FAQ on Proficiency Testing


Which Advanced Placement scores does Illinois accept?

Academic credit is awarded for scores of 3, 4, and 5 on any of the 38 AP exams (including Seminar and Research). Policies are subject to change upon annual review. The credit earned will be either elective credit or course credit. Click here to see our current AP credit policies.

Which International Baccalaureate scores does Illinois accept?

Academic credit is awarded for scores of 4, 5, 6, and 7 on any IB exam, whether Higher Level or Standard Level. Policies are subject to change upon annual review. The credit earned will be either elective credit or course credit. Click here to see our current IB credit policies.

I sent in my AP or IB scores. How do I know if I earned credit or not?

The easiest way is to check your DARS report. You can also go meet with your academic advisor, who can check your AP/IB credit by pulling up your academic record.

Feel free to contact us to ask whether your scores were received. You may email us at pnp@illinois.edu or call us at 217-244-4437 during normal business hours. However, due to privacy regulations, we cannot discuss the academic credit that appears, or that does not appear, on your academic record.

I took a departmental proficiency exam. How I do know if I earned credit or not?

The easiest way is to check your DARS report. If you scored high enough to earn credit, the course abbreviation and the hours earned will be recorded on your academic record, and the grade will be PS, meaning "pass." You do not need to do anything more.

If you did not score high enough to earn credit, you will not see anything in DARS. Most departments inform test-takers of their results via email or a secure website. If you have questions, you should contact the department that administered the test.

The department that administered the proficiency test is responsible for grading your test and submitting the Proficiency Examination Results form to the Registrar's Office and/or to your College office. Please be patient, as grading exams and updating all students' academic records with the results can take several weeks.

My AP/IB credit is not showing up in Academic History or DARS. What should I do?

Does your AP Score Report or your IB transcript of exam grades show that the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was one of the universities you asked the College Board or the International Baccalaureate Organization to send your scores to?

If so, it could be that there is a problem matching your AP or IB record with your academic record. Common problems include misspellings of a student's name ( e.g., Yu-shen vs. Yushen) or different dates of birth (e.g., MM-DD-YYYY vs. DD-MM-YYYY). Call Placement and Proficiency at (217) 244-4437 or e-mail us at pnp@illinois.edu

If not, and if you are actively enrolled as an undergraduate student at Illinois, it is not too late to request that your scores be sent to us.

  • For AP scores, you need to ask the College Board to send them. Our institution code is 1836. They will be sent electronically unless your scores are more than 4 years old. If your scores are more than 4 years old, be sure to fill out their "Archived AP Scores Request Form" (the link to download this form is in the fourth option on their website).
  • For IB scores, ask International Baccalaureate to send your transcript of IB exam results to us. UIUC has now switched to electronic score delivery.  Our institution code is 001410.

 

Test scores MUST come directly from the testing agency. We do not accept score reports from students. All test scores will be processed immediately upon receipt.

I did not have my AP or IB scores sent to Illinois when I first came. Is it too late to have them sent now?

No, it is not too late. Just remember that the credit policies that apply to you are the ones that were in effect when you first enrolled at Illinois. Check the archives for details.

  • For AP scores, you need to ask the College Board to send them. Our institution code is 1836. They will be sent electronically unless your scores are more than 4 years old. If your scores are more than 4 years old, be sure to fill out their "Archived AP Scores Request Form" (the link to download this form is in the fourth option on their website). Generally, it takes two weeks for us to receive your AP scores from the date the College Board receives your request. They offer an optional 2-day rush service that guarantees they will process your request within two working days. The 2-day rush does not mean 2-day delivery!
  • For IB scores, ask International Baccalaureate to send your transcript of IB exam results to us. UIUC has now switched to electronic score delivery.  Our institution code is 001410.