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The University of Wisconsin–Madison grants advanced credit for the successful completion of college-level course work while in high school and for high achievement on Advanced Placement (AP), GCE Advanced Level (A-Level), Cambridge Pre-U, International Baccalaureate (IB), and College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams.
Credits earned may be awarded toward general education requirements, degree requirements, or elective credit. The purpose of awarding advanced credit is to recognize advanced high-quality work, to preclude the duplication of courses, and to provide increased flexibility for students who wish to complete two majors, earn a certificate, or graduate early.
Students will not receive credit for multiple exams that award credit for the same or similar content. It is possible to earn credit more than once for transfer elective courses, such as GEN ELCT X12. Transfer electives can be identified by the X in front of the course number. These policies are subject to changes and updates pending review by academic departments and approval by the University Curriculum Committee.
What Credit is Earned?
The following credit awarded is based on the current academic year. If any of the tests below were taken in previous years, they may be subject to receive different credit.
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Advanced Placement (AP)
We award course exemptions and college credit to students with exam scores of 3, 4, or 5. To earn AP credit, students must have their official AP grade report sent directly to the Office of Admissions and Recruitment from the College Board. Our AP code is 1846. Please note that if you have taken an AP exam 3 or more years ago, you will need to contact College Board directly for a physical copy of your results to be sent to the UW-Madison Office of Admissions. Review the chart below to see how AP credit will be awarded.
| AP Exam | Score | Credits | Course | Gen Ed | Breadth | Level |
| Art Studio -2-D Design | 3-5 | 3 | GEN ELCT X12 | E | ||
| Art Studio – 3-D Design | 3-5 | 3 | GEN ELCT X12 | E | ||
| Art Studio – Drawing Portfolio | 3-5 | 3 | GEN ELCT X12 | E | ||
| Art History | 3 | 3 | HUMNTIES X11 | H | E | |
| 4-5 | 4 | ART HIST X14 | H | E | ||
| Biology | 3 | 3 | BIO SCI X01 | B | E | |
| 4-5 | 5 | ZOOLOGY 151 | B | E | ||
| Calculus AB or AB sub score* | 3 | 3 | MATH X03 | QR-A | N | I |
| 4-5 | 5 | MATH 221 | QR-B | N | I | |
| Calculus BC* | 3 | 3 | MATH X03 | QR-A | N | I |
| 4-5 | 9 | MATH 221 and 222 | QR-B | N | I | |
| Chemistry | 3 | 3 | CHEM X15 | P | E | |
| 4-5 | 3 | CHEM 103 | P | E | ||
| Chinese | 3 | 2 | ASIALANG X10 | E | ||
| 4-5 | 4 | ASIALANG X10 | E | |||
| Comp Sci A | 3-5 | 3 | COMP SCI 200 | QR-B | N | E |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | 3 | GEN ELCT X12 | E | ||
| 4-5 | 3 | COMP SCI 202 | QR-A | N | E | |
| Econ Macro | 3 | 3 | GEN ELCT X12 | E | ||
| 4-5 | 4 | ECON 102 | S | E | ||
| Econ Micro | 3 | 3 | GEN ELCT X12 | E | ||
| 4-5 | 4 | ECON 101 | QR-B | S | E | |
| English Lang & Comp | 3 | 3 | ENGL X02 | E | ||
| 4-5 | 3 | ENGL X04 | COMM A | E | ||
| English Literature & Comp | 3 | 3 | LIT X10 | L | E | |
