8. Examinations
(Revised: 2023)
8.1 Final examinations are not mandatory for undergraduate or graduate course instruction.
8.2 If, however, a final examination is required by the instructor, then:
8.2.1 The final exam shall be designed to be taken during a period not to exceed two hours.
8.2.2 One credit hour courses may give final examinations during the last scheduled class period, but not during the final exam period.
8.2.3 All final examinations shall be given in accordance with the schedule published by the Office of the Registrar.
8.3 During the fall and spring semesters, no regular course examinations (except for laboratory and one-hour courses) shall be given after the 14th week of classes.
8.4 In those instances where a student is scheduled for three final examinations in one day, the student may request to reschedule one of the exams. The procedure and associated form for this request are available at http://us.tamu.edu/Students/Final-Exam-Conflict. The student must initiate the request(s) no later than ten workdays before the first day of TAMU final exams. The same procedure, form and deadline applies to Blinn TEAM students and students enrolled in other co-enrollment programs where final examinations between institutions conflict.
8.5 First Professional programs (JD, MD, DDS, DVM, PharmD) may schedule final exams as necessary to satisfy course requirements. These exams should be scheduled in accordance with the program’s approved academic calendar.
8.6 General Rules for Pursuing Credit by Examination
8.6.1 Admitted and/or officially enrolled students are eligible to pursue CBE. Credit cannot be awarded until the student is officially enrolled at Texas A&M University
8.6.2 CBE will be offered routinely for many courses during the school year as indicated by a test schedule available through Testing Services. It is the student’s responsibility to check and comply with this schedule.
8.6.3 A student may claim CBE credits at any point during their undergraduate program. Once claimed, credit cannot be declined. The student may claim CBE credit online via the Howdy Portal. This provision is effective for those enrolled under the 2009 catalog forward.
8.6.4 A student may not have credit posted for credit by examination for courses in which they are currently registered or has acquired a grade at Texas A&M other than Q or W or NG.
8.6.5 A student who is enrolled in a course past the Q-drop deadline will lose any CBE credit previously claimed for that course, regardless of the outcome of the course.
8.6.6 First year grade exclusion does not restore eligibility for credit by examination.
8.6.7 All CBE credit is awarded without grade and is not included in the calculation of grade point averages.
8.6.8 There is not a limit to the number of hours that may be earned through the CBE program. Credit earned through the CBE program, however, does not apply toward meeting university residence requirements. Credit by examination that does not apply towards a student’s degree plan may make him or her ineligible for a tuition rebate. Contact the Office of the Registrar for details.
8.6.9 Credit earned by examination will not jeopardize eligibility for scholarships that require freshman standing.
8.6.10 Students may not receive credit by examination for courses that are prerequisites to courses for which they already have credit except with the approval of the department authorizing the exam.
8.6.11 Only Texas A&M University administrations of appropriate tests or official score reports from an approved testing agency are acceptable for credit, e.g., official reports from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) are required for the College Board SAT II Subject Tests, the Advanced Placement Program and the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Informal score reports or results of special administrations of national tests from other institutions are not accepted for credit.
8.6.12 Officially enrolled students who believe they are proficient in the material of an undergraduate course may request that the offering department provide an appropriate opportunity for credit by examination. Department approval is required before an exam for a given course will be offered. Once completed, the department must notify Testing Services regarding the credit earned.
8.6.13 Credit by Examination requires a student fee that will be used to support such activities as test administration, preparation/selection of exams, scoring, analysis and reporting. Testing Services or academic departments may collect these fees.