Academic Catalog

Alternative Ways to Earn College Credit

Credit by Exam - Institutional

LSSC provides students with the opportunity to exempt specific courses by testing. Students who pass the exams will receive credit for the course with a grade of P (Passed). Fees for Credit by Exam are $25 per credit hour. Students must complete a Request for Credit by Exam form and return it, with payment, to the Learning Center by designated dates each semester.

Credit by Exams cannot be used to forgive a grade previously earned in a course. Students who fail the test will forfeit the exam fee and receive no credit for the course. Per the State of Florida's Articulation Coordinating Committee guidelines, students may receive up to a maximum of 45 total credit hours through credit by exam programs. 

For more information, contact the Learning Center at 352-435-5009 or visit the Testing Center webpage.

Credit by Examination – Outside Agencies

Credit will be awarded at LSSC for experiential credit exams in accordance with the State of Florida’s Articulation Coordinating Committee (ACC) Credit-By-Exam Guidelines for Post-secondary Institutions. Students may earn up to 45 credit hours through the transfer of credit by examination. No grades or grade point values will be assigned for credit by examination. Official copies of these test scores must be submitted directly to LSSC's Admissions and Records Office from the appropriate issuing agency.

Advanced Placement Examinations (AP) and Credit Awarded

LSSC grants credit for AP exams according to the guidelines provided by the State of Florida's Articulation Coordinating Committee. AP program examinations are administered by the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB). To obtain credit for AP exams taken, the student must:

  • Have taken the exam prior to enrolling in college
  • Have official scores sent to LSSC's Admissions and Records Office directly from the College Board. To have scores sent from the College Board visit https://www.collegeboard.org
  • Earn a score of 3, 4, or 5 on an exam listed on the ACC Credit-By-Exam Equivalencies located in the AP Equivalency Chart (p. ).
  • Be enrolled as a student at LSSC before the credit is awarded for these exams

Other important notes regarding the use of AP scores and credit include the following:

  • Credit granted for AP exams is listed on the student’s transcript and is transferable to Florida public institutions of higher education and may also be transferable to private institutions
  • No letter grades or quality points are assigned to the credit received from AP exams
  • Credit will not be awarded for AP exams in a course for which credit has already been earned
  • Credit awarded for AP exams cannot be used to forgive a grade previously earned in a course

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

LSSC grants credit for CLEP exams according to the guidelines provided by the State of Florida's Articulation Coordinating Committee. CLEP examinations are administered by the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB). While LSSC does not charge for CLEP test administration, students must pay CLEP test fees directly through the CEEB website. Consult their website https://www.collegeboard.org for further information.

To obtain credit for CLEP exams taken, the student must:

Other important notes regarding the use of CLEP scores and credit include the following:

  • LSSC grants credit for CLEP exams according to the guidelines provided by the State of Florida's Articulation Coordinating Committee. CLEP examinations are administered by the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB)
  • No letter grades or quality points are assigned to the credit earned from the CLEP exams
  • Students are not permitted to take CLEP for courses in which they are currently enrolled, have previously attempted, (regardless of grade earned, including “W” and “I”, or in which credit has already been earned); however, if the CLEP exam grants credits for two courses, the student can take the exam to earn credit for the course that has not been attempted (ex. College Composition exam). 
  • Credit awarded for CLEP exams cannot be used to forgive a grade previously earned in a course
  • For testing hours and locations, students should contact the Testing Administrator at 352-435-5009 or visit the Testing Center webpage.