| 4-5 | 3 | ENGL X25 | COMM A | L | E | |
| Environmental Science | 3-5 | 3 | BIO SCI X12 | B | E | |
| French Language | 3 | 4 | FRENCH 203 | I | ||
| 4 | 4 | FRENCH 204 | I | |||
| 5 | 4 | FRENCH 228 | I | |||
| French Literature | 3 | 3 | FRENCH X13 | I | ||
| 4-5 | 4 | FRENCH 271 | L | I | ||
| German Language | 3 | 3 | GERMAN X13 | I | ||
| 4-5 | 3 | GERMAN 249 | I | |||
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | POLI SCI X20 | S | E | |
| 4-5 | 4 | POLI SCI 120 | S | E | ||
| US Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | POLI SCI X20 | S | E | |
| 4-5 | 4 | POLI SCI 104 | S | E | ||
| European History | 3 | 3 | GEN ELCT X12 | E | ||
| 4-5 | 3 | HISTORY X13 | E | |||
| US History | 3 | 3 | GEN ELCT X12 | E | ||
| 4-5 | 3 | HISTORY X13 | E | |||
| World History | 3 | 3 | GEN ELCT X12 | E | ||
| 4-5 | 3 | HISTORY X13 | E | |||
| Human Geography | 3 | 3 | GEOG X12 | E | ||
| 4-5 | 3 | GEOG X22 | S | E | ||
| Italian Language | 3-4 | 4 | ITALIAN 204 | I | ||
| 5 | 4 | ITALIAN 452 | I | |||
| Japanese | 3 | 2 | ASIALANG X10 | E | ||
| 4-5 | 4 | ASIALANG X10 | E | |||
| Latin Literature | 3-5 | 8 | LATIN 103 and 104 | E | ||
| Latin Vergil | 3-5 | 8 | LATIN 103 and 104 | E | ||
| Music Theory | 3-5 | 3 | MUSIC 151 | H | E | |
| Physics 1+ | 3 | 3 | PHYSICS X15 | P | E | |
| 4-5 | 4 | PHYSICS 103 | QR-B | P | E | |
| Physics 2+ | 3 | 3 | PHYSICS X15 | P | E | |
| 4-5 | 4 | PHYSICS 104 | P | E | ||
| Physics C Electric and Magnetism + | 3 | 3 | PHYSICS X15 | P | E | |
| 4-5 | 5 | PHYSICS 208 | P | I | ||
| Physics C Mechanics + | 3 | 3 | PHYSICS X15 | P | E | |
| 4-5 | 5 | PHYSICS 207 | QR-B | P | I | |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 | PSYCH X19 | S | E | |
| 4-5 | 3 | PSYCH 202 | S | E | ||
| Research | 3-5 | 3 | GEN ELCT X10 | |||
| Seminar | 3-5 | 3 | GEN ELCT X12 | E | ||
| Spanish Language | 3-4 | 4 | SPANISH 204 | I | ||
| 5 | 3 | SPANISH 226 | A | |||
| Spanish Literature | 3 | 4 | SPANISH 204 | I | ||
| 4-5 | 3 | SPANISH 224 | L | I | ||
| Statistics | 3 | 3 | STAT X10 | E | ||
| 4-5 | 3 | STAT 301 | QR-B | N | I |
* A maximum of 9 credits will be awarded between AP Calculus AB, AB Subscore, and BC.
+ Students may earn credit for either AP Physics 1 & 2 or AP Physics EM & M, but not both.
Advanced Level (A-Level)
NOTE: The university will grant academic credit for students’ final A-Level results in 2020 as we have in previous years.
In many cases, students may receive advanced standing credit for some A-Level exams. After a student has been admitted, Credit Evaluation Services will perform an official evaluation of credit for A-Level exam results. To grant credit, an official copy of the Statement of Provisional Results from the examination board must be submitted to the Office of Admissions and Recruitment. Credits will not be posted from internal school transcripts. Review the chart below to see how A-Level credit will be awarded. Examinations not listed in this chart will be evaluated by Credit Evaluation Services for appropriate advanced standing credit.
- No credit granted for grades of “F.”
- No credit granted for AS-Levels.
- No credit granted for CAPE single unit/Unit 1.
- No credit granted for Singapore-Cambridge H1 and H3 Levels.
