ACE Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is ACE Credit Recommendation?
A: The American Council on Education's College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT) connects workplace learning with colleges and universities by helping individulas gain access to academic credit for formal courses and examinations taken outside traditional degree programs. For decades, colleges and universities have trusted ACE to provide reliable course equivalency information to facilitate credit award decisions. Participating organizations include corporations, professional and volunteer associations, schools, training suppliers, labor unions and government agencies.
Q: Why is this important?
A: The 1,200 U.S. colleges and universities affiliated with the American Council on Education (ACE) rely upon ACE's expert review of examinations, and corresponding credit recommendations, in formulating their own policies regarding awards of college credit by examination. Consequently, the ACE Credit by Examination Program has saved students, parents and employers millions of dollars in college tuition costs by allowing high school and college students to "test-out" of college requirements.
ACE's recommendation of Microsoft Office Specialist, Adobe Certified Associate, and IC³ certifications for credit by examination extends the benefit of college tuition savings to students, parents and employers also interested in the work-relevant skills and recognition associated with these Certiport certifications.
Q: Which of Certiport's certification exams have been reviewed and approved by the American Council on Education (ACE) for college credit recommendation?
A: Microsoft: All Microsoft Office Specialist certifications for Office 2007, Office 2003, and Office XP have been reviewed and approved by ACE for college credit recommendation. Learn more about specific college credit recommendations from Microsoft.
Adobe: All Adobe Certified Associate certifications for Adobe Creative Suite 3 have been reviewed and approved by ACE for college credit recommendation.
Certiport: The Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³®) 2003 and 2005 standards have been reviewed and approved by ACE for college credit recommendation.
Q: Will my school recognize the ACE credit recommendation?
A: ACE reviews and recommends examinations for college credit to the ACE Cooperating College Network. Each cooperating college or university considers ACE credit recommendations, but independently decides whether to award credit. While ACE cooperating colleges give considerable weight to ACE credit recommendations, each institution, and in many cases, each academic unit and/or department within an institution, sets its own policies for granting credit. If your college or university is not a member of the ACE Cooperating College Network, it still may consider awarding credit based on ACE college credit recommendations.
Similarly, institutions independently determine the amount of credit granted for each certification. Some institutions may choose to waive a particular course requirement rather than grant credit.
If you currently hold, or plan to pursue Certiport certification, contact the admissions office at your institution, or the institution you plan to attend, and inquire about its policy regarding college credit for IC³, Microsoft Office Specialist, and Adobe Certified Associate certification.
Q: How do I get credit?
A: Simply provide the college of your choice with an ACE Credit Recommendations Transcript verifying your Certiport credential(s).
Your school may also choose to offer college credit for IC³, Adobe Certified Associate, and Microsoft Office Specialist certifications without assistance from ACE. A number of schools already do so. Contact the admissions office at your institution, or the institution you plan to attend, and inquire about its policy.
To grant a college or university administrator online access to your Certiport transcripts, simply log in to www.certiport.com, click on My Transcript, select the Authorized View, and click the Authorize a Viewer button.
Q: What is an ACE Credit Recommendations Transcript?
A: An ACE Credit Recommendations Transcript contains all of your ACE-evaluated exams in one document with easy-to-read descriptions, ACE credit recommendations, and suggested transfer areas. Your transcript can be released at any time to you or a college or university of your choice. ACE does charge a fee to provide you with copies of your transcript (currently 40 USD for the first transcript and 15 USD for each subsequent copy).
Q: Is an ACE Credit Recommendations Transcript different from a Certiport Digital Transcript?
A: Yes. Your Certiport digital transcript is an official record of your Certiport certification(s). However, ACE-affiliated colleges and universities usually require an official ACE transcript in order to consider your certification(s) for college credit. Once you have enrolled in the ACE Transcript Service, you can use the Certiport digital transcript service to forward your certification record(s) to ACE, after which ACE will add your Certiport certifications to your ACE transcript.
Q: Where can I get more information about the ACE College Credit Recommendation Service?
A: Visit the ACE College Credit Recommendation Service Web site.