Credit by Exam

Credit by Exam for Acceleration - No prior instruction

Credit by Exam (CBE) for Acceleration is an assessment option which provides an opportunity to earn grade level or course credit in which no prior formal instruction was completed.  The CBE for Acceleration, CBEA, is designed for a very small percentage of learners who have both academic and emotional needs to advance a grade level (K-8) or a course (high school).  CBEA is not designed for grade level recovery when a student is retained in a previous grade level. The only students that should take exams for acceleration are those who display an extremely advanced level of understanding of all learning objectives assessed by the CBE, which will be the grade level/course above the grade level/course in which a learner is currently enrolled.  The district will cover the exam fees as long as exams are ordered within the testing windows set by the district and taken on a PFISD campus.  Reference our Frequently Asked Questions document to learn more about the CBE testing process. 

Credit by Exam - Prior Instruction

Credit by exam to earn course credit when a student has had prior instruction may occur under the following conditions:

• The student is enrolling in the District from a non-acceredited private, public, or homeschool; 
• The student has failed a subject or course and credit recovery or summer school is not available for the course;
• The student has earned a passing grade in a subject or course but has failed to earn credit because of excessive absences; 

Students with prior formal instruction in a course must demonstrate a 70% or higher to earn credit.  The district will only provide testing for the first condition; other conditions will need to arrange testing through the UT system with district approval. Check with your campus counselor to determine options available at the campus for credit recovery. 

There are two types of Credit by Exam (state definitions):

Credit by Exam for Acceleration Local Procedures and Processes:

With the exception of Kindergarten, all students will need to meet the 80% or above standard for each course taken in order to be considered for promotion or credit.  In grades 1-8 students need to meet the 80% or above standard in all core subjects listed at the grade level for promotion.  Students may only accelerate past one level per year.  In grades 9-12, students may accelerate by single subject.  CBE's may only be attempted once per testing window and only two total attempts may be offered.  

Process:

Credit by Exam for Acceleration Timeline

FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS:
**Credit by examination, TEC 28.023(c) requires a school district to award a student credit on the basis of a successful score on an examination and to enter the examination score on the student's transcript. Students may use credit by examination to fulfill their course requirements.

CBE for Acceleration Forms and Resources

Registration Forms

• Grades K-5: Elementary - English
• Grades K-5: Elementary-Spanish
• Grades 6-8: Middle School - English
• Grades 6-8: Middle School - Spanish
• Grades 9-12: High School - English
• Grades 9-12: High School - Spanish

Study Resources

• Grades K-12: Study Guides - The University of Texas
• Grades K-12: Study Guides - Texas Tech University
  
  All tests will be ordered from The University of Texas unless there is no test available in which the test will come from Texas Tech University. Learn more about the exams at: University of Texas| Texas Tech University 
  
  Please contact your child's school counselor for information and registration. All registrations must come from PfISD campuses to ensure that correct exams are requested and that campuses have a plan in place to administer the tests.  Most CBE's in PfISD are ordered through the University of Texas.