- No credit granted for Sri Lankan A-Levels.
| AQA A Level Subject | Score | Credits | Course | Gen Ed | Breadth | Level |
| Chemistry | A-D | 9 | CHEM 103 and 104 | P | E | |
| E | 5 | CHEM 103 | P | E | ||
| Drama & Theatre | A-E | 4 | THEATRE X18 | L | E | |
| English Literature | A-E | 10 | ENGLISH X19 | L | E | |
| French | A-E | 6 | French 227 and 228 | I | ||
| German | A-E | 3 | GERMAN X19 | L | I | |
| Physics | A-E | 8 | PHYSICS 103 and 104 | QR-B | P | E |
| Psychology | A-E | 8 | PSYCH 202 (4 cr) or PSYCH X15 (4 cr) | S | E | |
| Statistics | A-E | 3 | Statistics 301 | QR-A | N | I |
| Caribbean CAPE Subject | Score | Credit | Course | Gen Ed | Breadth | Level |
| Biology Unit 2 | 1-3 | 5 | ZOOLOGY 151 | B | E | |
| Chemistry Unit 2 | 1-3 | 9 | CHEM 103 and 104 | P | E | |
| Computer Science Unit 2 | 1-3 | 4 | COMP SCI 368 and COMP SCI X13 | I | ||
| Economics Unit 2 | 1-3 | 8 | ECON 101 and 102 | QR-B | S | E |
| 4-5 | 6 | GEN ELCT X10 | ||||
| Pure Math Unit 2 | 1-3 | 14 | MATH 114, MATH 221, and MATH 222 |
QR-A QR-B QR-B |
N N |
E I I |
| Malaysian STPM Subject | Score | Credits | Course | Gen Ed | Breadth | Level |
| Accounting | NO CREDIT | |||||
| Biology | A-D | 10 | ZOOLOGY 151 and BIOSCI X12 |
B | E | |
| Chemistry | A-C | 9 | CHEM 103 and 104 | P | E | |
| D | 4 | CHEM 103 | P | E | ||
| Malay | A-D | 6 | ASIAN X12 and ASIAN X13 |
H L |
I I |
|
| Mathematics T | A-D | 10 | MATH 114 and MATH 221 |
QR-A QR-B |
N | E I |
| OCR A-Level Subject | Score | Credits | Courses | Gen Ed | Breadth | Level |
| Biology | A-E | 10 | BOTANY 130 and Zoology 101 & 102 | B | E | |
| Chemistry | A-D | 9 | CHEM 103 and 104 | P | E | |
| E | 4 | CHEM 103 | P | E | ||
| Mathematics | A-E | 5 | MATH 221 | QR-B | N | I |
| Media Studies | A-E | 6 | JOURN X14 | E | ||
| Psychology | A-E | 8 | PSYCH 202 (4 cr) PSYCH X15 (4 cr) |
S | E | |
| Religious Studies | A-E | 3 | RELIG ST X15 | H | E | |
| Spanish | A-E | 8 | SPAN 204 and 226 | I | ||
| Singapore Cambridge A-Level Subject | Score | Credits | Course | Gen Ed | Breadth | Level |
| Biology H2 | A-E | 10 | BOTANY 130 and ZOOLOGY 101 & 102 | B | E | |
| Chemistry H2 | A-D | 9 | CHEM 103 and 104 | P | E | |
| E | 4 | CHEM 103 | P | E | ||
| English H2 | A-E | 6 | ENGL X19 | L | E | |
| Economics H2 | A-E | 8 | ECON 101 and 102 | QR-B | S | E |
| Further Math H2 | A-E | 5 | MATH X15 | N | I | |
| Geography H2 | A-E | 10 | GEOG X18 (5 cr) GEOG X22 (5 cr) |
P S |
E E |
|
| History H2 | A-E | 10 | HIST X29 | Z | E | |
| Mathematics H2 | A-E | 5 | MATH 221 | QR-B | N | I |
| Physics H2 | A-E | 8 | PHYSICS 103 and 104 | QR-B | P | E |
| University of Cambridge CIE A-Level Subject | Score | Credits | Course | Gen Ed | Breadth | Level |
| Accounting | A-E | 3 | ACCT IS 100 | |||
| Biology | A-E | 10 | BOTANY 130 and ZOOLOGY 101 & 102 | B | E | |
