Operating Instruction 3.35.1.1 Coding and Encoding Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) - External Assessments

System Procedures
 Chapter 3 - Educational Policies

Access a PDF copy of this operating instruction

for Board Policy 3.35

Part 1. Purpose

To establish CPL external assessments codes and coding processes for the student information system and the degree audit system used by Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to:

  • increase consistency and transparency of CPL codes,
  • facilitate easier transfer for students with external CPL, and
  • improve data collection of CPL impacts on persistence and completion.

Part 2. Definitions

Advanced Placement (AP)
A program created by College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. Colleges and universities use College Board AP Examination scores to determine course placement and award course credit to students.

American Council on Education (ACE)
A membership organization that mobilizes the higher education community to shape effective public policy and foster innovative, high-quality practice.

ACE recommendation
The ACE recommendation identifies and describes the course subject, the level of learning, and the number of credit hours, and most recently competencies and learning outcomes, based on a faculty led review of workforce training, military training or occupations, and other sources of learning outside the college classroom, such as national exams and certifications.

ACE Learning Evaluations
ACE's Learning Evaluations (formerly CREDIT®) was established as a sister program in 1974 to connect workplace learning with colleges and universities by helping students gain access to academic credit for formal training taken outside traditional degree programs. With over 35,000 programs reviewed, ACE Learning Evaluations has been the national leader in the evaluation process for education and training obtained outside the classroom including courses, exams, apprenticeships, and other types of nontraditional forms of training. Participating organizations include corporations, professional and volunteer associations, schools, training suppliers, labor unions, and government agencies, with courses from Arabic to waste management.

ACE Learning Evaluations for the Military
Founded in 1942 to support the needs of World War II veterans, ACE's Learning Evaluations for the Military provides a critical link between the U.S. Department of Defense and higher education through the review of military training (courses) and experiences (occupations) with the goal of awarding equivalent college credits for those experiences. The Military Guide has over 25,000 exhibits (22,000 courses and 3,400 occupations) dating back to 1954.

Articulated Credit
A type of credit for prior learning.

High School Articulated Credit
College credit awarded for high school courses related to Career Technical Education that were part of an articulated agreement between a high school and one or more colleges that allows students who successfully complete the high school course to be awarded partial or full credit for the equivalent course in that CTE field. The student is awarded credit when they enroll in the CTE program at the participating college.

Community Based Organization Training
Training provided by a community based organization that Minnesota State college and university faculty have previously assessed and determined to be equivalent to college-level learning. See the encoding guide CC16 in Part 3, Subpart C.

College Board
A non-profit organization that prepares and administers standardized exams used by colleges and universities for student admissions, placement, and the award of credit for prior learning. The organization also helps students prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and service in college readiness and college success.

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations 
CLEP examinations, prepared and administered by College Board, are designed to assess student knowledge of lower division college and university course material in specific subject areas.

Continuing education
Open-enrollment education and training opportunities offered by colleges or universities or other education providers that are not for degree credit. Job-related or professional development continuing education and training refers to all organized, systematic education and training activities to enhance knowledge and/or learn new skills for a current or a future job, to increase earnings, to improve job and/or career opportunities in a current or another field.

Credit for prior learning (CPL)
Academic credit awarded for demonstrated competence at the college- and university-level gained through learning experiences outside college or university credit-bearing courses and assessed by academically sound and rigorous methods and processes.

Credit for prior learning (CPL) - external assessments
Assessment methods that could result in credit for prior learning achieved and assessed through a nationally recognized third-party assessment or organization, accredited post-secondary institution, or noncredit instruction. Students demonstrate a level of proficiency that is recognized through curriculum, instruction, program, or a standardized exam. CPL external assessment types may include, but are not limited to, AP, IB, CLEP, and other national standardized assessments; world languages seals and certificates; industry-recognized credentials, licenses, and certifications; and noncredit instruction in programs such as registered apprenticeships, work based training, continuing education, and customized training.

Customized training
Specially designed noncredit curriculum and instruction tailored to meet the specific needs, goals, and interests of an employer/third party organization offered in a closed-enrollment, contracted service between an employer/third party and college or university.

Industry-recognized credentials, licenses, and certifications
Industry developed and endorsed assessments that demonstrate a level of proficiency in competencies.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Program
The International Baccalaureate Foundation offers the internationally recognized IB program through which a secondary student completes a comprehensive curriculum of rigorous study and demonstrates performance on IB examinations. A student may present a full IB diploma or a certificate recognizing specific higher level or standard level examination scores.

Military Courses
Curriculum with measurable outcomes, rubrics, and validated student assessment instruments. Courses may include lectures, small group work, case studies, skills lab, clinical work, practical exercises, computer-based delivery, and discussion boards.

Military Occupation(s)
A service member’s job(s) while in the military.

