In light of an economic downturn, students at the University of Oklahoma can take advantage of cheaper options to gain course credit.

The Center for Independent and Distance Learning at OU offers Departmental Advanced Standing Examinations and the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), allowing students enrolled at the university to acquire class credit by passing an exam.

“Pretty much you get credit hours for stuff you already know,” testing administrator Rob Voci said.

Stephanie Nelson, an energy management and finance junior, passed two Advanced Standing Examinations in marketing and management, gaining three hours of credit for each course.

“I am from Texas so usually a three-hour class is around $1,200,” Nelson said. “Taking these two classes also allowed me to take other classes this semester, which put me ahead in my specific major classes.”

It cost Nelson roughly $350 to gain six credit hours, including the exam fees and price of books to study for the two exams.

Melanie Adams, academic adviser for the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, said she has seen a recent growth in perspective students and parents’ interests in taking these exams.

“This year the numbers are up about 30 percent from last year, but it’s hard to say if it’s economic or not,” Voci said. “We’ve not really ever noticed that the economy has much to do with it. It seems that some students have the knowledge to take advantage of it.”

Although there are benefits to taking the exams, Nelson said, she also encountered a disadvantage.

“The downside is that it was hard to actually sit down and study,” Nelson said. “The material was not hard, but there was just so much to learn. I barely passed both tests, but since it is pass/fail, that is all that matters.”

Adams and Chris Borthick, also an academic adviser for the Gaylord College, attended a training workshop last spring to learn more about the credit exams. They were informed that every class has a $10 study guide available for students, which Adams said she encourages students to buy.

“It increases the chances of passing more than 50 percent,” Borthick said.

The combined success rate for CLEP and Advanced Standing Examinations is approximately 70 to 75 percent, Voci said.

“I have this theory that any student who is coming in to OU should take at least one test,” he said. “There is at least one test that applies to everyone.”