Advanced Placement (AP) Equivalency Chart

EXAM TITLE LSSC COURSE
with a score of 3		 Credit Hours LSSC COURSE
with a score of 4		 Credit Hours LSSC COURSE
with a score of 5		 Credit Hours
2-D Art and Design (Previously Studio Art: 2D Design Portfolio) ART 1201C 3 ART 1201C 3 ART 1201C 3
3-D Art and Design (Previously Studio Art: 3D Design Portfolio) ART 1203C 3 ART 1203C 3 ART 1203C 3
Art History ARH 2000 3 ARH 2050, ARH 2051 33 ARH 2050, ARH 2051 33
Art History1 ARH 2000 3 ARH 2000, ARH 2050, or ARH 2051 33 ARH 2000, ARH 2050, or ARH 2051 33
Biology/Lab BSC 1005C 4 BSC 1010C 4 BSC 1010C, BSC 1011C 44
Calculus AB MAC 2311 4 MAC 2311 4 MAC 2311 4
Calculus BC2 MAC 2311 4 MAC 2311, MAC 2312 44 MAC 2311, MAC 2312 44
Capstone Research IDS 1951 3 IDS 1951 3 IDS 1951 3
Capstone Seminar IDS 1350 3 IDS 1350 3 IDS 1350 3
Chemistry CHM 1020C 4 CHM 2045C 4 CHM 2045C, CHM 2046C 44
Computer Science A CGS 2075 3 3 CGS 2075 3 3 CGS 2075 3 3
Computer Science AB CGS 20763 3 CGS 20763 3 CGS 20763 3
Computer Science Principles COP 1000 3 COP 1000 3 COP 1000 3
Drawing (Previously Studio Art: Drawing Portfolio) ART 1300C 3 ART 1300C 3 ART 1300C 3
Economics: Macro ECO 2013 3 ECO 2013 3 ECO 2013 3
Economics: Micro ECO 2023 3 ECO 2023 3 ECO 2023 3
English Language/Composition4 ENC 1101 3 ENC 1101, ENC 1102 33 ENC 1101, ENC 1102 33
English Literature/Composition4 ENC 1101 3 ENC 1101, ENC 1102 or LIT 10053 33 ENC 1101, ENC 1102 or LIT 10053 33
Environmental Science ISC 1051 (3) 3 ISC 1051 (3) 3 ISC 1051 (3) 3
European History EUH 10093 3 EUH 1000, EUH 1001 33 EUH 1000, EUH 1001 33
Govern/Politics/Comparative CPO 2001 or CPO 2002 3 CPO 2001 or CPO 2002 3 CPO 2001 or CPO 2002 3
Govern/Politics/U.S. POS 2041 3 POS 2041 3 POS 2041 3
Human Geography GEO 2400 3 GEO 2400 3 GEO 2400 3
Latin LNW X700 or LNW X321 3 X700 or LNW X321 3 X700 or LNW X321 3
Music Theory 5 MUT 1001 3 MUT 1001 3 MUT 1001 3
Phiysics B PHY 2053C 4 PHY 2053C, PHY2054C 44 PHY 2053C, PHY 2054C 44
Phys C: Electricity/Magnetism PHY 2054C 4 PHY 2049C 5 PHY 2049C 5
Phys C: Mechanics PHY 2053C 4 PHY 2048C 5 PHY 2048C 5
Physics 1 PHY 2053C 4 PHY 2053C 4 PHY 2053C 4
Physics 2 PHY 2054C 4 PHY 2054C 4 PHY 2054C 4
Psychology PSY 2012 3 PSY 2012 3 PSY 2012 3
Spanish/French Literature LIT 2930 3 LIT 2930, LIT 1951 33 LIT 2930, LIT 1951 33
Statistics STA 2023 3 STA 2023 3 STA 2023 3
United States History AMH 1000 3 AMH 2010, AMH 2020 33 AMH 2010, AMH 2020 33
World History WOH 1022 3 WOH 1022 3 WOH 1022 3
LANGUAGE EXAMS XXX 2200 4 XXX 2200, XXX 2201 44 XXX 2200, XXX 2201 44
1

Effective for exams taken after 2018.

2

The BC exam includes a subscore for the AB portion of the exam for Calculus AB credit. Colleges should regard the subscore on the BC exam the same as an AP Calculus AB Exam score.

3

Course unique to this exam

4

Award min 3 credits if ENC 1101 College Composition I already satisfied. (LIT 2930 Selected Topics in Literature)

5

MUT 1001 if composite score is 3 or higher. MUT 111Course MUT 1111 Not Found &MUT 2241   if both aural & non-aural subscores are 3 or higher.

