Credit Guides
College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement (AP), and International Baccalaureate (IB) are great ways to earn college credit. The "Credit Guides" below outline the minimum scores needed to earn Rock Valley College credit for each test type.
Credit Guides by Test
Individuals who passed College Level Examination Program examinations may receive credit for the courses listed below. It is the student’s responsibility to have official CLEP score reports sent to the records Office for evaluation. Credit will be designated with a “T” (test credit) on the student’s transcript.
| Test | Minimum Score(s) | Course Credit Granted (credit hours) |
|---|---|---|
| American Government | 50 | PSC 160 American National Government (3) |
| American Literature | 50 | LIT Elective Credit (3) |
| Analyzing and Interpreting Literature | 50 | LIT Elective Credit (3) |
| Biology (General) | 50 | BIO 103 Introductory Life Science (3) [No lab] |
| Calculus | 50 | MTH 135 Calculus W/ Analytical Geometry I (5) |
| Chemistry | 50 | CHM Elective Credit (3) * |
| College Algebra | 50 | MTH 120 College Algebra (3) |
| College Composition | 50 | ENG 101 Composition I (3) |
| College Mathematics | 50 | MTH 115 General Education Mathematics (3) |
| Educational Psychology | 50 | PSY 271 Educational Psychology (3) |
| English Literature | 50 | LIT 205 British Literature Before 1800 (3) |
| Financial Accounting | 50 | ATG 110 Financial Accounting (4) |
| French | 50 | FRN 101 Beginning French (4) FRN 102 Continuation of Beginning French (4) |
| French | 59 | FRN 101 Beginning French (4) FRN 102 Continuation of Beginning French (4) FRN 203 Intermediate French (3) FRN 204 Continuation of Intermediate French (3) |
| German | 50 | GRM 101 Beginning German (4) GRM 102 Continuation of Beginning German (4) |
| German | 60 | GRM 101 Beginning German (4) GRM 102 Continuation of Beginning German (4) GRM 203 Intermediate German (3) GRM 204 Continuation of Intermediate German (3) |
| History of the U.S. I: Early Colonization to 1877 | 50 | HST 142 History of the U.S. to 1865 (3) |
| History of the U.S. II: 1865 to Present | 50 | HST 143 History of the United States Since 1865 (3) |
| Human Growth and Development | 50 | PSY 270 Life-Span Developmental Psychology (3) |
| Humanities | 50 | Elective Credit (6) |
| Information Systems | 50 | CIS 102 Intro to Computers & Info Systems (3) |
| Introductory Business Law | 50 | BUS 201 Business Law (3) |
| Introductory Psychology | 50 | PSY 170 General Psychology (3) |
| Introductory Sociology | 50 | SOC 190 Introduction to Sociology (3) |
| Natural Sciences | 50 | Elective Credit (3) |
| Precalculus | 50 | MTH 132 College Algebra & Trigonometry (5) |
| Principles of Macroeconomics | 50 | ECO 110 Principles of Economics: Macro (3) |
| Principles of Management | 50 | MGT 270 Principles of Management (3) |
| Principles of Marketing | 50 | MKT 260 Principles of Marketing (3) |
| Principles of Microeconomics | 50 | ECO 111 Principles of Economics: Micro (3) |
| Social Sciences and History | 50 | Elective Credit (6) |
| Spanish Language | 50 | SPN 101 Beginning Spanish (4) SPN 102 Continuation of Beginning Spanish (4) |
| Spanish Language | 63 | SPN 101 Beginning Spanish (4) SPN 102 Continuation of Beginning Spanish (4) SPN 203 Intermediate Spanish (3) SPN 204 Continuation of Intermediate Spanish (3) |
| Spanish Writing | 50 | SPN 101 Beginning Spanish (4) SPN 102 Continuation of Beginning Spanish (4) |
| Spanish Writing | 65 | SPN 101 Beginning Spanish (4) SPN 102 Continuation of Beginning Spanish (4) SPN 203 Intermediate Spanish (3) SPN 204 Continuation of Intermediate Spanish (3) |
| Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648 | 50 | HST 140 History of Western Civilization I (3) |
| Western Civilization II: 1648 to the Present | 50 | HST 141 History of Western Civilization II (3) |
* Prior to May 10, 2019 the CLEP Chemistry exam awarded credit for CHM 120- 3 credits no lab.
Individuals who have passed College Board Advanced Placement (AP) examinations may receive credit for the courses listed below. It is the student’s responsibility to have official AP score reports sent to the Records Office for evaluation. Credit will be designated with a “T” (test credit) on the student's transcript.
