About Proficiency Exams
You take your "placement tests" so that you can demonstrate how much you have learned about a subject. Based on the results, we match you with a particular UIUC course so that you can continue studying the subject.
You take a "proficiency test" to show whether you have mastered the material so well that it’s as if you had taken the UIUC course itself. A high score on a proficiency exam might earn you course credit which would be posted to your academic record.
Usually you are allowed to attempt a UIUC departmental proficiency exam only once, but for some exams you are allowed to attempt it twice. Given that different departments have different policies, you should always check with the department to learn such details.
- Why should I take a proficiency exam?
- What subjects can I earn proficiency credit in?
- What about the foreign language proficiency exams?
- How
do I find out if I earned credit or not?

