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Testing for Academic Credit

Beginning August 1, 2025, EMU Harrisonburg will no longer offer on-campus proctoring services for students, alumni or community members for the following exams:

  • CLEP
  • DSST
  • ACTFL OPI/OPIc (foreign language exams)
  • Web-based or paper-based exams from other universities

Test-takers may utilize web-based proctoring services to complete CLEP and foreign language exams to receive academic credit from EMU, if eligible. 

  • CLEP

    Information about CLEP exam topics may be found on the EMU students who have received approval from their academic advisor may complete a CLEP exam using CLEP’s Remote Proctoring service.  Please review the following information about registration, proctoring, scores and policies:

    If you are taking a CLEP test for academic credit at EMU, please indicate EMU as a score recipient institution when you register for the test. If you do not designate EMU as your score recipient, you will have to pay a $20 fee to request an official transcript through your My CLEP student portal in order to receive credit.

    Exam Fee: $97.00

    If you have questions about CLEP testing, please contact EMU Career Services (careerservices@emu.edu).

    *No one study resource will have exact test questions or prepare you fully for a test – test questions are updated regularly and you are expected to know a semester’s worth of course material vs. just memorizing a set of questions and answers. EMU does not endorse or recommend a specific study resource or method.

  • DSST

    Information about DSST exam topics may be found on the . EMU students who have received approval from their academic advisor may complete a DSST exam online using DSST’s Remote Proctoring service.  

    If you are taking a DSST exam for academic credit at EMU, please indicate EMU as a score recipient institution when you register for the test. EMU's institution code is: 8759. If you do not designate EMU as your score recipient, you will have to pay an additional transcript fee to request an official transcript in order to receive credit for a passed exam.

    Exam Fee: $100.00

    If you have questions about DSST exams, please contact EMU Career Services (careerservices@emu.edu).

    *No one study resource will have exact test questions or prepare you fully for a test – test questions are updated regularly and you are expected to know a semester’s worth of course material vs. just memorizing a set of questions and answers. EMU does not endorse or recommend a specific study resource or method.

  • Foreign Language Testing

    Foreign Language exams are available through ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview by Computer (OPIc) and CLEP.

    Exam Options:

    ($97): this test is reading and listening comprehension only; there is no speaking with this test.  Only available in Spanish, French and German.

    ($145 + $20 proctoring fee): this test is a live conversation between the test-taker and an interviewer over the phone.  Available in more than 50 languages.

    ($73 + $35 proctoring fee): this test is an on-demand oral conversation between the test-taker and an avatar on the computer.  Available in 15 languages.

    To complete a CLEP language exam, please refer to the CLEP information on this webpage.

    OPI/OPIc foreign language exams may be completed by following these steps:

    • To begin, visit:  
    • Select your language from the menu
    • Choose the option, “I am a College/University student or teacher and need to take an ACTFL assessment as a requirement for my academic program.”
    • Type in “˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř” for your institution
    • Select “ACTFL OPI” or “ACTFL OPIc” as applicable
    • Click “Continue to Schedule”
    • Choose “Web-Based Proctoring” for your proctoring option and the time zone, enter two possible testing dates and time blocks if required, then click “Next”
    • Create an LTI account and continue to payment
       

    The testing company will send instructions for accessing and completing your test after you have registered.  Please notify EMU Career Services when you have completed an OPI/OPIc exam. Career Services will send your score transcript to the Registrar’s office when it’s available.

    If you have questions about foreign language testing, please contact EMU Career Services (careerservices@emu.edu).

Credit

EMU offers 3 credit hours for all passed tests except foreign language tests in which additional credit is offered based on score:

  • All students who achieve a score of “Intermediate Low” or higher on the ACTFL OPIc or OPI will satisfy their foreign language Core Curriculum requirement.
  • Students who score “Intermediate Mid” or higher on the OPIc or OPI will earn 6 SH credit. Students who score “Intermediate Mid” will receive 6 SH elementary credit. Students who score “Intermediate High” or above will receive 6 SH intermediate credit.
  • Students who pass the CLEP will receive 6 SH of either elementary or intermediate credit according to their scores and will satisfy their foreign language Core Curriculum requirement.

Credit will not be awarded if a student has had a previous college course (credit or audit) with similar content. If uncertain, check with the Registrar’s Office. At this time, credit will not be awarded at EMU for OPI tests taken in English.

CLEP/DSST credit may satisfy a requirement in an EMU major or minor only by departmental approval (except pre-approved Teacher Education substitutions). All course substitutions need to be pre-approved by the respective Department Chair – utilize CLEP/DSST Approval for Course Substitution Form.

A maximum of 30 credits earned through testing may be applied toward a degree. This includes credit earned by exam, CLEP/DSST/OPI, Advanced Placement (AP), and any other testing program the university chooses to recognize. Individual programs may have more specific criteria. An exception to the maximum will apply for up to 36 nursing credits earned by testing through Excelsior College, Albany, NY. Students in the traditional undergraduate program may apply testing credit toward EMU Core requirements in two areas only: writing (AP) and foreign language (AP, CLEP and OPI). Students in the Accelerated Degree Program may use approved testing options to meet EMU Core requirements where appropriate equivalents have been identified.

Recommendations from the American Council of Education (ACE) are used to determine a passing score on each exam. The minimum passing score for CLEP is 50, and the minimum passing score for DSST is 400.  Tests are recorded on the EMU transcript with a “pass” grade if the appropriate score is reached. Nothing is recorded on the transcript if a passing score is not received.