Credit will be awarded for the following courses:
| Test | Minimum Score(s) | Course Credit Granted (credit hours) |
|---|---|---|
| Art History | 3 | ART 131 Introduction to Visual Art (3) |
| Biology * | 3 | BIO 103 Introductory Life Science (3) |
| Biology * | 4 or 5 | BIO 103 Introductory Life Science (3), AND BIO 104 Introductory Life Science Laboratory (1), OR BIO 201 Fundamentals of Biology I (4) (Previously BIO 205) Note: Student should contact Records Office for course preference |
| Calculus AB | 3 | MTH 135 Calculus w/Analytic Geometry I (5) |
| Calculus BC * | 3 | MTH 135 Calculus w/Analytic Geometry 1 (5) |
| Calculus BC * | 4 or 5 | MTH 135 Calculus w/Analytic Geometry 1 (5), AND MTH 235 Calculus w/Analytic Geometry II (4) |
| Capstone Part 1 – Seminar | 3 | *General Elective Credit (3) |
| Capstone Part 2 – Research | 3 | *General Elective Credit (3) |
| Chemistry | 3 or 4 | CHM 120 General Chemistry I (4) |
| Chemistry | 5 | CHM 120 General Chemistry I (4), AND CHM 130 General Chemistry II (4) |
| Comparative Government and Politics * | 3 | History or Political Science Elective (3) or General Elective Credit (3) |
| Computer Science-A | 3 | CIS 170 Programming Logic and Design (3) |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | CIS 102 Introduction to Computers and Information Systems (3) |
| English Language & Composition | 3 | ENG 101 Composition I (3) |
| English Language & Composition | 5 | ENG 101 Composition I (3), AND ENG 103 Composition II (3) |
| English Literature & Composition * | 3 | One (1) of the following courses: LIT 142 Intro to Poetry (3), LIT 143 Intro to Drama
(3), or LIT 144 Intro to Fiction (3) Note: Student should contact Records Office for course preference |
| English Literature & Composition * | 5 | Two (2) of the following courses: LIT 142 Intro to Poetry (3), LIT 143 Intro to Drama
(3), LIT 144 Intro to Fiction (3) Note: Student should contact Records Office for course preference |
| Environmental Science | 3 | BIO 106 Environmental Science (3) |
| European History | 3 | HST 140 History of Western Civilization I (3) |
| European History | 4 or 5 | HST 140 History of Western Civilization I (3), AND HST 141 History of Western Civilization II (3) |
| Government & Politics: United States | 3 | PSC 160 American National Government (3) |
| Human Geography | 3 | GEO 130 World Regional Geography (3) |
| Languages: Spanish, French, or German | 3 | 101, 102, 203, 204 for appropriate language (14 hours total for any language) |
| Languages: Chinese, Italian, Japanese, or Latin Language and Culture | 3 | *General Elective Credit (3) |
| Languages: French Literature and Culture | 3 | Transferable French Elective Credit (3) |
| Languages: German Literature and Culture | 3 | Transferable German Elective Credit (3) |
| Languages: Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | Transferable Spanish Elective Credit (3) |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | ECO 110 Principles of Economics: Macro (3) |
| Microeconomics | 3 | ECO 111 Principles of Economics: Micro (3) |
| Music Theory | 3 | MUS 101 Fundamentals of Music (3) |
| Music Theory | 4 or 5 | MUS 101 Fundamentals of Music (3) AND MUS 111 (3) Theory of Music I (3) |
| Physics 1 (Formerly Physics B – Part 1) | 3 | *General Elective Credit (3) |
| Physics 1 (Formerly Physics B – Part 1) | 4 or 5 | PHY 201 Mechanics and Heat (5) |
| Physics 2 (Formerly Physics B – Part 2) | 3 | *General Elective Credit (3) |
| Physics 2 (Formerly Physics B – Part 2) | 4 or 5 | PHY 202 Waves, Electricity, Light, and Modern Physics (5) |
| Physics C – Mechanics (Formerly Physics C – Part 1) * | 3 or 4 | *General Elective Credit (3) |
| Physics C – Mechanics (Formerly Physics C – Part 1) * | 5 | PHY 215 Mechanics, Wave Motion, and Thermodynamics (5) |
| Physics C – Electricity and Magnetism (Formerly Physics C – Part 2) * | 3 or 4 | *General Elective Credit (3) |
| Physics C – Electricity and Magnetism (Formerly Physics C – Part 2) * | 5 | PHY 225 Electricity, Magnetism, Light, and Modern Physics (5) |
| Pre-Calculus | 3 | MTH Elective Credit (3) |
| Pre-Calculus | 4 | MTH 120 College Algebra (3) |
| Pre-Calculus | 5 | MTH 132 College Algebra and Trigonometry (5) |
| Psychology | 3 | PSY 170 General Psychology (3) |
| Statistics | 3 | MTH 220 Elements of Statistics (3) |
| Studio Art 2-D Design | 3 | ART 103 Design I (3) |
| Studio Art 3-D Design | 3 | *General Elective (3) |
| Studio Art 3-D Design | 4 or 5 | ART 203 Design II (3) |
| Studio Art: Drawing | 3 | *General Elective (3) |
| United States History | 3 | HST 142 History of U.S. to 1865 (3) |
| World History | 3 | HST 192 History of the World Until 1750 (3) |
| World History | 4 or 5 | HST 192 History of the World Until 1750 (3), AND HST 193 History of the World Since 1750 (3) |
*Biology: It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Records Office regarding course preference. Without proper notification, credit granted will default to BIO 103 (for a score of 3) and BIO 201 (for a score of 4 or 5).
