There are many exams that allow an incoming student to try to earn proficiency credit. In addition to the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams that you can take in high school, you have ample opportunity to demonstrate your proficiency in the sciences and the humanities by taking a departmental proficiency exam once you come to campus. Most proficiency exams are offered during the first week of classes. Click on a subject below for more specific information.
Thursday, January 24 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in Room 2084 Natural History Building. Options are IB 100, IB 103, and IB 150. The deadline to register is Tuesday, January 22. For the link to the online registration form and general information about the test, click "Integrative Biology" (above).
The next opportunity to take the MCB 150 Proficiency Exam will be in January 2019 at the start of Spring semester. Please check back for the specific date, time, and location. For general information about the test, click "Molecular and Cellular Biology" (above).
Thursday, January 10 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. in Room 100 Noyes Lab. Options are CHEM 102 and CHEM 104. For the link to the online registration form and general information about the test, click "Chemistry" (above).
Now through Thursday, December 20th if you wish to take a computer-based proficiency exam for CS 125 (in Java) in Grainger Library. You must register through the Computer-Based Testing Facility.
Tuesday, January 15 and Wednesday, January 16 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. in Room 1404 Siebel Center if you wish to take a written proficiency exam for any one of these courses: CS 105, CS 125 (in C++), CS 173, or CS 225. Simply show up at 6:45 p.m. with your University of Illinois ID.
If you wish to take a computer-based proficiency exam for CS 101 or CS 125 (in Java) at a later date, please check back. Spring testing will be offered in January.
For general information about the tests, click "Computer Science" (above).
Tuesday, January 15 and Wednesday, January 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., location to be announced. Options are ECON 102, ECON 103, or ECON 102 on one day and ECON 103 on the other day. You will select your preferred day and exam when you register. Registration will open on or about January 2, 2019. For the link to the online registration form and general information about the tests, click "Economics" (above).
CHINESE PROFICIENCY TESTING: The next opportunity to test will be in January 2019. The Testing Center will be closed from December 21, 2018 until January 7, 2019. Please contact Melissa Minarik at least 5 business days prior to your desired test date to schedule your appointment at the Testing Center.
FRENCH PROFICIENCY TESTING: Tuesday, January 15 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in Foellinger Auditorium. Registration is required.
SPANISH PROFICIENCY TESTING: Tuesday, January 15 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in Foellinger Auditorium. Registration is required.
HINDI, URDU, MALAYALAM, and other SOUTHEAST ASIAN LANGUAGES: Tuesday, January 22 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., location to be announced. Registration is required. For more information, visit this site.
Learn about testing in other less commonly studied languages.
Monday, January 14 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., location to be announced.
Monday, January 14 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., location to be announced.
Tuesday, January 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, location to be announced.
Tuesday, January 15 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., location to be announced.
Options are HIST 141, 142, 171, or 172. You may register for just one exam or for two exams (you may not attempt three or all four). Registration will open on or about January 2. For the link to the online registration form and general information about the tests, click "History" (above).
Saturday, January 19 at 9:00 a.m., location to be announced. Options are MATH 220, 225, 231, 241, 285, 286, and 415. Registration will open on Friday, January 4 and close at noon on Wednesday, January 16. For the link to the online registration form and general information about the tests, click "Math" (above).
The next opportunity to take a Music Proficiency Exam will be in January 2019 at the start of Spring semester. Please check back for the specific date, time, and location. For general information about the tests, click "Music" (above).
- PHYS 211 - Monday, December 17 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
- PHYS 212 - Thursday, December 20 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
- PHYS 213 - Monday, December 17 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
- PHYS 214 - Monday, December 17 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
- PHYS 225 - Thursday, December 20 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Registration for these exams that are being given during Finals Week is now closed. The deadline to register was December 13. The location for the test was announced in your confirmatory email.
Spring 2019 proficiency testing:
- PHYS 101 - Thursday, January 10 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
- PHYS 102 - Thursday, January 10 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
- PHYS 211 - Thursday, January 10 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
- PHYS 212 - Thursday, January 10 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
- PHYS 213 - Thursday, January 10 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
- PHYS 214 - Thursday, January 10 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Registration is required. The deadline to register is January 9, 2019. The location for the test will be in your confirmatory email.
For general information about the tests, click "Physics" (above).
Thursday, January 17 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Room 12 Psychology Building. Registration is required. For general information about the test, click "Psychology 100" (above).
There is no departmental proficiency test for RHET 105. Credit for this course can be earned with sufficiently high scores on the ACT or SAT, the two AP English tests, or any of seven different IB tests. For more information, click "Rhetoric" (above).
Any student who just missed earning proficiency credit from the AP Calculus exam or AP Physics exam and any student who scores well on the Chemistry and/or Physics Placement Exam should seriously consider taking the departmental proficiency test.
To try to proficiency out of an introductory course not mentioned above, contact the department that offers the course.
If the proficiency exam also offers course placement, you will need to check with the department for your placement results.
IMPORTANT! Duplicate credit earned through AP, IB, departmental examinations, or any other means will not be granted. This means, for example, that if you already earned MATH 220 credit through the AP Calculus exam, you cannot earn MATH 220 credit again by taking the Math Department's MATH 220 proficiency exam. Credit for a particular course will be awarded only once.