If you intend to take multiple exams, you must take them in order (e.g., passing 131/132 before 216).
CBE is reserved for students who have already passed a similar course elsewhere but could not transfer the credit due to technicalities. It is not for self-study. umd exemption exams
Talk to your academic advisor. Register for one exam in your strongest subject. If you pass, you’ve just bought yourself a week of freedom, a few hundred dollars in savings, and a head start on the degree you came here to earn. If you intend to take multiple exams, you
Exams are typically held in-person at the Brendan Iribe Center (IRB). You are generally allotted 2 to 2.5 hours depending on the subject. Talk to your academic advisor
Furthermore, test-optional policies encourage a more holistic admissions process that values the whole student over a single data point. Critics often claim that without standardized tests, admissions officers lose an "objective" measure of ability. However, objectivity does not necessarily equate to accuracy or relevance. A high score on a timed multiple-choice test measures a specific set of test-taking skills and content recall, but it fails to capture the grit, creativity, and intellectual curiosity that are essential for success in a collegiate environment. When test scores are removed from the equation, admissions officers are compelled to look deeper into an applicant’s profile: evaluating the rigor of their high school curriculum, their extracurricular leadership, their personal essays, and their letters of recommendation. This shift allows universities to identify students who have excelled despite resource limitations, rather than those who have simply excelled because of them.
UMD offers these exams across dozens of subjects, including Mathematics (Calculus, Linear Algebra), Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics), Languages (Spanish, French, Chinese), Economics, Government, and History.
College isn't cheap. An exemption exam usually costs a fraction of a three-credit course. While UMD charges a modest administrative fee per exam (typically $50–$100), compare that to the cost of in-state tuition plus fees for a 3-credit class (often $1,200+). Passing three or four exams can effectively save you an entire semester’s tuition.