Before registering for any course with a listed course prerequisite, students are expected to have met the prerequisite requirements or be currently enrolled in a prerequisite course.
Scores from standardized exams and placement tests taken at other institutions may meet prerequisite requirements for some College of DuPage courses. If you meet the qualifying score for the exams outlined below, you may not have to take some placement tests.
Qualifying Exams for Prerequisite Courses
Students with a qualifying ACT score may not have to take some placement tests. Proof of qualifying scores may be submitted to the Testing Center, Student Registration Services, Office of Student Records and COD Centers.
Students with a qualifying SAT score may not have to take some placement tests. Proof of qualifying scores may be submitted to the Testing Center, Student Registration Services, Office of Student Records and COD Centers.
Students with a qualifying IELTS score may not have to take some placement tests. Proof of qualifying scores may be submitted to the Testing Center, Student Registration Services, Office of Student Records and COD Centers.
Students with a qualifying TOEFL score may not have to take some placement tests. Proof of qualifying scores may be submitted to the Testing Center, Student Registration Services, Office of Student Records and COD Centers.
Students who took ACCUPLACER Reading, Writing, or ESL placement tests at another institution may be able to use these scores to meet required prerequisites for courses at COD. Test scores can be submitted through the ACCUPLACER Student Portal or sent to academictesting@cod.edu from the other institution’s testing center.
Students who took an ALEKS PPL test at another institution may be able to use their scores to meet required placement test prerequisites for courses at COD. Only proctored exams will be accepted, and scores must be less than 18 months old. Test scores can be submitted through a student's ALEKS PPL account or sent to alekstesting@cod.edu from the other institution's testing center.
Demonstrated Competency for College Credit
The College of DuPage Credit by Demonstrated Competence program offers you the opportunity to demonstrate your achievement outside the classroom and gain college credit for it. There are two methods for earning credit through this program – Credit by Proficiency and Credit by National Examination. You may complete 42 of the 64 credits needed toward an associate's degree, or up to half of the credits needed toward a certificate through this program.
Credit by National Examination offers you an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge in a particular subject area by submitting scores from the nationally recognized Advanced Placement Program (AP) College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) or International Baccalaureate (IB). In order to receive credit for an accepted exam, official scores must be sent to the College of DuPage Testing Center.
College of DuPage grants credit for course areas in which a student has completed an approved Advanced Placement Program examination with an acceptable score, as determined by the appropriate academic division. In order to receive credit, you must request that the College Board send your official AP score report to us, either at the time of testing or afterward through a score report request.
AP credit policy for exams taken:
Contact testing@cod.edu for more information regarding AP exams taken prior to 2019.
College of DuPage grants credit for course areas in which a student has completed an approved CLEP examination with an acceptable score, as determined by the appropriate academic division. If you have questions about how this credit will apply to your specific program of study, ask your advisor or faculty member.
In order to receive credit, you must request that College Board send your official CLEP score report to us, either at the time of testing or afterward through a Transcript Request Form. Visit collegeboard.org/clep for more information.
The Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy or the Illinois State Biliteracy Commendation are awarded at the High School level for demonstrated proficiency in a foreign language. Illinois high school students with one of these academic achievements can earn college credit by providing an official copy of their Illinois high school transcript with the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy and submitting the ISSB Request Form below no later than three years after graduating from high school to the Office of Student Records.
Students who earn the State Seal will be awarded eight credits of the foreign language and students who receive a State Commendation receive four credits of the foreign language. If the language is not offered at College of DuPage, general degree credits in Humanities is given.
Biliteracy Request Form
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College of DuPage grants credit for course areas in which a student has completed an approved International Baccalaureate (IB) course of study and completed the appropriate examination with an acceptable score, as determined by the appropriate academic division. In order to receive credit, a student must request that the IB office send your official IB score report to us, either at the time of testing or afterward through a score report request.
Contact Information
Academic and Specialized Testing Center, Glen Ellyn - Main Campus
Berg Instructional Center (BIC), Room 2A06/2A08
(630) 942-2401
Email: testing@cod.edu
Testing Hours and Locations