Credit by Exam Program

If you are someone who started earning college credit some time ago, but have been unable to finish because of cost, or work/life demands or if you have a home-schooled or traditionally schooled high-school student who would like to get a jump on a four-year degree, and save money, perhaps you would be interested in Slice of Life's Credit by Exam Program, through Accel Academics. While credit by exam has been around for years, this method of advancing toward a college degree has recently gained increased popularity as more accredited tests and testing options have become available.

Credit by exam allows you to earn college credit by taking exams. You study on your own time and test when you are ready. If you pass the test you earn credit for that course just as if you had taken the 16-week class at a community college or 4-year university. Accel Academics also offers a pass guarantee. By taking these tests at your own pace, you can study for them slowly while working or maintaining your other responsibilities or you can test and earn credits quickly by taking a more full-time study approach. Highly motivated students are even able to complete their 4- year degree in as little as one to two years with credit by exam.

Over 2,500 universities including most California state universities accept some exam credits; however, some will accept a much larger percentage than others. There are three major universities nation-wide, that will allow over 90% of your college credits to be earned by exam. These are Thomas Edison State University, Charter Oak State College, and Excelsior University. These universities are all regionally accredited, which is the highest, most respected accreditation offered in the United States and many graduates of these universities have gone on to graduate programs at IvyLeague Colleges. If, however, you are specific about what university you would like to attend, your chosen university may still accept a significant portion of exam credits. Accel Academics can help you find out and determine what options are available and most suitable to your needs.

The real value of credit by exam is that you can graduate in a fraction of the time and for a fraction of the cost spent by your graduating classmates. For example, if you were to enroll at Thomas Edison State University and take the traditional classes you would spend about $50,000 - $80,000 to complete your bachelors degree. By utilizing credit by exam you can walk across the stage with your university classmates and receive the exact same degree for between $5,000 and $10,000. That's a difference of about $500 per credit-hour earned traditionally at TESU or $33 per credit hour earned by exam. This is because when you test out of courses you only pay about $100 per test rather than paying for the entire class, and enrollment fees. This doesn't even take into consideration the amount of time you can save by proving competency by exam and avoiding the traditional classroom.

If you are a working or stay-at-home mother who's always wanted to finish your 4-year degree, or if you are in a job that requires more education in order to advance, or if you are young and anxious to complete your degree and start earning a salary and valuable work experience, contact us for more information. 2018 could be your year to complete or make significant progress in your education!

Julia Johnson is head of the Accel Academic program at Slice of Life Enrichment School. She has years of experience with credit transfer, and exam preparation. Please contact Julia at (661) 733-7060 if you would like to learn more about the program or if you or someone you know is looking for guidance navigating their way through higher education.