CLEP Equivalency Chart

CLEP EXAM TITLE With a Minimum Score of LSSC Awards Course Credit Hours
Accounting, Principles of1 50 ACG 2001 3
Accounting, Financial 50 ACG 2001 3
Algebra, College 50 MAC 1150 3
Algebra-Trigonometry, College1 50 MAC 11472 4
American Government 50 POS 2041 3
American Literature 50 AML 1000 3
Analyzing and Interpreting Literature3 0
Biology, General 50 BSC 1005 (no lab credit) 3
Business Law, Introduction to 50 BUL 2241 3
Calculus 50 MAC 2233 3
Chemistry, General 50 CHM 1020 or CHM 1025 (no lab credit) 3
College Composition 50 ENC 1101 and ENC 1102 6
College Composition Modular4 50 ENC 1101 and ENC 1102 6
Educational Psychology, Introduction to 50 EDP 2002 3
English Composition with Essay5 50 ENC 1101 3
English Literature 50 ENL 2000 3
History of the United States I 50 AMH 2010 3
History of the United States II 50 AMH 2020 3
Human Growth and Development 50 DEP 2004 3
Humanities 50 HUM 2235 or HUM 2250 3
Information Systems and Computer Applications 50 CGS 1077 6 3
Macroeconomics, Principles of 50 ECO 2013 3
Management, Principles of 50 MAN 2021 3
Marketing, Principles of 50 MAR 2011 3
Math, College 50 MGF 1106 or MGF 1107 3
Microeconomics, Principles of 50 ECO 2023 3
Natural Science4 0
Precalculus 50 MAC 1140 4
Psychology, Introductory 50 PSY 2012 3
Social Science and History4 0
Sociology, Introductory 50 SYG 2000 3
Trigonometry1 50 MAC 1114 3
Western Civilization I 50 EUH 1000 3
Western Civilization II 50 EUH 1001 3
Spanish Language Exam 50 SPN 1120 4
Spanish Language Exam 63 on Level 2 SPN 1120/ SPN 1121 8
Spanish with Writing 50 SPN 1120 4
Spanish with Writing 65 on Level 2 SPN 1120/ SPN 1121 8
French Language Exam 50 FRE 1121 4
French Language Exam 59 on Level 2 FRE 1120/ FRE 1121 8
German Language Exam 50 GER 1120 4
German Language Exam 60 on Level 2 GER 1120/ GER 1121 8
1

Discontinued 

2

Can sub for MAC 1140 Precalculus Algebra and MAC 1114 Trigonometry)

3

LSSC does not recommend this exam due to no direct course equivalent. 

4

No guaranteed credit for College Composition Modular without essay portion 

5

Replaced by College Composition

6

Unique crs # to this exam

Defense Activity Non-Traditional Education Support DANTES/DSST

The Defense Activity Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) program is a test conducted by Educational Testing Services (ETS). DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSSTs) measure earned achievement in specific college courses. LSSC will award credit according to state guidelines.

The Credit-By-Exam equivalencies can be viewed at www.fldoe.org/articulation/pdf/acc-cbe.pdf.
LSSC does not permit students to use exam credit toward forgiveness of course credits. Writing emphasis or "Gordon Rule" writing requirements cannot be satisfied through DANTES.

Excelsior College Examinations

UExcel; Excelsior College Examinations (formally known as Regents College Exams or the Proficiency Examination Program), are developed by Excelsior College using national committees of faculty consultants and national studies to assess how well the tests measure the performance of students in actual college courses. Excelsior College Examinations are approved by the American Council on Education, and Excelsior College itself is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSACS). UExcel exams will not be offered after August 21, 2022. LSSC will award credit according to state guidelines for exams taken prior to the discontinuation of the program. Course equivalencies and related information is available on the Florida Department of Education's Credit-By-Exam Equivalencies list.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program is a rigorous two-year, pre-university liberal arts program of study for highly motivated, academically oriented secondary students. The IB Diploma is awarded only to students who meet curricular, service, and thesis requirements and score at the prescribed level on internationally standardized subject examinations. Through the IB Program, students may be awarded up to 30 college-level credit hours. No grades will be assigned to credits awarded through the IB Program. Students will not receive credit for IB courses that duplicate credit awarded for courses previously taken and passed or credit that was awarded through other accelerated programs (i.e., AP, CLEP, credit by examination, etc.). To determine eligibility for IB credit, the student should request their IB transcript be sent directly to LSSC’s Admissions and Records Office. The Credit-By-Exam equivalencies can be viewed here.

