Posted in HS4CC

Watch List: Expiring AP® & CLEP® Exams

If your teen is taking one of these exams, take note. Between now and then we hope to see a renewal, but if we don’t, it’s possible that they won’t be worth college credit at your target college or that we’ll see a content revision. Read more for details.

AP ExamInitial approvalExpiration DateACE-Recommended College Credits
AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based01/01/201712/31/20234
AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism01/01/201712/31/20234
AP Physics C: Mechanics01/01/201712/31/20234
AP Computer Science A01/01/201712/31/20234
AP Physics 101/01/201712/31/20234
AP Statistics12/01/201711/30/20233
AP Psychology12/01/201711/30/20233
AP Music Theory12/01/201711/30/20236
AP Art History12/01/201711/30/20236
08/07/2023
CLEP ExamInitial ApprovalExpiration DateACE-Recommended College Credits
College Composition Modular12/01/201811/30/20233
College Composition12/01/201811/30/20236
Calculus12/01/201811/30/20234
German Language03/01/201511/30/20239
Introductory Business Law12/01/201811/30/20233
Introductory Sociology12/01/201811/30/20233
Introduction to Educational Psychology12/01/201811/30/20233
Human Growth and Development12/01/201811/30/20233
Chemistry12/01/201811/30/20236
Introductory Psychology12/01/201811/30/20233
French Language12/01/201811/30/20239
English Literature12/01/201811/30/20233
History of the United States II: 1865 to the Present12/01/201811/30/20233
American Government12/01/201811/30/20233
History of the United States I: Early Colonization to 187712/01/201811/30/20233
Natural Sciences12/01/201811/30/20236
Humanities12/01/201811/30/20233
08/07/2023

What is the Watch List?

This list helps you plan your Homeschooling for College Credit courses and exams so you can be sure your student doesn’t miss their window to finish a course or exam.

ACE Evaluation?

ACE (American Council on Education) is a third-party credit evaluator that evaluates all types of learning that happens outside of a college.

No ACE evaluation = no college credit.

Which Exams/Courses are ACE Evaluated?

  • Advanced Placement Exams
  • CLEP Exams
  • DSST Exams
  • American Dream Academy Courses
  • ALEKS Corporation—McGraw Hill Courses
  • Saylor Academy Courses
  • Sophia Courses
  • Straighterline Courses
  • Study.com Courses
  • GED Exam
  • Statistics.com Courses
  • SeeMore Impact Labs (formerly CSM Learn) Courses
  • Penn Foster College Courses
  • Gateway Education Courses
  • Texas Engineering Extension Service TEEX Courses

Why do I care?

ACE evaluations always expire. There is no such thing as being worth college credit “forever” so it’s in your best interest to know when your teen’s classes are approaching expiration . Businesses will not announce pending expiration dates ($) and ACE is not in the business of consumer advocacy, so if you don’t watch the dates, no one will tell you.

When a course or exam expires, one of 3 things will happen.

  1. The course or exam may be discontinued.
  2. The course or exam may be revised.
  3. The course or exam will be renewed for another 3 years.

We can’t know which of the 3 things will happen until after it does.

If a course or exam is being discontinued, you must have finished it before the discontinuation date for it to be worth college credit.

If a course or exam is revised, the scope of the content may change, the credit value raised or reduced, or the level may be raised or reduced.

If a course is renewed, nothing significant changed.

What Usually Happens: Renewal

Usually, a course or exam that is still popular and selling well is renewed and any possible gap in the date range is back-dated by ACE to cover the students who may have completed a course or exam during the gap. In companies that have been around for a very long time, renewal usually happens and the consumer is none the wiser. If you’re in the middle of a course that renews, nothing changes.

Don’t Panic, But Be Aware

A company selling college credit classes and exams loses their revenue when a course expires, so companies are HIGHLY MOTIVATED to make sure the course or exam gets renewed. The College Board sold over 4 million AP exams last year (2022) at a cost of $97 each. They have 388 million reasons to make sure their exams are renewed.

What to do?

  1. Watch and wait.
  2. If you’re close to finishing the course or taking the exam, do it before the expiration date.
  3. If you use this company’s courses or exams in your homeschool, send them an email and ask them to renew their ACE evaluation – it makes a huge difference!

Author:

Executive Director of Homeschooling for College Credit