Advanced Placement (AP) Program Credit

Effective for incoming undergraduate students enrolling in

the Summer 2016 or Fall 2016 term: 

Advanced Placement Test scores of three (3) and higher will be accepted to satisfy degree requirements in compliance with the amendment to the State of Illinois “College and Career Success for All Students” Act. Depending on the exam and the score,the credit earned will translate either as elective credit or as specific course credit. Click here for our FAQ. Specific information on policies will be posted here soon. 

GENERAL INFORMATION

AP tests must be taken prior to enrolling in any college-level courses.

Any AP proficiency credit you earn is automatically posted to your academic record. If you do not see any credit on your record when you return to campus for fall semester, yet you know you had your AP scores sent and you know you scored high enough to earn credit, it could be that there was a problem matching your AP information with your Illinois information. For example, maybe you put your nickname on your AP answer sheet and your legal name on your Illinois application. You will need to contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 217-333-0302 to resolve the discrepancy.

On the other hand, if you or your guidance counselor did not request that your test results be sent to the "University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign" on the day you took your AP exams, you will have to contact the College Board and pay a fee to have them sent electronically. Illinois will NOT accept paper score reports for manual data entry. The AP Automated Score Reporting Services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by calling 888-308-0013 (toll free in the United States, U.S. territories, and Canada). Our institution code is 1836. Visit the College Board website to learn more.

Illinois recognizes the value of the AP Program. Nevertheless, you should be aware that there are times when it is in your best interest to decline the test-based credit and take the actual course that corresponds to the AP credit. The course might better prepare you for the rigors of the next course in the sequence. Consult with your academic advisor, as this decision will often depend on your academic goals. 

Click here for a PDF of the AP policies that apply to all students enrolling at the Urbana campus during the 2015-2016 academic year.

All new freshmen are required to take the ALEKS PPL Math Placement Exam even if you expect to earn AP proficiency credit in math.

Sometimes your AP test results will give you a higher course placement than your placement test results. If test results from your AP exam and your placement exam generate conflicting placement messages, you may follow the higher placement message. Please discuss your options with your academic advisor.

SENIORS ONLY

If you know you had your AP scores sent but you do not see your credit in UI-Integrate Self-Service, it could be that there was a problem matching your AP record with your Illinois record. For example, maybe you put your nickname on your AP answer sheet and your legal name on your Illinois application. Contact us by emailing pnp@illinois.edu or calling 217-244-4437 during business hours. Be sure to give us your UIN.

On the other hand, if you never asked the College Board to send us your AP scores, you will have to contact the College Board and pay a fee to have them sent electronically. Illinois will NOT accept paper score reports for manual data entry. The AP Automated Score Reporting Services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by calling 888-308-0013 (toll free in the United States, U.S. territories, and Canada). Our institution code is 1836. Visit the College Board website to learn more.