*Calculus BC: If a score below a 3 is achieved on the Calculus BC exam, but a subscore of 3 was achieved on the Calculus AB portion of the Calculus BC exam, credit for MTH 135 will be granted.
*English Literature & Composition: It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Records Office regarding course preference. Without proper notification, credit granted will default to LIT 142 (for a score of 3-4) and LIT 142 & LIT 143 (for a score of 5).
*Physics: Student must receive a 4 or 5 on both parts of Test C to receive credit for PHY 215 and 225. If a score below 4 is received on Test C - Part 1 and 4 or above on Test C - Part 2, no credit will be granted for PHY 225 until the student passes PHY 215 with a grade of C or better.
*Comparative Government and Politics: This elective credit may count as the 4th social science elective in an Associates of Arts Degree.
*General Elective Credit: Consult the current RVC course catalog and/or an academic advisor for degree completion considerations.
Individuals who passed International Baccalaureate examinations may receive credit for the courses listed below. It is the student’s responsibility to have official IB score reports sent to the records Office for evaluation. Credit will be designated with a “T” (test credit) on the student’s transcript.
Note: SL= Standard Level, HL= Higher Level
| Test | Minimum Score(s) | Course Credit Granted (credit hours) |
|---|---|---|
| Biology [SL] | 4 | BIO 103 Introductory Life Science (3) BIO 104 Introductory Life Science Laboratory (1) |
| Biology [HL] | 4 | BIO 103 Introductory Life Science (3) BIO 104 Introductory Life Science Laboratory (1) BIO 201 Fundamentals of Biology I (4) |
| Business and Management [SL] | 4 | BUS 101 Introduction to Business (3) |
| Business and Management [HL] | 5 | BUS 101 Introduction to Business (3) BUS 170 Introduction to Organizational Behavior (3) |
| Chemistry [SL] | 4 | CHM 120 General Chemistry I (4) |
| Chemistry [HL] | 6 | CHM 120 General Chemistry I (4) CHM 130 General Chemistry II (4) |
| Computer Science [SL/HL] | 4 | CIS 102 Intro to Computers and Info Systems (3) |
| Dance [SL/HL] | 4 | FWS Elective Credit (1 Activity Based) |
| Design Technology [SL/HL] | 4 | **Pending |
| Economics [SL/HL] | 4 | ECO 101 Introduction to Economics (3) |
| Environmental Systems and Societies [SL] | 4 | BIO 106 Environmental Science (3) |
| Film [SL/HL] | 4 | *General Elective Credit (3) |
| Geography [SL/HL] | 4 | GEO 130 World Regional Geography (3) |
| Global Politics [SL/HL] | 4 | PSC 269 International Relations (3) |
| History [HL]: Africa and the Middle East, Americas [HL] | 4 | One (1) of the following courses: HST 151- African History Survey to 1600 (3) HST 152- African History Survey Since 1600 (3) Note: Students should contact Records Office for course preference. Without proper notification, credit granted will default to HST 151 |
| History [SL] | 4 | One (1) of the following courses: HST 140 – History of Western Civilization I (3) HST 141 – History of Western Civilization II (3) Note: Students should contact Records Office for course preference. Without proper notification, credit granted will default to HST 140 |
| History: Africa and the Middle East, Americas, Asia/Oceania, Europe [HL] | 5 | Two (2) of the following courses: HST 140 (S2 902) – History of Western Civilization I (3) HST 141 (S2 903) – History of Western Civilization II (3) HST 192 (S2 909N)- History of the World Until 1750 (3) HST 193 (S2 913N)- History of the World Since 1750 (3) Note: Students should contact Records Office for course preference. Without proper notification, credit granted will default to HST 192, HST 193 |
| Info Tech in a Global Society [SL] | 4 | CIS 102 Introduction to Computers and Information Systems (3) |
| Info Tech in a Global Society [HL] | 5 | CIS 102 Introduction to Computers and Information Systems (3) CIS 170 Programming Logic and Design (3) |
