Credit Through ADVANCED STANDING or PREVIOUS COMPLETION

Virginia Western Community College awards advanced standing credit to students who demonstrate academic competencies acquired from previous education/testing, training, experience, and on-campus credit-by-exam.  These include:

·        CLEP (College Level Examination Program)

·        AP (Advanced Placement)

·        IBO (International Baccalaureate)

·        Military Training

·        Police Academies

·        Firefighter Certificates

·        CPS (Certified Professional Secretary)

·        Computer Aided Drafting Credit (DRF 201)

·        Early Childhood Development Credit

·        Locally developed departmental examinations

·        Previous Completion / Work Experience

Curriculum Placed Students Only

To be eligible to apply for advanced standing credit, a student must be admitted to Virginia Western and officially placed in a curriculum. 

Advanced Standing / Graduation Requirements

There is no limit to the number of credits that may be awarded through advanced credit, but credit achieved through advanced standing may not be used to fulfill the graduation residency requirement.  A minimum of 25% of the credit required in the graduation curriculum must be earned at Virginia Western.

General Information

Credit awarded for CLEP, AP, departmental challenge exams, and credit for work experience will satisfy VWCC curriculum requirements, but will not necessarily transfer to another institution.  Students desiring to transfer credit awarded via these methods should contact their college of interest and determine its policy.  However, appropriate credit, when awarded, will be listed on the student’s official VWCC transcript.

Students desiring to earn college credit through one of the above advanced standing methods should contact the Admissions, Counseling, or Records Offices.  Students wishing to take a locally developed departmental exam should contact the appropriate division office in which the course is taught.

                                                Records Office:          540-857-7236

Admissions Office:     540-857-7231

Counseling Office:     540-857-7237

CLEP (College Level Examination Program)

CLEP is a national program of credit-by-examination that offers students the opportunity to attain college credit for prior academic achievement.  Virginia Western accepts most of the CLEP offered exams, and uses the American Council on Education recommended minimum score of 50 for awarding CLEP credit.  An official copy of the CLEP transcript must be submitted to the VWCC Records Office in order to obtain credit. 

Obtaining CLEP Transcripts

If you did not indicate recipient institution at the time of the CLEP exam and you want to request your CLEP scores, you can do so by ordering an official transcript via the official CLEP web site (http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/exams.html).  The transcript is a cumulative score report of all the CLEP exams the student has taken and the scores earned in the last 20 years. Simply download the Transcript Request Form and mail the completed form with the required payment to CLEP to the address on the form.  You may also call (800) 257-9558 if ordering with a credit card. Please provide your name (at testing time), date of birth, social security number, exam title(s), test date, testing location/center, and where you want your scores to be sent.

Virginia Western Community College currently recognizes the following CLEP exams and equivalent course credit: 

AP (Advanced Placement)

Many area high schools offer Advanced Placement (AP) or honors courses to their students giving them the opportunity to complete college level work while attending high school.  A minimum Advanced Placement score of 3 or 4 (depending on the course) is required for credit at Virginia Western.  An official copy of the AP transcript must be submitted to the VWCC Records Office in order to obtain credit. 

Obtaining AP Transcripts

Students can order an AP official transcript by contacting AP Services:

                AP Services
                P.O. Box 6671
                Princeton, NJ 08541-6671
                Phone: (609) 771-7300 or (888) 225-5427

Once received, credit may be awarded in the following disciplines:

IBO (International Baccalaureate Organization)

Students who have completed the Standard Level certificate with a score of 4 to 7 in the International Baccalaureate program may be granted advanced standing credit for a variety of courses. 

Students requesting IB credit must have an official transcript sent from the International Baccalaureate Organization to the VWCC Records Office in order to be considered for credit.  You can contact the IB Organization at:

                International Baccalaureate Organization

                200 Madison Avenue, Suite 2007

                New York, NY 10016

Credit for Military Training

A student’s military training, courses, and occupational specialty can all be considered for college credit. As a participating member of Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC), Virginia Western follows the American Council on Education’s (ACE) Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services in determining the value of learning acquired in military service when applicable to the service member’s program of study.  Military service credit in the occupational/technical areas (i.e., Engineering) may require approval by the appropriate division dean prior to award.

In order to receive credit for your military training, the student must submit a military transcript which includes the ACE recommended credit, and initiate a request for evaluation to the VWCC Records Office. Note:  If the student submits only the DD214 and no military transcript, only credit for HLT 110 will be awarded.  Students who have completed basic training, regardless of the date of military experience, may receive credit for HLT 110.

Each branch of the service has its own transcript request service.  Depending on the branch in which you served, a transcript can be requested from the following agencies:

Police Academy Certificates

Per the Articulation Agreement between the Virginia Community College System and the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, Virginia Western may grant the following credit for the completion of criminal justice academy programs when a student has successfully documented that they have graduated and have been awarded the appropriate certificate.  Once the appropriate documentation is submitted, credit may be granted in the following courses: