AP, IB, Cambridge A/AS, CLEP, Other Credit by Exam

Advanced Placement Program (AP)

Each AP Exam is awarded a score of 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, with 5 indicating that a student is extremely well-qualified to receive college credit and/or advanced placement in a particular sequence of courses. AppState does not accept scores lower than 3 and sometimes gives additional credit for scores of 4 or 5. Review our credit policy if you would like to determine how your AP scores will transfer.

Need AP scores from a prior year on your record for registration purposes OR did not indicate Appalachian at time of testing? No problem! Your AP scores are accessible online through College Board. Just follow these steps:

  • Sign into your College Board account
  • Download the pdf of your cumulative AP score report
  • Email the pdf to processing@appstate.edu and allow up to 1 week for scores to be reflected in DegreeWorks

Note: Scores sent directly by College Board for exams taken in a given May testing session typically arrive at Appalachian in mid-July of that year and will be reflected on records in late July (e.g., App won't have access to your May 2021 AP exam scores until mid-July 2021).

If you are an incoming student and you have questions concerning your AP scores, contact first year: Office of Admissions or transfers: Transfer Admissions & Engagement. If you are a continuing student, you should contact the Office of the Registrar (www.registrar.appstate.edu).

The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) Diploma Program

The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), founded in 1968, is a recognized leader in the field of international education. It is a non-profit foundation that works with 1,462 schools worldwide to develop and offer three challenging programs to approximately 200,000 students.

The IBO’s Diploma Program (DP) was also created in 1968. It is a demanding two year, pre-university course of study that leads to examinations. It is designed for highly motivated secondary school students aged 16 to 19. Similar to Advanced Placement (AP) examinations, students enrolled in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program earn credit hours or advanced placement in college courses. Review the App State IB Credit Policy to determine the score that you need to have to be awarded credit.

IB grade reports are automatically sent in July to you, your participating high school, and the colleges you designated when you took the exam. App State receives these scores via email and posts them to your student records here. If you did not designate Appalachian State University as a score recipient, you can order them on line from the International Baccalaureate Organization at https://rrs.ibo.org/replacement_orders/. The cost is $16 per transcript request.

Cambridge International AS & A Levels

Thousands of learners use Cambridge International AS & A Level every year to gain places at leading universities worldwide. Students develop a deep understanding of subjects, as well as independent learning and constructive thinking skills – abilities which universities value highly. Cambridge International A Level is typically a two-year course, and Cambridge International AS Level is typically one year.

Review the App State Cambridge AS & A Levels credit policy to determine the score that you need to have to be awarded credit.

Your Cambridge AS & A Level scores are accessible through the US Grade Transcript Service. This service will allow you to send AS & A Level grade transcripts to us. Also, your previous school/institution may have your grade transcript available and can send us that information directly to transfer@appstate.edu.

College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP®) Testing

The College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP®) gives you the opportunity to earn college credit for what you already know with qualifying scores on one or more CLEP examinations. These exams test your knowledge of introductory college-level subjects.

Appalachian State University provides credit for successful scores on over 20 CLEP exams. The following link lists the exam(s) for which credit is granted, the required score, and the equivalent App State course: CLEP Credit Policy

The College Board's website provides additional information about CLEP exams, including exam descriptions and test preparation resources: www.collegeboard.com/clep. You can also contact your academic advisor to discuss whether CLEP is right for you.

To get information on sending CLEP scores and transcripts, please visit the CollegeBoard CLEP webpage: https://clep.collegeboard.org/scores/send-scores-transcripts.

American Council on Education (ACE)

Appalachian accepts a variety of courses which hold an American Council on Education (ACE) recommendation. One source of potential ACE transfer credit is StraighterLine. Review the App State StraighterLine transfer credit policy to see which courses may transfer. Note: Current Appalachian students should fill out a Visiting Coursework request and receive permission to take a StraighterLine course prior to registering for the course.

To submit a transcript from StraighterLine, simply complete a Transcript Request from your StraighterLine account. Should you have any other questions about StraighterLine or other ACE-recommended coursework, please reach out to Transfer Admissions & Engagement.