Frequently Asked Questions
No question about ACE college credit recommendations is
stupid—in fact, we can even answer the most common questions right
here. If we don't answer your question here, please contact
us, and we'll get back to you with the information you are looking
for.
How are ACE college credit recommendations
used?
ACE CREDIT recommendations are used primarily to obtain college
credit or advanced college placement. It also may be possible to use the
credit recommendations for entry into new areas for employment, job
advancement, salary benefits, and personal
assessment. (top)
How do I find out if my training has earned
ACE college credit recommendations?
All credit recommendations for examinations and certifications are listed
on our site for your convenience. The CREDIT web site also lists all
ACE-reviewed
training providers that have had their courses and apprenticeship
programs. If your training organization is listed, send an e-mail citing the exact name of
the course or apprenticeship program, the dates you were enrolled, and
the location.
If you served in a branch of the military, be
sure to also check if ACE has evaluated your military
training. (top)
Do I automatically earn college credit when I
successfully complete a course or examination that has been reviewed by
ACE?
No. Successful completion of such a course or examination results in
actual course credit only when the course is accepted toward a degree or
certificate at a postsecondary institution. If you have already taken
one of the courses or examinations, or plan to take one, you should
contact the admissions office at the college you plan to attend to determine the acceptability of the course for academic
credit. (top )
How can I get documentation of ACE college
credit recommendations for workplace training that I have earned?
You can request one of two transcripts that ACE produces to document
your workplace learning:
What exactly is a CEU and can I get college
credit for it?
A continuing education unit (CEU) is used to evaluate and measure
participation in continuing education and learning activities. One CEU
is provided for every 10 hours engaged in a learning activity. For
instance, a 25-hour workshop would translate to 2.5 CEUs. These CEUs are
not equivalent to college-level experience—they are used mostly to
satisfy employer and state licensure and certification requirements.
CEUs also may be helpful to document specific job-related skills.
ACE recommends that adult learners visit the International Association
for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) web site to
connect with IACET-approved CEU providers that uphold CEU criteria and
guidelines for quality continuing
education. (top)
How much credit is each course or examination
worth?
We review each course or examination individually, and we publish the
resulting college credit recommendation in our guides.
Admissions officials and registrars then use the guides to determine the
number of credits they will accept at their
institution when you apply for a program of study. (top)
If a college or university is listed as a
cooperating institution in the guides, are they compelled to accept
credit recommendations?
No. ACE makes credit recommendations. Participating colleges
and universities agree to consider our recommendations.
A college is not required to grant as much credit as is recommended
by the reviewers, nor is a college limited to granting only that
recommended amount of credit. Some institutions may choose to waive a
particular course based on the recommendations instead of granting
credit hours for your prior learning. Each institution, and, in many
cases, each academic unit and department within each institution, sets
its own policies for granting credit. (top)
What should I do if a college or university
rejects credit recommendations for a course or examination that I have
taken?
First, find out the reason for the rejection. Is it because the
course content does not fit into the curriculum and you have no room
left for elective credit in your degree? Or have you already reached the
limit of transfer credits that the college will accept?
If the answer is yes in either case, it is unlikely you can do much
without actually changing degree programs or colleges.
If, however, the rejection is the result of a
departmental or institutional policy not to accept any non-collegiate
credit, you might want to consider writing a carefully thought-out
letter of appeal to the academic dean or provost at the college.
In addition, you should contact
us so that we can provide the recipient of your letter with
additional information on the course and examination review process. You
may contact our office through e-mail at credit@ace.nche.edu, by calling
(202) 939-9434, or by writing to the College Credit Recommendation
Service, American Council on Education, One Dupont Circle NW,
Washington, DC 20036. (top)
What does PDF mean? And how do I open PDF
documents that I download from the ACE web site?
PDF, or portable document format, is a convenient and popular method
for distributing information electronically. For example, the U.S.
Internal Revenue Service provides PDF versions of the many tax forms and
booklets available on its web site. A PDF document is compatible with
Windows, Macintosh, and Unix-based computers, which means that the
document can be read on screen and printed from nearly any computer. In
addition, a PDF document retains all the formatting and fonts of the
original copy and can easily fit on a standard floppy disk.
In order to access the many PDF documents available on the ACE web
site, you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer.
This small software program is available free from Adobe Systems, Inc.
Use the convenient link below to download the Acrobat Reader appropriate
for your computer system and follow the installation procedures. Please
refer any troubleshooting questions to Adobe Systems, Inc.
Adobe Systems Incorporated (top)
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