Cambridge Assessment International Education (AICE)

The Cambridge Assessment International Education (AICE) program is an international, advanced secondary curriculum and assessment program equivalent to the British system of “A-Levels.” AS-Level courses are comprised of curriculum lasting one academic year. A-Level courses encompass all AS-Level curriculum as well as additional topics. A-Level coursework is completed over two academic years. Course equivalencies and related information is available on the Florida Department of Education's Credit-By-Exam Equivalencies list.

Independent Study

Under certain circumstances, a student may be permitted to enroll in a college credit course offered through independent study. 

To discuss possible enrollment in an independent study course:

  • The student must receive approval from the appropriate academic dean;
  • The instructor must make arrangements with his or her dean to create the independent study section;
  • The instructor/dean will provide the student with the CRN needed for registration purposes;
  • The student will register in myLSSC for the course using the CRN provided by the instructor.

Note:  Dual enrollment students are not permitted to enroll in independent study sections.

Career Pathways Articulation and Award for Credit for Licensure or Certification

Career Pathways Articulation

The Career Pathways Articulation Program is a partnership between Lake-Sumter State College (LSSC) and school districts in Lake, Marion, and Sumter Counties as well as the Florida Virtual School and the Villages High School. Graduates who have completed a partner school district Career and Technical Education (CTE) program may be eligible to receive articulated college credits through a credit-by-exam process aligned to LSSC Workforce programs such as an Associate in Science degree or College Credit Certificate. Students will be required to take a credit-by-exam test offered by the college. Please contact the Workforce Development office at 352-365-3552 or Careerpathways@lssc.edu for any questions. 

Award of Credit for Licensure or Certification

LSSC may award college credit toward an Associate in Science degree or College Credit Certificate to students based on earned licensure or industry certification. The certification or licensure must qualify under the Gold Standard Career Pathways Industry Certification Articulation Agreements identified in State Board of Education rule, 6A-10.0401 or established LSSC agreements.

Please contact the Workforce Development office at 352-365-3552 or Careerpathways@lssc.edu for any questions. 

Competency Based Credit

Competency Based Credit (CBC) is one of the ways a Lake-Sumter State College student may be awarded appropriate credit for demonstration of knowledge gained from previous learning experiences outside the classroom. This learning may result from an industry certification, in-service training, or experience acquired during employment. Credit awarded through existing articulation agreements will be excluded from this process.

Competency Based Credit (CBC) Guidelines:

  • A student must be enrolled in one of LSSC's Baccalaureate Programs, Associate in Science (A.S.), or College Credit Certificate Programs and the credits sought through CBC must be applicable to that degree or certificate program. CBC credit cannot be used towards an Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree. 
  • A student who transfers to a university or another state college should understand that credit earned through CBC may not transfer. 
  • A student may earn a maximum of 25% of the required credit hours required for a degree or certificate program through CBC. 
  • Credits awarded through CBC can only be awarded for courses listed in the current LSSC Catalog and Student Handbook. 
  • Credits awarded through CBC will appear on the student's official transcript as credit only; no individual grades or grade point values will be assigned to CBC. 
  • A student cannot earn CBC for a course in which credit has already been attempted. CBC cannot be used to forgive a grade previously earned in a credit course. 
  • A student must pay a $25 per credit hour non-refundable fee prior to the evaluation.
  • A student must complete 25% of each degree or certificate program's total credit hours at LSSC.

Steps to request Competency Based Credit. The student will:

  • Meet with an LSSC Academic Advisor to discuss the possibility of being awarded Competency Based Credit for a program course(s).
  • Meet with the appropriate program administrator to identify applicable course(s).
  • Complete the Competency Based Credit Request form and assemble the portfolio (one per course).
  • Pay the required fee.
  • Submit the completed form and portfolio to the Registrar. Notification of the portfolio review outcome will only be communicated via Lakehawk email.