Proficiency Exams

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.

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 registered with DRES will have the option to take the proficiency exam(s) with accommodations. Please work with your DRES coordinator to arrange accommodated testing.

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

On-campus exams are offered during scheduled times at the start of each semester. The format is a proctored, in-person paper exam. 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.

Results 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 a few weeks for the credit to show on your transcript, depending on your College Office and their processing times.

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

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.