| Chemistry | A-D | 9 | CHEM 103 and 104 | P | E | |
| E | 4 | CHEM 103 | P | E | ||
| Computer Science | A-E | 3 | COMP SCI 202 | QR-A | N | E |
| Economics | A-E | 8 | ECON 101 and 102 | QR-B | S | E |
| Further Math | A-E | 5 | MATH X15 | N | I | |
| Geography | A-E | 10 | GEOG X18 (5 cr) GEOG X22 (5 cr) |
P S |
E E |
|
| History | A-E | 10 | HIST X29 | Z | E | |
| Mathematics | A-E | 5 | MATH 221 | QR-B | N | I |
| Physics | A-E | 8 | PHYSICS 103 and 104 | QR-B | P | E |
| Psychology | A-E | 8 | PSYCH 202 (4 cr) PSYCH X15 (4 cr) |
S | E | |
| University of London-Edexcel A-Level Subject | Score | Credits | Course | Gen Ed | Breadth | Level |
| Accounting | A-E | 3 | ACCT I S 100 | |||
| Biology | A-E | 10 | BOTANY 130 and ZOOLOGY 101 & 102 | B | E | |
| Chemistry | A-D | 9 | CHEM 103 and 104 | P | E | |
| E | 4 | CHEM 103 | P | E | ||
| Computer Science | NO CREDIT | |||||
| Economics | A-E | 8 | ECON 101 and 102 | QR-B | S | E |
| English Literature | A-E | 10 | ENGL X19 and ENGL X21 |
L L |
E I |
|
| Further Mathematics | A-E | 5 | MATH X15 | QR-B | N | I |
| Geography | A-E | 10 | GEOG X18 (5 cr) GEOG X22 (5 cr) |
P S |
E E |
|
| Government and Politics | A-E | 4 | POLI SCI X20 | S | E | |
| History | A-E | 10 | HISTORY X29 | Z | E | |
| Mathematics | A-E | 5 | MATH 221 | QR-B | N | I |
| Physics | A-E | 8 | PHYSICS 103 and 104 | QR-B | P | E |
Cambridge Pre-U
Cambridge Pre-U may be considered for possible advanced standing credit. Certificates with subject grades of D1 – M3 and P1 (Distinction 1,2,3 , Merit 1,2,3 and Pass 1) are required for advanced standing credit consideration in appropriate Principal Subjects. These standards are tentative and are subject to change. Note: No advanced standing credit is granted for Cambridge Pre-U GPR. Principal Subject examinations are optional and not required for entrance.
| Cambridge Pre-U Subject | Credits | Course | Gen Ed | Breadth | Level |
| Art & Design | 3-4 | ART 448 | |||
| Art History | 4 | ART HIST 201 | H | E | |
| 4 | ART HIST 202 | H | E | ||
| Business & Management | 3 | M H R 300 | |||
| Chemistry (Grades P2 & P3 only) | 4 | CHEM 103 | P | E | |
| Chemistry (Grades D1-M3) | 4 | CHEM 103 | P | E | |
| 5 | CHEM 104 | P | E | ||
| Mathematics | 5 | ||||
| Further Mathematics | 5 | MATH 221 | QR-B | N | I |
| Psychology | 3 | PSYCH 202 | S | E |
International Baccalaureate (IB)
Results of IB examinations are evaluated for academic credit. Advanced standing credit is awarded for higher level (HL) exams only. Students who receive an IB Diploma with a minimum score of 28 are eligible for 3 additional elective credits. IB transcripts must be sent directly to the Office of Admissions and Recruitment from the International Baccalaureate Organization. Review the chart below to see how IB credit will be awarded.
