Please note: These polices are in effect for students entering in the Fallof2018and beyond. They remain under ongoing review by the faculty of the University and are subject to change without notice. Current students should consult their home school offices for policies in effect at the time of their matriculation.
COVID-19 Update: Penn will continue to grant credit and placement for these exams. We understand some scores will now be based on online tests, while other scores will be based on year-long academic coursework. Testing agencies are making prudent decisions to prevent large gatherings of people. We are in communication with testing agencies around the world and we support them in the decisions they feel they need to make.
The University of Pennsylvania may award credit or advanced course standing to students who have taken Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or other internationally-recognized examinations. Scores warranting University credit vary by department.
- Matriculating students seeking credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams must have official score reports sent directly to the Office of the University Registrar by the Educational Testing Service. See Advanced Placement chart below.
- Matriculating students seeking credit for International Baccalaureate (IB) exams must have official score reports sent directly to the Office of Admissions by the International Baccalaureate Organization. See International Baccalaureate chart below.
- Matriculating students seeking credit for A-Level exams must emailtheir original A-Level certificates to the Office of Admissions (Attention: Eddrena Owens, eddrenao@upenn.edu) in order to have their scores evaluated for credit. See GCE Advanced (A) Level Exam Policy chart below.
Pre-College and Dual Enrollment Course Work
Credit is not awarded for college-level coursework undertaken at other institutions while a student is enrolled in high school or in the summer after high school. Such coursework is considered a part of a student’s preparation for a Penn education. It is used in consultation with the student’s academic advisor to inform decisions about placement into appropriate courses at Penn.
Students who enroll in regular undergraduate courses at Penn prior to their matriculation into an undergraduate degree program at the University, during the academic year or in the summer sessions, may elect to have that coursework merged with their undergraduate transcript, in which case it will count toward their undergraduate degree requirements, and the grades will be included in their grade point average.
Advanced Placement
| Examination | Score | Penn Credit Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Art History | 5 | Waiver for ARTH 1010 or ARTH 1020, consult with undergraduate chair |
| Art (Studio) | 5 | No credit (possible exemptions for majors, portfolio considered) |
| Biology | No credit | |
| Chemistry♦ | 5 | EAS 091 (1 c.u.), for Engineering students only |
| 5 | NURS 0061 (0.5 c.u.), for Nursing students only | |
| Computer Science A | 5 | CIS 1100 (1 c.u.) |
| Computer Science Principals | No credit | |
| Economics | ||
| 5 | Economics 0100 waiver |
| 5 | Economics 0200 waiver |
| English | ||
| No credit | |
| No credit | |
| Environmental Science | No credit | |
| European History | No credit | |
| French Language | 5 | French 1000 (1.cu.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| 4 | No credit (fulfills language requirement) | |
| German Language | 5 | German 0400 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| 4 | No credit, (must pass the department exam to fulfill language requirement) | |
| Government and Politics | No credit | |
| Human Geography | No credit | |
| Italian Language and Culture | 5 | ITAL 1000 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| 4 | No credit (fulfills language requirement) | |
| Japanese | 5 | JPAN 0400 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| 4 | No credit (must pass the departmental exam to fulfill language requirement) | |
| Latin | 5 | Latin 0400 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| 4 | No credit (fulfills language requirement) | |
| Latin - Literature | 5 | Latin 0400 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| 4 | No credit (fulfills language requirement) | |
| Latin - Vergil | 5 | Latin 0400 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| 4 | No credit (fulfills language requirement) | |
| Mathematics AB | No credit | |
| Mathematics BC♦ | 5 | Math 1400 (1 c.u.) (2023 and earlier) Math 1300 (1 c.u.) (Students entering Penn in 2024 onward) |
| Music Theory | No credit | |
| Physics 1 | 5 | Physics 0101 (1.5 c.u.) |
| Physics 2 | 5 | Physics 0102 (1.5 c.u.) |
| Physics-C (Mechanics) | 5 | Physics 0150 (1.5 c.u.) |
| Physics-C (Electricity and Magnetism) | 5 | Physics 0151 (1.5 c.u.) |
| Psychology | 5 | Psychology 0001 Waiver |
| Spanish Language | 5 | Spanish 1000 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| 4 | No credit (fulfills language requirement) | |
| Spanish Literature | 5 | Spanish 1200 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| 4 | No credit (fulfills language requirement) | |
| Statistics | 5 | STAT 1010 waiver or STAT 1110 waiver |
| 5 | NURS 2300 (1 c.u.), for Nursing students only | |
| United States History | No credit | |
| World History | No credit | |
International Baccalaureate
| Higher Level Examination | Score | Penn Credit Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropology | No credit | |
| Biology | No credit | |
| Chemistry♦ | 7, 6 | EAS 091 (1 c.u.), for Engineering students only |
| Economics | 7, 6 | Economics 0100 and 0200 Waiver |
| English A/B | No credit | |
| French A | 7, 6 | French 1212 (1 c.u.) |
| 5 | French 1000 (1 c.u.) | |
| French B | 7, 6 | French 1000 (1 c.u.) |
| Geography | No credit | |
| German A | 7, 6 | German 2100 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| 5 | German 0400 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) | |
| German B | 7, 6 | German 0400 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| History of the Americas | No credit | |
| History of Europe | No credit | |
| Latin | 7 | Latin 0400 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| 6 | No credit (fulfills language requirement) | |
| Mathematics♦ | No credit | |
| Music | No credit | |
| Philosophy | 7, 6 | Phil 1000 (1 c.u.) |
| Physics | 7, 6 | Phys 0150 (1.5 c.u.) and Physics 0102 (1.5 c.u.) |
| Psychology | 7, 6 | Waiver for Psychology 0001 |
| Spanish A | 7, 6 | Spanish 1200 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| 5 | Spanish 1000 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) | |
| Spanish B | 7, 6 | Spanish 1000 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| Theater Arts | 7, 6, 5 | Departmental review on case-by-case basis |
♦An internal departmental examination is also available for credit once enrolled at Penn.
GCE Advanced (A) Level Exam Policy
| Examination | Grade of A* or A or B | Grade of C |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | No credit | No credit |
| Biology | No credit | No credit |
| Chemistry | A* or A = EAS 091 (1 c.u.), for Engineering students only | No credit |
| Economics | A* or A = Waiver Econ 0100 & 0200 B = no waiver | No credit |
| English | No credit | No credit |
| French | A* or A = Fren 1212 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) A- = no credit (fulfills language requirement) B = no credit | No credit |
| Greek | A* or A = Greek 0400 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) B = no credit (fulfills language requirement) | No credit |
| History | No credit | No credit |
| Latin | A* or A = Latin 0400 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) B = no credit (fulfills language requirement) | No credit |
| Math w/Special paper w/merit (Cambridge) | No credit | No credit |
| Physics | A* or A = Physics 0150 (1.5 c.u.) and Physics 0151 (1.5 c.u.) B = Physics 0101 (1.5 c.u.) and Physics 0102 (1.5 c.u.) | No credit |
| Spanish | A* or A = Spanish 1200 (1.cu) (fulfills language requirement) A- = no credit (fulfills language requirement) B = no credit | No credit |
