By Melody Coleman
Most students do not realize they are able to test out of general education classes because, in the past, BYU''s language exams have been more popular with students.
Language and general education exams allow students to receive college credit, a grade and peace of mind without spending hours sitting in class.
The Testing Center offers four general education courses exams: Math 97, American Heritage, Biology 100 and Physical Science 100, said Debbie Reynolds, a Testing Center secretary. Other general education course exams may be taken in the departments.
Students are able to take two types of exams to fill general education requirements. Students can take an exemption or challenge exam for one course during each term or semester.
An exemption exam is used exclusively to fulfill a general education requirement with no academic credit or letter grade posted.
According to the BYU general education Web site, the challenge exam is not restricted to just general education courses and allows the students to decide whether or not they want the grade on their transcript. However, challenge exams are not offered for every course.
Students do not have to be enrolled in a course to take the general education exams. The exams are offered in the Testing Center or through the department.
Students that are fluent in a second language can pay $20 and take a test that automatically gives them 16 credits when they pass the exam. The BYU Web site stated many BYU students speak a second language and most of them are returned missionaries. More than 80 percent of male students and 12 percent of the female students served as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with about half serving in non-English-speaking missions, the Web site stated.
BYU junior Kevin Bagley is just one of the many returned-missionary students who received 16 credits for taking one test. He took the Hungarian proficiency exam at BYU after his mission.
'It was really helpful,' Bagley said. 'It made up for how I slacked off in my freshman year.'
The construction of the language exams vary in each department, said Jessica Ingalls, a BYU senior and student secretary in the Portuguese Department. She said the Portuguese exam is offered at the end of each semester of the year. It has 75 multiple-choice questions and takes approximately 50 minutes to complete. The raw score comes right away, but the actual results come a week later from the department office.
Last semester approximately 900 students took it, and this semester 650 students have taken the exam, Ingalls said.
The test is offered for visiting students and also available through the Salt Lake Center. To find out, students can visit the BYU general education Web site.