| IB Higher Level Exam | Score | Credits | Course | Gen Ed | Breadth | Level |
| Biology | 4-7 | 5 | ZOOLOGY 151 | B | E | |
| Business Management | 4-7 | 3 | GEN BUS X10 | |||
| Chemistry | 4 or 5 | 4 | CHEM 103 | P | E | |
| 6 or 7 | 9 | CHEM 103 and CHEM 104 | P | E | ||
| Chinese A: Literature | 4-7 | 6 | ASIAN X19 | L | A | |
| Chinese A: Language and Literature | 4-7 | 6 | ASIAN X19 | L | A | |
| Chinese B: Mandarin | 4-7 | 6 | ASIAN X16 | A | ||
| Computer Science | 4-7 | 3 | COMP SCI 200 | QR-B | N | E |
| Design Technology | 4-7 | 3 | GEN ELCT X12 | E | ||
| Economics | 4-7 | 8 | ECON 101 and ECON 102 | QR-B | S | E |
| English A: Literature | 4 | 3 | ENGL X25 | COMM A | L | E |
| 5-7 | 6 | ENGL X25 | COMM A | L | E | |
| English A: Language and Literature | 4 | 3 | ENGL X19 and ENGL X25 | COMM A | L | E |
| 5-7 | 6 | ENGL X19 and ENGL X25 | COMM A | L | E | |
| English B | 4-7 | 6 | ENGL X02 | E | ||
| French A: Literature | 4-7 | 6 | FRENCH X17 | L | A | |
| French A: Language and Literature | 4-7 | 6 | FRENCH X17 | L | A | |
| French B | 4-7 | 6 | FRENCH X10 | A | ||
| Geography | 4-7 | 8 | GEOG 104 and GEOG 127 | S, P | E | |
| German A: Literature | 4-7 | 6 | GERMAN X17 | L | A | |
| German A: Language and Literature | 4-7 | 6 | GERMAN X17 | L | A | |
| German B | 4-7 | 6 | GERMAN X10 | A | ||
| Global Politics | 4-7 | 4 | POLI SCI 120 | S | E | |
| History | 4-7 | 6 | HISTORY X24 | S | E | |
| Indonesian A: Literature | 4-7 | 6 | ASIAN X19 | L | A | |
| Indonesian B | 4-7 | 6 | ASIAN X16 | A | ||
| IT in a Global Society | 4-7 | 3 | COMP SCI X12 | E | ||
| Italian A: Literature | 4-7 | 6 | ITALIAN X16 | L | A | |
| Italian A: Language and Literature | 4-7 | 6 | ITALIAN X16 | L | A | |
| Italian B | 4-7 | 6 | ITALIAN X10 | A | ||
| Japanese A: Literature | 4-7 | 6 | ASIAN X19 | L | A | |
| Japanese A: Language and Literature | 4-7 | 6 | ASIAN X19 | L | A | |
| Japanese B | 4-7 | 6 | ASIAN X16 | A | ||
| Korean A: Literature | 4-7 | 6 | ASIAN X19 | L | A | |
| Korean A: Language and Literature | 4-7 | 6 | ASIAN X19 | L | A | |
| Korean B | 4-7 | 6 | ASIAN X16 | A | ||
| Latin | 4-7 | 6 | LATIN X12 | L | A | |
| Math | 4-7 | 5 | MATH 221 | QR-B | N | I |
| Math with Further Math | 4-7 | 9 | MATH 221 and MATH 222 | QR-B | N | I |
| Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches | 4 | 3 | MATH X03 | QR-A | N | I |
| 5-7 | 5 | MATH 221 | QR-B | N | I | |
| Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation | 4 | 3 | MATH X03 | QR-A | N | I |
| 5-7 | 5 | MATH 211 | QR-B | N | I | |
| Music | 4-7 | 3 | MUSIC X14 | E | ||
| Philosophy | 4-7 | 4 | PHILOS 101 | Z | E | |
| Physics | 4-7 | 8 | PHYSICS 103 and PHYSICS 104 | QR-B | P | E |
| Portuguese A: Literature | 4-7 | 6 | PORTUG X12 | L | A | |
| Portuguese A: Language and Literature | 4-7 | 6 | PORTUG X12 | L | A | |
| Portuguese B | 4-7 | 6 | PORTUG X10 | A | ||
| Psychology | 4-7 | 4 | PSYCH 202 | S | E | |
| Social Anthropology | 4-7 | 3 | ANTHRO 104 | e | S | E |
| Spanish A: Literature | 4-7 | 6 | SPANISH X17 | L | A | |
| Spanish A: Language and Literature | 4-7 | 6 | SPANISH X17 | L | A | |
| Spanish B | 4-7 | 6 | SPANISH X10 | A | ||
| Theatre Arts | 4-7 | 3 | THEATRE X11 | E | ||
| Visual Arts | 4-7 | 3 | GEN ELCT X12 | E |
College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)
CLEP allows students who have gained knowledge through independent study, advanced high school courses, noncredit adult courses, or professional development to take examinations for possible college credit. In order to receive credit, students must earn a minimum score of 65 and take CLEP exams before completing 16 semester hours of college credit. Test credits or college course work taken in high school does not count toward the 16 semester hour requirement. Review the chart below to see how CLEP credit will be awarded.
