A Whole Lot of Testing Going On UExcel and Excelsior College Examinations

A Whole Lot of Testing Going OnUExcel ® and Excelsior CollegeExaminationsA Credit-by-Examination Program

Transition of Excelsior College Examinations tothe UExcel Brand• Beginning the end of June 2013, the general education(non-nursing) exams in the Excelsior College Examinationsline-up are going to be marketed under the UExcel brand.The nursing exams that are part of the associate degreeand bachelor’s degree programs will remain under theExcelsior College Examinations (ECE) brand.• Q:Why are ECEs going to be marketed under theUExcel brand.There are several reasons why Excelsior College Examinationsare becoming part of the UExcel brand. In general, the UExcelbrand is more descriptive of what happens when consumers(students) take the exams: they excel in demonstrating theirknowledge and in achieving an educational goal. Thus, itbecomes a more readily understood program.Page 2

Transition of Excelsior College Examinations tothe UExcel Brand (cont’d)• The use of our exams by students in other countries hasconsiderable potential and there is a drawback to the term“college” since, in most instances, it is associated with highschoollevel programs rather than postsecondaryeducation. In some countries, only the UExcel brand isknown and adding the ECE general education exams to itsarray of offerings will bolster the marketability of the UExcelbrand.• Finally, this move coincides with a business decision madeby our partner in the UExcel brand, Pearson VUE, whichhas chosen to redirect its resources away from examinationdevelopment.Page 3

Transition of Excelsior College Examinations tothe UExcel Brand (cont’d)Are all the ECEs going to become UExcel exams?• All the exams currently in the Excelsior CollegeExaminations battery, with the exception of those that arepart of the nursing component in the associate andbachelor’s degrees in nursing, will become a UExcel exam.Why aren’t the nursing exams becoming part of UExcel?• These exams are required in the AD and BS curricula andour enrolled and prospective students as well as ouraccreditors recognize them as such. Although unique to ourSchool of Nursing, there are other nursing schools thatutilize these exams and we have an established process inplace to provide access for their students.Page 4

What is Credit-by-Examination?• Credit-by-examination allows students to prove theirknowledge, regardless of how that knowledge wasgained, by taking an exam.• Unlike other credit-by-examination options, whenstudents pass a UExcel and Excelsior CollegeExaminations, their college credit is reported on atranscript from Excelsior College, a private, non-profitinstitution of higher learning, regionally accredited by theMiddle States Commission on Higher Education.Page 5

Excelsior College Overview• Provides flexible distance-learning programs for adults• Accredited by Commission on Higher Education of theMiddle States Association of Colleges & Schools• Founded in 1971 (originally Regents College)• Over 38,000 students & 150,000 graduates• Excelsior College Credit-by-Exam program is recognizedby the American Council on Education (ACE) as asource of college creditPage 6

By earning academic credit throughtesting, students may:• Waive course prerequisites, or achieve advancedprogram placement.• Meet general education requirements.• Meet a degree program’s major, minor or concentrationrequirements.Academic credit earned through testing has been associated with anincreased rate of successful degree completion, at both thebaccalaureate and associate levels.Page 7

Students Face Challenges Utilizing CBELack of awareness of an existing CBE policy– Advising– Admissions– Faculty• Lack of understanding of the rigor of CBE• Unaware of the benefits of CBE• Campus test center issues including capacity andavailabilityPage 8

Benefits and Limitations of CBE• Benefits– Save Money: Meet degree requirements more quickly, whilesaving thousands of dollars on tuition• Provides options for students who are waitlisted or closed out ofrequired courses– Save Time: Convenient and cost-effective method for nontraditionalstudents to earn credits.• On-demand testing at convenient locations worldwide.– Independent study: No need to study semester-long coursesat a physical location.• Study at own pace, on own time and schedule exam when you areready.• Students may not need to repeat coursework they have alreadylearned in other ways• Students are more challenged and engagedPage 9

Benefits and Limitations of CBE• Limitations• Low awareness among target audience (9% of generalpopulation)• Testing reputation – bad press generalized to all tests• Institutional skepticism about CBE and what student reallyknows (even when there are statewide policies)• Inconsistent or incomplete CBE policies• Viewed as revenue competitionPage 10

Testing provides:• Variety - of academic content• Flexibility – students prepare based on their ownschedule, not an instructor’s• Efficiency – results for computer-delivered UExcel andECE multiple-choice exams are available at the end ofthe test• Resources – to supplement faculty and campuses thatare challenged by limited budgets and time• Economy – exams minimize educational costs bydelivering content and credit without an instructor or aclassroomPage 11

Credit-By-Exam Policies Can Include Multiple Optionsfor Students• Granting credit for all the CBE programs– Provides a larger catalog of potential course equivalents thanany single program or combination can– Addresses the retention, persistence, and degree completionissues that may occur because of closed or waitlisted courses– Allows adult students choices that honor their different learningstyles and life experiences– Respects the effort that all the CBE programs put into winningand maintaining their national recognitionPage 12

