Get CMC Credit for Knowledge & Experience with Challenge Exams

Challenge Exam Requirements & Restrictions

Students may take a challenge exam in lieu of enrolling in and taking a course. A challenge exam is the equivalent of a comprehensive final examination for the course.

Students must be currently enrolled in other classes at Colorado Mountain College to qualify for a challenge exam but prior to completing 18 credits at CMC. Any exams must be requested a minimum of 5 weeks before CMC commencement ceremony for the current semester.

If the student believes they can challenge a class, they should contact their advisor. The advisor will determine if the challenge exam exists and then coordinate an instructor/proctor, date and time of the exam, and registration of the student to the exam.

Upon completion of the exam, the instructor’s evaluation of the student’s performance is sent to the Dean. The Dean will consider this request and make a final determination about award of credit.

If successfully completed with a grade of "C-" or higher, the advisor and Registrar will be notified. The credits allowed for the course will be posted on the student's transcript with a notation indicating the credit was awarded by examination. Challenge exam grades of "D" or "F" will not be posted to the student's transcript.

Current high school students may be granted an exception to the enrollment requirement when testing as part of a high school class. Please contact a College Counselor for more details.

Students may choose to take as many approved challenge exams as they wish but can only attempt one exam per semester for each course.

Challenge Exam Fees

Challenge exams have a non-refundable fee per exam, payable to the registration staff at the student's campus. The fee is due at least one week prior to the examination date. The fees are assessed at 50% of the student's tuition rate.

Available Challenge Exams