Many exams allow students to try and earn proficiency credit on-campus. Proficiency exams are offered at various times depending on the department. Visit the Placement & Proficiency Website for All Available Exams

Economics Proficiency Exams

We offer Proficiency Exams for Microeconomic Principles (ECON 102) & Macroeconomic Principles (ECON 103) to current Illinois students at the beginning of each Fall and Spring semester on campus.

  • Micro & Macro exams may only be attempted one time each
    • No-showing for the exam without following cancellation procedures will count as an attempt
  • Students are given 2 hours to take the exam (may finish early)
  • Exams are multiple-choice with 40 questions
  • The passing score is 85% and demonstrates knowledge within the subject area

Click on the items below to expand the information

Important Information about Earning Credit

Duplicate credit earned through AP, IB, departmental examinations or any other means will not be granted. This means, for example, that if you already earned ECON 102 credit through the AP Microeconomics exam, or you took ECON 102 at another institution and transferred the course to Illinois, you cannot take the ECON 102 exam or earn credit again. Credit for a particular course will be awarded only once. Students should NOT register for proficiency exams unless they confirm they do not already have credit for the course. Please refer to the Student Code to ensure you are following all set guidelines. Students who have ECON 1-- credit from AP exams are able to take the proficiency exam to earn credit.

Credit earned in proficiency exams taken on this campus will count towards the degree and will be considered on-campus credit, with the exception of languages (as they do not count towards credit). Please speak with your Academic Advisor to verify how these fit within your course plan.

Proficiency Exam Content

The material tested in the exams is equivalent to the content taught in our introductory-level courses. Students may utilize any/all introductory level texts to prepare for the exam. 

These examinations demand more than an elementary acquaintance with the course material. The student must have solid command of the concepts and problem solving skills for the course and therefore should attempt a proficiency examination only after proper study and preparation.

Course information can be found within our Econ Syllabi
Syllabi include the reading materials for the various sections, but any Introductory Micro or Macro textbook should be sufficient.
We also recommend using Economics Learning Guides to refresh your knowledge of these subjects.

Students Needing Accommodations

Students registered with DRES will have the option to take the proficiency exam(s) with accommodations. Please email econug@illinois.edu to coordinate directly. 

Students not currently registered with DRES who feel they need testing accommodations should visit the Disability Resources & Educational Services (DRES) website.

On-Campus Written Exam

On-campus exams are offered during scheduled times (typically at the start of each semester), and are offered in written/paper format (proctored on-site). Upcoming dates are listed below. Students must register in advance and, due to limited space we are unable to accommodate registrations beyond a set capacity. There is no cost to take the on-campus proficiency exam(s).

Room location and further details will be emailed to registered students.

Exam Results

Results for the exam will be emailed to the student within three weeks of the exam. Our office will coordinate with College Offices to provide credit to students who pass the exam. Typically, it will take around one month for the credit to show on your transcript, depending on the College Office.

Please contact our office if you have questions: econug@illinois.edu

Passing

Students must receive an 85.00% or above in order to receive proficiency credit. Our office will email results within 3 weeks of the exam with pass/fail notification. Answers to the exam are not provided.

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Upcoming Economics Proficiency Exams

Term Date(s) Location Registration
Fall 2024

August 30, 2024 1:30-3:50 PM

September 6, 2024 1:30-3:50 PM

Will be emailed to registrants Registration will open August 9, 2024
Spring 2025 (January) Exact Dates and Times TBA Will be emailed to registrants TBA

Cancellations & Missed Exams

If you would like to cancel your exam reservation, please email econug@illinois.edu at least 24 hours before your scheduled exam. Only one cancellation per exam will be allowed. 

Students who miss the exam without notifying the Department of Economics will not be provided another attempt to take that exam, unless approved by the Undergraduate Office.