CBE Policies Can Include Multiple Options forStudents• Setting policy for use of individual exams is stillthe institution’s or system’s prerogative. Youcan:– Grant a different amount or level of credit– Grant credit only if an institutional prerequisite or subsequentcourse is passed– Grant advanced standing or a waiver rather than credit– Set a different passing score– Require additional documentation of mastery such as worksamples– Limit application of CBE to specific areas of the curriculum– Limit total CBE credits that can be applied toward a degreePage 13

UExcel and Excelsior CollegeExaminations (ECEs)• Developed and maintained by Excelsior College (formerlyRegents College) since the 1970s.• Administered at 4,200 Pearson VUE Testing Centersworldwide.• Exam fees = $95 - $440, depending on length and format(no separate seat fees).Page 14

UExcel and Excelsior CollegeExaminations (ECE)• Both lower-level (Gen Ed) and upper-level offerings• Unique suite of Nursing exams• Excelsior College credit awarded for a grade of “C” orbetter• Robust study support including detailed content guides(which contain information regarding what content will becovered on the exam, specific textbook recommendationsand chapter to focus on, as well as sample questions)• Corresponding practice exams (which are designed tofamiliarize students with the type of questions that will becovered on the credit-bearing examination).Page 15

About the UExcel and ECEsStructure• We offer over 50 multiple-choice, extended response, andmixed format exams• Exams are two or three hours in length.Scoring• “Rights-only” scoring (no penalty for wrong answers)• Immediate results for multiple-choice exams – students willreceive grade report prior to leaving the testing center.• Grade reports for extended response exams are usuallymailed to student 45 business days after completing theexam.• Exam results are stated as a letter gradePage 16

How Are UExcel and ECEs Developed?• Committees of teaching faculty in the United States– Experts in the specific field of study– Hold an appropriate academic degree in the subject of the exam– Current or recent teaching experience in the subject• Follow psychometric guidelines• Content reviews conducted by College editorial staffPage 17

How is Grading Developed?• Excelsior College uses accepted psychometric practices indeveloping grading standards• Subject matter experts develop expectations for standards ofcompetency and estimate item difficulty• Final grading standards are determined by the EC Examinationsfaculty committees• The letter grades reported to students indicate that, in the opinion ofthe EC faculty, the examinee’s performance was equivalent to theperformance of students who received the same letter grade ina comparable campus-based coursePage 18

ACE Credit Recommended• ACE CREDIT Evaluated – The American Council onEducation’s College Credit Recommendation Service(ACE CREDIT) has evaluated and made college creditrecommendations for UExcel and Excelsior Collegeexams.• Relevant faculty and psychometricians on review panel– Review exams, testing protocols and procedures– Ensure learning outcomes equivalent to traditionalcourses– Recommend equivalent amount of academic creditthat may be transferable to a college or university.• Listed in ACE National Guide• ACE Credit College and University Network – thousandsof institutions of higher learning will consider collegecredit earned by CBE as transfer credit to their institutionPage 19

Potential Savings Through CBETime• One exam equals 3semester hours or more• 45 clock hours or more• 0 time spent in classroomMoney• At an average of$500/hour, each examcould save the student$1,500 or more• Institutions save as wellPage 20

Student Preparation Resources• Summary Guide with practice test questions• Exam Content Guides• Recommended Textbooks• Registration Guide• Computer Based Testing Tutorial• Practice test• Open Courseware – Open EducationalResources (OER)(http://www.excelsior.edu/open-educationalresourcesPage 21

Textbooks• Faculty identify recommended reference and textbook lists• Lists of journal articles and non-print media resources arealso developed• Students may use their own textbooks and resources22Page 22

Technical Handbooks• Technical handbooks are prepared for UExcel and ECEs• Contains annually updated information for each exam• Information provided for each exam includes general testcontent descriptions and psychometric dataPage 23

Transferring Credit• Thousands of universities accept college credit-byexaminationas transfer credit to waive lower levelclasses or to fulfill admission requirements *• Thousands of institutions have received ExcelsiorCollege transcripts• Every school sets their own policies for transfer credit* Students should check with their preferred universities for individualpolicies on the acceptance of transfer creditPage 24

Official Examinations Transcript• Students may request Official ExaminationTranscripts 24 to 48 hours after taking amultiple-choice examination and 45 businessdays after completing an extended response ormixed-format examination• Requested online• Cost $12Page 25

Sample TranscriptPage 26

Available Support and Guidance for test takers• Students can send messages through their My Excelsiormessage center• Email – TestAdmn@excelsior.edu• Phone: 1-888-647-2388 ext. 166• Voice mail• Fax : 1-518-464-8777Page 27

ContactBarbara A. Wells, Director of Testing ServicesExcelsior College7 Columbia CircleAlbany, NY 12203bwells@excelsior.edu518-464-8591888-647-2388 ext. 166Page 28