Test-out Exams

What is a Test-out Exam?

Students who believe they have already obtained the knowledge and skills covered in a CSSE course through prior coursework, self-study, work experience, or other learning may attempt to test out of that course by passing a comprehensive exam. Successfully testing out allows a student to earn course credit without enrolling in the class.

Mastery of Skills

Test-out exams require complete mastery of all course materials. Passing a similar course previously does not always guarantee readiness to test out at the college level. Many CSSE courses assume fluency with prerequisite concepts, including programming syntax, problem-solving skills, algorithms, data structures, and computational thinking.

For example, if you have prior programming experience but cannot comfortably write, trace, and debug programs, or apply prerequisite concepts independently, you should complete the course rather than attempt to test out. Since CSSE courses build sequentially, instructors will assume prerequisite knowledge has already been mastered and will not review it.

Courses Eligible for Test-out

Test-out exams may be given in the following CSSE courses:

  • COMPUTER 1010 Introduction to Computer Science
  • COMPUTER 1430 Introduction to Computer Programming
  • COMPUTER 2430 Object-Oriented Programming
  • COMPUTER 2630 Data Structures

Test-out Fees

The fee for a test-out exam in the CSSE Department is $20 per credit hour.

Test-Out Policies

  1. Eligibility: A student may not take a test-out exam for a CSSE course in which they have already received a grade, or if they have a “WD” on their transcript for that course.
  2. Timing Requirements:
    1. Currently enrolled students: The test-out exam must be completed within the first 10 days of the semester.
    2. Not currently enrolled students: The test-out exam must be completed before the start of their first enrolled semester.
  3. Passing Requirements: A student will earn credit for a course if the student scores 70% or better on the test-out exam for that course.
  4. Exam Attempts: A test-out exam may not be repeated once it has been attempted, regardless of whether the student passes or fails.
  5. University Policy: The CSSE Department adheres to the guidelines related to test-out exams as stated in the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Undergraduate Catalog.
  6. When a test-out exam is being arranged, the department chair Dr. Joshua Yue is to be notified.

Contact Before You Register

To check the eligibility for a CSSE test-out exam, reach out to Professor Dr. Joshua Yue at yues@uwplatt.edu. Please provide your name, email, phone number, and name of course you desire to test-out for within the first week of the semester.

Topics Covered by Courses Eligible for Test-Out

COMPUTER 1010 Introduction to Computer Science: Introduces foundational ideas in computing including: binary numbers, computer organization, networks, cybersecurity, software engineering, applications of computing technologies (such as big data, machine learning, & AI) & their impact on society, and ethical concerns in computer science, software engineering, and cybersecurity.

COMPUTER 1430 Introduction to Computer Programming: A technical course in computing, algorithms, data representations, problem solving, and programming. Modularity and abstraction stressed in algorithm development. Style and documentation stressed in program development. Labs and programming assignments tie these programming concepts together.

COMPUTER 2430 Object-Oriented Programming: An introduction to object-oriented programming, with emphasis on designing, implementing and testing classes. This course includes the study of standard class libraries and the use of inheritance and polymorphism for building subclasses and extensibility. Students will learn how to program graphical user interfaces and implement and execute unit tests.

COMPUTER 2630 Data Structures: Coverage of advanced programming topics focused on the logical structures of data. The course covers simple and advanced data structures (such as stacks, queues, linked lists, trees, graphs, and hash-tables), their operations (including recursive operations), and efficiency-analysis of these data structures.

Note: Course syllabus including learning outcomes and topics covered are available upon request. Please contact csse@uwplatt.edu.