Prior Learning Assessment
Important Notice
The Transfer Evaluations Office takes care of matriculated undergraduate students only.
Graduate students should contact Graduate Admissions for assistance.
Prior learning assessment (PLA) is a student-centered and faculty-driven process for awarding students college credit for demonstrated knowledge. The Brooklyn College Prior Learning Assessment program will be administered through the Transfer Evaluation Office—Enrollment Management Division in collaboration with the faculty.
Brooklyn College recognizes that students may acquire college credit to that obtained through completion of courses through their professional experience or other methods of instruction. Prior knowledge may be demonstrated in three ways: standardized examinations by nationally recognized external testing organizations, examinations administered internally by Brooklyn College, and portfolio assessment.
Policies for PLA Awarded by External Standardized Examination
Credit for prior learning can be earned through standardized tests administered by nationally recognized testing organizations. Students must submit all scores directly to the Transfer Evaluation Office. Scores for each of these national recognized tests has been established. Brooklyn College will grant credits for scores only within the acceptable parameters already determined by the college as equivalent to college level work. The following standardized tests are currently accepted at Brooklyn College:*
- Advanced Placement (AP): 3 or above
- Advanced International Certificate of Education Program (AICE): E or better (US equivalent of C or better)
- DSST (DANTES): 400 or above on Criterion Referenced test or 45 or above on Norm Referenced test
- Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT): 3 or better
- College Level Examination Program (CLEP): 50 or better
- Higher Level courses in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization Diploma Program: 5 or better
- 30 credits to students who have completed an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma with a score of 30 or higher.
- Excelsior College Exams (UEXCEL): C or better
Course equivalencies for the standardized tests are determined by academic units' evaluators of the departments that offer the course or field of study. Course equivalencies for credit by standard examination are listed on our webpage; equivalencies may be updated or modified throughout the year.
*Faculty may elect to grant elective credits for the acceptable examinations scores or may select to grant course work that will count toward the major/minor/college option or Pathway requirements. They also have the liberty to require having the student take a test to demonstrate learning outcome level, which will help them determine the awarding course credit based on standardized examinations and the additional international examination.
Fees: None.
Policies for PLA Awarded by Internally Administered Examinations
Credit for prior learning can be awarded through examinations created and administered by academic units' evaluator that offer the course. The examination is constructed to allow the student to demonstrate mastery of the learning outcomes of the course. Students should contact the academic unit to discuss which courses can be granted based on an exam.
Students may repeat an examination one time. No exam may be repeated before 30 business days have passed.
If the student has passed the exam within the parameters determined by the academic unit, the approval and its equivalencies must be communicated to the Transfer Evaluation Office for processing.
Fees: Free
Policies for PLA Awarded by Portfolio Assessment
Credit for prior learning can be awarded through a portfolio assessment process managed by an academic department at Brooklyn College.
Whether internal or external, prior learning assessment by portfolio assessment will follow a course-equivalency credit model. Students demonstrate college-level learning by submitting a portfolio consisting of an organized collection of evidence that demonstrates mastery of the learning outcomes of a specific course offered at Brooklyn College.
Internal Portfolio Analysis
To submit a portfolio for assessment, students must contact the department offering the course and follow the schedule established by the department. Once the examination is completed, the department will notify the student of the results within thirty days. Notification will simply indicate whether credit will be awarded. The portfolio will be returned unmarked.
Courses eligible for credit by internal portfolio assessment are determined by the department that offers the course.
Students may submit a portfolio for assessment no more than two times for a given course. The second portfolio cannot be submitted within 30 business days of notification of the outcome of the initial submission.
All portfolio assessments will be completed by discipline-appropriate faculty trained in assessing portfolios for credit. Departments offering prior learning assessment by portfolio will establish rubrics to guide faculty assessment and scoring.
Once the department has concluded that a successful assessment of the portfolio has occurred and has determined an appropriate course equivalency, it will communicate with the Transfer Evaluation Office for processing.
Fees for portfolio assessments will be paid to Brooklyn College: Fees will be determined at the time of the approved portfolio assessment submission.