| CLEP Exam | Min. Score | Credits | Course | Gen Ed | Breadth | Level |
| American Government | 65 | 3 | POLI SCI X20 | S | E | |
| American Literature | 65 | 3 | ENGL X19 | L | E | |
| Analyzing and Interpreting Literature | 65 | 3 | ENGL X19 | L | E | |
| Biology | 65 | 3 | BIO SCI X12 | B | E | |
| Calculus | 65 | 3 | MATH X12 | E | ||
| English Literature | 65 | 3 | ENGL X19 | L | E | |
| Humanities | 65 | 3 | HUMNTIES X11 | H | E | |
| Principles of Macroeconomics | 65 | 3 | ECON X16 | S | E | |
| Principles of Microeconomics | 65 | 3 | ECON X16 | S | E | |
| Natural Sciences | 65 | 3 | NATSCI X11 | N | E | |
| Introduction to Psychology | 65 | 3 | PSYCH X19 | S | E | |
| Social Sciences and History | 65 | 3 | SOC ST X11 | S | E | |
| Introduction to Sociology | 65 | 3 | SOC X17 | S | E |
The 16 college credit limit starts after a student graduates high school and enrolls as a full degree seeking student. Therefore, dual enrollment and test credit (e.g. AP) are not included in the 16 credit limit.
Key
| Gen Ed | Breadth | Level | |||
| COMM A | Communications A | B | Biological Sciences | E | Elementary |
| COMM B | Communications B | H | Humanities | I | Intermediate |
| E | Ethnic Studies | L | Literature | A | Advanced |
| QR-A | Quantitative Reasoning A | N | Natural Sciences | ||
| QR-B | Quantitative Reasoning B | P | Physical Sciences | ||
| S | Social Sciences | ||||
| W | Social or Natural Sciences | ||||
| X | Humanities or Natural Sciences | ||||
| Y | Biological or Social Sciences | ||||
| Z | Humanities or Social Sciences | ||||
FAQs
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All my exam credits only count as elective credits, so they don't count for anything. What can I do?
Transfer courses with descriptions that closely match the descriptions of courses taught at UW–Madison will generally transfer as direct course equivalent credits. For example, an introductory macroeconomics course at your previous institution will likely transfer as our Econ 102 Principles of Macroeconomics. Transfer courses that don’t have direct course equivalents at UW–Madison will transfer as elective credits within the appropriate academic department. For example, a course on the geography of Hawaii would transfer as geography elective credits because UW–Madison does not offer a course with that particular content. Elective credits can satisfy some degree/major requirements similar to how a direct course equivalent does.
In what instances will I not be awarded credit for A-levels?
- No credit granted for grades of “F.”
- No credit granted for AS-Levels.
- No credit granted for CAPE single unit/Unit 1 subjects.
- No credit granted for Singapore-Cambridge H1 and H3 Levels.
- No credit granted for Sri Lankan A-Levels.
I have earned 19 college credits through dual enrollment. Can I still get credit for CLEP?
The 16 college credit limit starts after a student graduates high school and enrolls as post-secondary student. Therefore, dual enrollment and test credit (e.g. AP) are not included in the 16 credit limit.