Students may be exempted from certain course requirements and/or prerequisites by taking placement tests, receiving waivers, and achieving certain scores on AP or IB exams. Students should provide official test scores to UNCG as soon as possible in order for eligible course credits to be applied to their transcripts.
AP, IB, and Cambridge credits
UNCG accepts Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (Higher Level and Standard Level), and Cambridge (AS Level and A Level) scores in compliance with UNC system policy (700.10.1 [R]). Students should provide official score reports to UNCG as soon as they are available to allow for eligible credits to be applied to transcripts prior to orientation.
Students can generally expect to receive credit for the following scores:
| Advanced Placement (AP) | 3 or higher |
| International Baccalaureate (Higher Level) | 4 or higher |
| International Baccalaureate (Standard Level) | 5 or higher |
| Cambridge (AS Level, A Level) | C or higher |
Course equivalencies and credit awarding are up to the discretion of academic departments if they wish to accept lower scores, change credit, or accept new exams. Equivalencies for Standardized Tests can be found under the District of Columbia in the UNCG Transfer Credit Planner.
UNCG-administered placement tests
Students with prior experience in math and foreign language courses prior to attending UNCG may be required to take a placement test. The test could exempt them from their department’s foreign language requirement or allow them to register for classes starting at a higher level. Placement tests are available in the following areas:
American Sign Language
- Available to students with prior ASL experience, students who are deaf or hard of hearing (or who are native signers), and transfer students seeking a degree in Interpreting, Deaf Education, Advocacy and Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (IDEAS).
- Placement exams are required for SES 102 (American Sign Language II) and up.
- Students pursuing other majors that would like to take the ASL placement exam should contact Karen Denaples at kmdenapl@uncg.edu in the Languages, Literatures, and Cultures department.
French, German, Russian, and Spanish
- Required for every student who has taken high school foreign language (but has no college-level language credits), and heritage speakers with limited knowledge of the language.
- Recommended for transfer students with foreign language credit (to determine their best starting point).
- Students should contact the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (LLC)
Latin
- Required for every student who has taken Latin at the high school level within the last three years.
- Contact the Classical Studies Department for more information.
Mathematics
- Recommended for science or business majors with very strong backgrounds in precalculus or calculus.
- Not required for any student.
- Students should consult (at least two months prior to the beginning of a semester via matplace@uncg.edu) with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics in order to discuss the possibility of taking the Mathematics Placement Test.
Foreign language waiver or substitution
Students whose high school courses were taught in a foreign language may document their proficiency with a high school transcript to receive a CIC foreign language waiver.
A student who can demonstrate 80% written and 60% verbal proficiency of a foreign language should take the placement test. For more information visit UNCG Curriculum and the Study of Foreign Language FAQ.
Foreign language substitution appeals for students with disabilities should be directed to Nancy Bucknall in CASA. Foreign language waiver appeals for major or cognate requirements should be directed to the student’s academic department.
English Language Proficiency Waiver for International Students
For Undergraduate Students the English Language Proficiency Score is waived with an English Composition grade of C minimum from an accredited U.S. college/university, INTERLINK Level 5, or U.S. English Academic Program. Students graduating from International High Schools/Academies where the curriculum is taught exclusively in English are exempt from the English Language Proficiency requirement. Students graduating from IB Schools are also exempt.
An international applicant is automatically considered English Proficient under the following circumstances:
- The applicant is from a country where English is recognized as the primary, official language.
- The applicant is or will be a graduate of a U.S. regionally accredited university.
- The applicant is or will be a graduate of a non-U.S. college/university where English is the primary language of instruction.
Note: All newly admitted international students will undergo a UNCG-administered English assessment. Students who may benefit from additional support services in reading, speaking, and writing will be notified of campus resources available to them. International Teaching Assistants may be asked to take ESL 631 before they will be allowed to serve as an Instructor of Record.
International Students enrolling in the Graduate School can find more information here.