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Comment by brimble | Hacker News Reader

At a lot of schools, you can take CLEP tests to get out of (especially) 100 and 200 level courses. Take the test, pay a (somewhat lower) rate for the credit without taking the actual class, and it's done.

If you're capable of completing 5 semesters worth in 2 semesters, you're probably capable of passing several of those tests with only a little studying over a Summer.

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At this Univiersity, at this time, you could not take CLEP tests for credit in any classes that were in the same school as your major. So e.g. a Physics major (school of science) could not get credit for the e.g. Math and Chemistry (also school of science) requirements without signing up for the actual course.

There were other classes without any official CLEP, so the process was to convince a board of professors to orally examine you on a day that they'd rather be with their family on vacation or doing research.

Most colleges are a "scam". When doing my degree I tested out of the maximum number of classes which, in my opinion, is infuriating and a perfect example of how dishonest the industry is. If you know the material you should get the degree.

That, in my opinion, is how a merit based education should work. Instead, our system asks: Do you have the support system to and finances to enable you to spend 4 years without earning an income to complete a degree program?

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