PLEX

Student Guide to Credit through Individual Assessment of Prior Learning
Often referred to as "life experience credits," the Individual Assessment of Prior Learning Program (PLEX) is administered through the Advisement Center.  This site is designed to acquaint you with the general philosophy, purpose, and criteria of the program.  The Advisement Center offers two Prior Learning Experience (PLEX) orientations per year, at the end of each semester.  If after reading this page you wish to learn more about the applicability of PLEX to your degree program, please call the Advisement Center at 201 684-7441 to reserve your place at the next PLEX orientation.

1. Frequently Asked Questions about PLEX

Preliminary Information:

What is this assessment?    Many of today's students are experienced adults who are older than the traditional college student.  While they may never have attended college, they may have taken part in management training programs, adult education courses, independent learning, community service through which they acquired knowledge comparable to that gained in a classroom, or on-the-job-training.  Because Ramapo College believes that learning is valid wherever it may occur, we offer this opportunity to earn credit toward a degree through assessment of that learning.

Who is eligible for this program?    Although students may begin the assessment process early in their Ramapo careers, the formal award of credit will not be placed on a transcript until they have successfully matriculated and completed 30 credits at Ramapo (or, in the case of students who transfer in more than 45 credits, 15 credits at Ramapo.)

What credit can I receive?    The goal of the assessment procedure is to assess knowledge or competency.  College-level knowledge is not demonstrated by a list of places of employment or activities.  The years spent engaged in a particular activity are not in themselves significant.  Time is important only where it is accompanied by growth, development, and a deepening of knowledge.  To be credit-bearing, an experience must successfully demonstrate the attainment of knowledge which corresponds to a specified portion of the Ramapo curriculum.  Information about Ramapo's curriculum can be found in the Ramapo College Catalog's course descriptions.

Can I earn credits through testing?    In fact, one should seek out testing first. Where standardized tests are available in a particular subject area, special assesssment will not be undertaken since it is not only more cumbersome but more costly.

How many credits can I earn through assessment?    These credits are treated like transfer credits.  Therefore, the College will grant a maximum of 80 credits in any combination of the following:

transfer credits

standardized test credits (CLEP, TECEP, AP)

assessment of prior learning (PLEX)

For example, should you transfer to Ramapo with 70 credits from another institution, the most you could earn through assessment would be an additional 10 credits.  On the other hand, a student with no transfer credits could earn up to 80 credits by this method.  Please keep in mind, however, that although credits earned through assessment count toward graduation, they will not necessarily fulfill specific requirements.  Students should also intend to complete their assessment reviews well before they plan to graduate since the portfolio review process can take several weeks.

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2. Rationale and Criteria

   
Many adults feel that some of their non-college experiences are equivalent to what is taught in college and that they should receive credit for it. As we have indicated, we do not award credit for raw experience itself. Rather the awarding of credit is generally for the verifiable learning outcomes of experience. In other words, we are willing to award credit for what a person knows as a result of a non-college experience. For example, a man may have had 12 years of experience as a salesman. We will not award credit simply on the basis of that 12 years of experience. We will, however, ask the man to demonstrate what he has learned about salesmanship beyond his first year on the job. It could be that he has not had 12 years of learning experience, but rather one year's learning 12 times. His learning must also be comparable to courses offered in the Ramapo College curriculum.

Criteria

The knowledge you have attained must meet the following criteria:

• The learning should be publicly verifiable.  You should be able to demonstrate to an expert in the field that you possess the learning which you have claimed.  The expert should be able to objectively measure and evaluate the learning that has occured.
• The learning should be equivalent to college-level work in terms of quality.
• The learning should have a subject matter or knowledge base.  Do not expect to receive college credit for the application of a manual skill or a narrowly-prescribed routine or procedure.
• The learning should have a general applicability outside of the specific situation in which it was acquired.
  

We also hope that you are able to demonstrate that you know the relationship between your own goals and your program of study.  Keep in mind that not every experience, however personally enriching, will yield learning that will merit college credit.

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3. Application for Assessment

If you believe you qualify for assessment, you should visit the Advisement Center for information about the portfolio.  The portfolio is a formal written communication that you must design to request assessment and to provide supporting information justifying your request.  Preparing a portfolio will require time and care.  For that reason, we have designed a workshop to assist you.  Participation in the workshop will be required of all those who wish to apply for assessment.  Workshops are held at the end of each semester.  The Advisement Center also provides a workbook at the cost of $5.00 that will familiarize you with portfolio preparation and with the assessment process itself.  When you are satisfied that you wish to apply for assessment, sign up for the workshop by calling the Advisement Center at (201) 684-7441.

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4. Cost of Assessment

All fees are subject to change without notice.

5. Standardized Tests

Basic Information:

Payment for a test is made directly to the testing agency.  No tests are given on the Ramapo College campus.

Scores are sent to the Ramapo College Admissions Office.  Our college CEEB code is 2884.

You must fill out an off-campus study form prior to taking a test.  The form is designed to determine if you are eligible to receive credit from these tests and how the credit would fulfill Ramapo requirements.  Note that many tests, while granting credit, do not fulfill requirements in the majors.

Testing programs and their Ramapo evaluations are subject to change.  Off-Campus Study Forms are valid for a limited time.

6. CLEP

a. Language Tests

Basic Information

In order to receive credit for a language, a student must first satisfy Ramapo's English requirement by  receiving credit toward graduation for XENG 180, College English.

Students must use nationally standardized examinations when available.  At present, CLEP (College Level Examination Program) tests exist for French, German, and Spanish.  Students can be tested for many other languages through NYU's School of Continuing and Professional Studies.  Applications for both testing programs are available in the Advisement Center.

Additional credits may be earned in the civilization, literature, art history, politics, etc. of a country through the established procedures of the Prior Learning Experience Program.

b. College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Any information given below is subject to change without notice.  Although this site is updated regularly, it should be viewed as a guide to transfer equivalency rather than a guarantee.
Credits evaluated as "1--" below are unevaluated electives and are subject to change.  At this time they do not fulfill specific requirements.

    Note:  Ramapo College does not grant credit for the English Composition or the Mathematics General Examination.  If you wish to CLEP these subjects, look in the Subject Examination selection.

C. Thomas Edison College Examination Program (TECEP)

Any information given below is subject to change without notice.  Although this site is updated regularly, it should be viewed as a guide to transfer equivalency rather than a guarantee.
Credits evaluated as "1--" below are unevaluated electives and are subject to change.  At this time they do not fulfill specific requirements.

Examinations                                                Credits earned                            RC Equivalent

English Composition I                                            3                                        XENG 180
English Composition II                                           3                                        XENG 175

All other tests given through Thomas Edison are unevaluated by Ramapo College faculty.