Challenge Examination Policy

1. LDS Business College (LDSBC) recognizes and encourages students to use and build upon their education and learning that has been achieved through prior experiences. For example, students may have attended a school with limited transferability or who have through work or life experience have attained knowledge equivalent to what is being taught in a college course. As such, students may wish to take a Challenge Examination for that specific course.
2. Any credit granted shall be consistent with the following standard from Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities:
   1. The institution develops, publishes widely, and follows an effective and clearly stated transfer-of-credit policy that maintains the integrity of its programs while facilitating efficient mobility of students between institutions in completing their educational programs. (Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Standards for Accreditation (Revised 2010), Standard 2.A.14)
   2. Credit and degrees, wherever offered and however delivered, are based on documented student achievement and awarded in a manner consistent with institutional policies that reflect generally accepted learning outcomes, norms, or equivalencies in higher education. (Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Standards for Accreditation (Revised 2010), Standard 2.C.3)
   3. Credit for prior experiential learning, if granted, is: a) guided by approved policies and procedures; b) awarded only at the undergraduate level to enrolled students; c) limited to a maximum of 25% of the credits needed for a degree; d) awarded only for documented student achievement equivalent to expected learning achievement for courses within the institution’s regular curricular offerings; and e) granted only upon the recommendation of appropriately qualified teaching faculty. Credit granted for prior experiential learning is so identified on students’ transcripts and may not duplicate other credit awarded to the student in fulfillment of degree requirements. The institution makes no assurances regarding the number of credits to be awarded prior to the completion of the institution’s review process. (Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Standards for Accreditation (Revised 2010), Standard 2.C.7)
   4. The final judgment in accepting transfer credit is the responsibility of the receiving institution. Transfer credit is accepted according to procedures which provide adequate safeguards to ensure high academic quality, relevance to the students’ programs, and integrity of the receiving institution’s degrees. In accepting transfer credit, the receiving institution ensures that the credit accepted is appropriate for its programs and comparable in nature, content, academic quality, and level to credit it offers. Where patterns of student enrollment between institutions are identified, the institution develops articulation agreements between the institutions. (Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Standards for Accreditation (Revised 2010), Standard 2.C.8)
3. Process for Awarding Credit for a Challenge Examination:
   1. Examinations are prepared, approved, administered, and evaluated by the appropriate academic department in conjunction with the Director of Curriculum and Director of Assessment.
   2. Program Directors and Course Supervisors will provide the Registrar’s office with a list of courses for which challenge examinations are available on a yearly basis.
   3. Credit by challenge examination is not treated as part of the student's workload during a regular term and therefore does not require a petition for excess units.
   4. International students must have approval from the International Student Office.
   5. Students may not take the Challenge Exams if they have previously taken the course and received a grade of D- or higher. If you received an E or a W, you're eligible to take the challenge exam.
   6. A student may NOT complete a Challenge Exam in the same semester in which he/she is registered for the course (i.e., if a student registers for a course and then decides to do Challenge Exam, the course must be dropped.
   7. A grade of B or better on the Challenge Exam is considered passing.
   8. You will receive a P on your transcript if you pass. It will not affect your GPA. If you fail, it will not show on your transcript.
   9. Currently enrolled students pursuing an LDSBC credential may apply to take a Challenge Exam for credit through the Registrar’s Office on the 2nd floor.
   10. The Registrar’s Office will forward the Request for Challenge Exam form to the appropriate Program Director.
   11. The Program Director will work with faculty to administer and grade the Exam.
   12. The Program Director will review the recommendation for awarding education credit. If approved, the Program Director will forward the signed and approved Request for Challenge Exam form to the Registrar’s Office.
   13. The Registrar’s Office will notify the applicant of the Challenge Exam results and record the awarded credit on the LDSBC transcript.
   14. Challenge credits may not be accepted by other schools and may not transfer. The only way challenge credits may be accepted by other institutions is if a student receives their Associates Degree and transfers the entire degree. If you have questions about whether or not challenge credit will be accepted by another institution, please contact that school directly.
4. General Guidelines:
   1. Credit awarded for Challenge Exams shall be consistent with LDSBC’s educational mission and goals.
   2. LDSBC will only award credit for approved, non-developmental, lower division courses and programs that are offered by LDSBC and lie within the scope of its mission and role, as described in Church Education System Board of Education.
   3. Health Professions courses are not eligible for challenge examination credit.
   4. Credit for Challenge Exams shall be granted only for successful completion of an Exam which demonstrates competency in the expected outcomes of specific program courses.
   5. The amount of credit granted shall be consistent with standards articulated by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
   6. To ensure transcript integrity, student transcripts at LDSBC will identify the source of awarded credit.
   7. Credit awarded shall be ungraded course credit.
   8. LDSBC shall not award partial-course credit. Only full course credit will be awarded for the Exam. The Exam should demonstrate competency in the entire Course required Outcomes.
   9. Students must be currently enrolled at LDSBC and pursuing a LDSBC credential at the time that they seek credit for a Challenge Exam.
   10. Credit granted for a Challenge Exam is not eligible for financial aid or veterans’ education assistance, and such credits will not be counted toward full-time status for scholarship purposes.
   11. The Challenge Exam Request form for students and fees to be assessed will be published and kept current by the Registrar’s Office.
5. Appeal Procedures: A student who wishes to appeal the determination of credit to be awarded may appeal through the following process:
   1. The student will submit a written appeal request to the Dean of Instructional Support (DIS) with any and all additional supporting materials within 30 days of denial.
   2. After review of the written appeal and within 30 days of receiving the appeal, the DIS will schedule a meeting with the Academic Vice President, the Director of Assessment, the Program Director and the student. After reviewing the additional supporting materials and meeting with the student, the DIS will notify the Registrar’s Office and the student of their decision to award (or deny) credit for specific LDSBC courses in writing. The decision of this Appeal Committee is final.