| Language A: Literature (English) [SL/HL] OR Literature A: Language and Literature (English) [SL/HL] | SL 4 | One (1) of the following courses: LIT 142 Exploring Literature: Poetry (3) LIT 143 Exploring Literature: Drama (3) LIT 144 Exploring Literature: Fiction (3) Note: Students should contact Records Office for course preference. Without proper notification, credit granted will default to LIT142 |
| Language A: Literature (English) [SL/HL] OR Literature A: Language and Literature (English) [SL/HL] | HL 7 | Two (2) of the following courses: LIT 142 Exploring Literature: Poetry (3) LIT 143 Exploring Literature: Drama (3) LIT 144 Exploring Literature: Fiction (3) Note: Students should contact Records Office for course preference. Without proper notification, credit granted will default to LIT 142, LIT 143 |
| Language A: Literature and Performance (English) [SL] | 4 | LIT 143 Exploring Literature and Drama (3) |
| Language A: Literature and Performance (French, German, Spanish) [SL] | 4 | Transferable Language Elective Credit – FRN, GRM, or SPN |
| Language A: Literature and Performance (all other languages) [SL] | 4 | *General Elective Credit (3) |
| Language B: Spanish, French, or German [SL] | 4 | 101 and 102 for appropriate language (8 hours total for any language) |
| Language B: Spanish, French, or German [SL] | 6 | 203 and 204 for appropriate language (6 hours total for any language-credit for 101,102 NOT granted) |
| Language B: Spanish, French, or German [HL] | 4 | 203 and 204 for appropriate language (6 hours total for any language) |
| Language B (All other languages, including classical languages) [SL/HL] | 4 | *General Elective Credit (3) |
| Language B: ab initio - Spanish, French, or German | 4 | SPN 101 Beginning SPN 203 Intermediate |
| Mathematics Studies [SL] | 4 | MTH 115 General Education Mathematics (3) |
| Mathematics [SL/HL] | 4 | MTH 120 College Algebra (3) |
| Further Mathematics [HL] | 4 | Math Elective Credit (3) |
| Music [SL] | 4 | MUS 101 Fundamentals of Music (3) MUS 130 Applied Music for Non-Majors (1) |
| Music [HL] | 6 | MUS 101 Fundamentals of Music (3) MUS 111 Music Theory I (4) MUS 230 Applied Music for Music Majors (2) |
| Philosophy [SL/HL] | 4 | PHL 150 Introduction to Philosophy (3) |
| Physics [SL] | 4 | PHY 201 Mechanics and Heat (5) |
| Physics [HL] | 5 | PHY 201 Mechanics and Heat (5) PHY 202 Waves/Electricity/Light and Modern Physics (5) |
| Psychology [SL/HL] | 4 | *General Elective Credit (3) |
| Social and Cultural Anthropology [SL/HL] | 4 | ANP 103 Intro to Cultural Anthropology (3) |
| Sports, Exercise, and Health Sciences [SL] | 4 | One of the following will apply: IB Core Curriculum + IB Option A= FWS 266(3) and FWS 267 (3) IB Core Curriculum + IB Option B= FWS 258 (3) IB Core Curriculum + IB Option C= FWS 263 (3) IB Core Curriculum + IB Option D = FWS 261 (3) |
| Theater [SL/HL] | 4 | *General Elective Credit (3) |
| Visual Arts [SL/HL] | 4 | **Pending |
| World Religions [SL] | 4 | PHL 155 World Religions (3) |
*General Elective Credit: Consult the current RVC course catalog and/or an academic advisor for degree completion considerations.
**Pending: General Elective Credit will be granted until the faculty review process is complete.
Illinois State Legislation (SB 2505) requires all Illinois public institutions of higher education to accept IB credit.
Explore Credit by Exam Options:
Contact Us
- Testing Center
- (815) 921-2385
- [email protected]
- RVC Main Campus
Student Center, Ground Floor - Placement Testing (Hours subject to change during class breaks):
Walk-In Placement Testing:
Monday-Thursday: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
No appointment needed.
Select Tuesday & Wednesday evenings available by appointment only – email with request. - Classroom, Make-Up, & Accommodated Testing (Hours subject to change during class breaks.):
Monday & Thursday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Tuesday & Wednesday: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.