of Computer Science I that must be taken prior to initial enrollment. This exam is NOT the IT waiver exam that satisfies the information technology requirement of the General Education Curriculum.

International Certificate Programs
SMU awards credit for the successful completion of the international certificate programs listed below. In certain cases, departmental examinations may be required as a part of the evaluation process.

1.        The International Baccalaureate
Six to eight credits will be awarded for scores of 5, 6 or 7 on International Baccalaureate higher level exams in transferable subjects, with a maximum award of 32 credits. Credits will not be awarded for standard-level exams.

2.       The General Certificate of Education A-Level (United Kingdom)
Six to eight credits will be awarded for grades of A and B on A-level exams in transferable subjects, with a maximum award of 32 credits. Credits will not be awarded for a grade of C, or for 0-level and AS-level exams.

3.       The Baccalaureate (France)
Six to eight credits will be awarded for scores of 11 or above, with a maximum award of 32 credits.

4.       The Abitur (Germany)
Six to eight credits will be awarded for passing scores on each of the written exams in transferable subjects, with a maximum award of 32 credits. Credits will not be awarded for oral exams.

5.       The Italian Maturita (Italy)
For the Maturita Tecnica, Classica, Scientifica, and/or Linguistica, credits will be awarded for scores of 6 or above in transferable subjects, with a maximum award of 32 credits.