At St. Francis, we value the knowledge and skills our students bring from outside our campus – including learning from non-traditional settings. We proudly provide SFC students with opportunities to earn credits through various standardized examinations.
Students can earn Credits for Prior Learning Assessment (PLA), awarded after assessing student learning based on prior work and life experiences, including:
- Industry certifications
- Military coursework
- Employer certification
- Volunteer experience and/or community service
We currently accept credits from faculty-approved exams offered through the following testing providers:
Advanced Placement Course Equivalencies
A program that offers college-level courses at high schools followed by an examination.
Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) CAPE Exams
CXC CAPE provides certification of the academic, vocational, and technical achievement of students in the Commonwealth countries who, having completed a minimum of five years of secondary education, wish to further their studies.
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
General examinations in composition and literature, history and social sciences, and science and mathematics.
DSST - DANTES Subject Standardized Test
A series of 37 examinations in subject areas such as social sciences, math, applied technology, business, physical sciences, and humanities.
International Baccalaureate (IB)
Examinations are administered at a higher level or subsidiary level in English, French, or Spanish.
Military Training Course Equivalencies
All branches of the military can receive credits for training.
New York University Foreign Language Proficiency (NYUFLP)
Offers more than 50 different language-testing examinations to evaluate knowledge of a foreign language.
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)
The ACTFL is a national organization dedicated to improving and expanding the teaching and learning of all languages at all levels of instruction.
ACTFL assessments measure an individual's language ability and proficiency in a specific language. In addition to measuring proficiency acquired through traditional academic environments, ACTFL assessments recognize competency gained through non-traditional settings, regardless of where or how the language was learned. ACTFL assessments have been favorably reviewed for college credit. ACTFL provides these college credit recommendations to higher education institutions for their consideration in awarding college credit for demonstrated proficiency in world languages.
Speakers of Less Commonly Taught Languages
ACTFL assessments include both standard and less commonly taught languages. This way, speakers and learners of less commonly taught languages are provided with the same testing opportunities as those available to speakers and learners of the most widely taught and tested languages.
Summary of College Credit Recommendations by Rating & Test*
ACTFL Assessments
Five assessments are available for earning college credits:
ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI)
The OPI is a valid and reliable means of assessing how well a person speaks a language. It is a 30-minute one-on-one telephonic interview between a certified ACTFL tester and an examinee. The interview is interactive and continuously adapts to the interests and abilities of the speaker.
ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview - computer (OPIc ®)
The OPIc is a 40-minute internet-delivered test that provides accurate and reliable oral proficiency testing. It was developed to emulate the 'live' OPI; a virtual avatar takes the place of a live tester and offers questions based on the interests and experience of the test-taker, which are gathered during the initial survey phase of the test. The test is recorded and assessed by ACTFL Certified Raters, and an official certificate will be issued.
ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test (WPT)
The WPT is a standardized test of global language proficiency in writing; it measures how well a person writes in a language by comparing the performance of specific writing tasks on practical, social, and professional topics.
ACTFL Reading Proficiency Test (RPT)
The RPT is a standardized, internet-delivered test of global language proficiency in reading. RPTs measure how well a person understands written discourse. RPT passages and items address a range of informal/formal speech on general, social, and academic topics. It is auto-graded, and an official certificate is issued.
ACTFL Listening Proficiency Test (LPT)
The LPT is a standardized, internet-delivered test of global language proficiency in listening. LPTs measure how well a person understands spoken discourse. LPT passages and items address a range of informal/formal speech on general, social, and academic topics. It is auto-graded, and an official certificate is issued.
The 10 ACTFL language proficiency ratings are Superior, Advanced High, Advanced Mid, Advanced Low, Intermediate High, Intermediate Mid, Intermediate Low, Novice High, Novice Mid, and Novice Low.
ACTFL RATING |
OPI/OPIc |
WPT |
Novice High/Intermediate Low |
3LD |
3LD |
Intermediate Mid |
6LD |
6LD |
Intermediate High/Advanced Low |
9LD |
6LD + 1UD |
Advanced Mid |
6LD + 3UD |
6LD + 3UD |
Advanced High/Superior |
6LD + 6UD |
6LD + 6UD |
ACTFL RATING |
RPT |
Intermediate High |
2LD |
Advanced Low/Advanced Mid |
3LD |
Advanced Low/Superior |
6LD |
ACTFL RATING |
LPT |
Intermediate Mid/Intermediate High |
3LD |
Advanced Low/Superior |
6LD |