Minnesota Bilingual Seals, Multilingual Seals, and World Language Proficiency Certificates
Minnesota high school issued bilingual and multilingual certificates and seals that recognize high school students who demonstrate an advanced-low level, intermediate-low, or an intermediate high level of functional proficiency in one or more languages in addition to English.

National standardized exams
Standardized proficiency examinations administered and scored by nationally recognized third-party assessment organizations. Examples include, but are not limited to: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL); Advanced Placement (AP) examinations; International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations; College Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations; Cambridge International examinations; DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST); Excelsior College UExcel examinations; The National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) assessments; New York University Foreign Language Proficiency (NYUFLP) examinations; and Thomas Edison College Examination Program (TECEP).

Registered apprenticeship program
A formal system of employee training that combines structured on-the-job training with related technical instruction. Upon successful completion, participants are fully competent in all aspects of an occupation, including knowledge, skill, and proficiency on the job. With apprenticeship training, there is a written contract between the apprentice and the sponsor, approved by and registered with the state of Minnesota that specifies the length of the training, school hours, an outline of the skills of the trade to be learned, and the wages the apprentice will receive.

Part 3. ISRS Education Tab and Degree Audit System Coding
Use the following system codes for CPL – external assessments.

Subpart A. Special credit type codes to use in ISRS

CC01 – College Level Exam Program (CLEP)

CC03 – DSST/DANTES *

CC04 – International Baccalaureate

CC07 – ACE Learning Evaluations*

CC08 - Advanced Placement (AP)

CC10 - Articulated Credit (CTE education)

CC11 – Industry Certification

CC12 – Military Courses**

CC13 – Military Occupations**

CC14 – MN World Language Seals and Certificates**

CC15 – Employer-Based Training**

CC16 – Community Based Organizations**

CC17 – National Examination Programs**

CC18 – Apprenticeships**

*Identifies existing codes with name modifications

**Identifies newly created codes as of 2023

Subpart B. Data entry values for external CPL credits on the education tab in ISRS

  • Inst Id – When selecting the institution using the “Institution Lookup,” choose “Other Institution,” - this will automatically populate with an Inst ID and FICE code of 999999.
  • Institution Name area – “Other Institution” is changed to a more descriptive title – For example, when CC12 or 13 are used, the name of the specific military branch entered as the Institution name and when CC07 is used, the specific name of the ACE recommendation should be entered as the Institution Name (i.e., Straighterline, Sophia Learning…)
  • Transcript Rec’d Date – The date documentation was received is recorded
  • YrTr Accept – the term the assessment was accepted for credit
  • Receiving Institution – your institution's campus code
  • Credit type – choose appropriate level: Graduate or Undergrad
  • Special Credit Type – choose the appropriate CC for the credit
  • Credit Hour – Semester or Quarter
  • Transferred – Enter the number of credits awarded

Subpart C. Naming convention and degree audit system encoding
Once the credit is entered as transfer on the Education Tab in ISRS, it also needs to be entered in uAchieve as a transfer course and equivalencies created. There are encoding guides on external assessment CPL on the Degree Audit and Transfer Encoding SharePoint site for reference. Below is information for each CC type providing an assessment naming convention guidance, specific uAchieve encoding information, and additional assessment coding information.

CC01 – College Level Exam Program (CLEP)
The ACE credit recommendation identifies the amount of credit recommended by ACE. Anyone with a Joint Services Transcript (JST) does not have to provide a separate CLEP transcript. Exam scores listed on a JST are considered official.

On Education Tab – Choose “Other Institution” with FICE Code (999999) and change institution name to be “College Level Exam Program (CLEP)”

uAchieve transfer encoding:
Source ID: CLEP
CLEP## - CLEP exams are coded with a common 2-digit number per a list provided by the system office

CC03 – DSST/DANTES
DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests) are credit-by-examination tests originating from the United States Department of Defense's Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) program.

On Education Tab – Choose “Other Institution” with FICE Code (999999) and change institution name to be "DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST)"

uAchieve transfer encoding:
Source ID: DSST
DSST## - DSST exams are coded with a common 2-digit number per a list provided by the system office

CC04 – International Baccalaureate (IB)
International Baccalaureate students have the opportunity to earn credit by receiving a passing score on an IB subject exam.

On Education Tab – Choose “Other Institution” with FICE Code (999999) and change institution name to be “International Baccalaureate (IB)”.

uAchieve transfer encoding: 
Source ID: IB 
XXXXXXX### - IB courses are coded with up to a 7-letter course designator and a 3-digit number per list provided by the system office

CC07 – ACE Learning Evaluations
This code is used for the organizations with ACE credit recommendations. Due to the standalone capabilities of several widely used ACE Learning Evaluations, for tracking and encoding purposes, several ACE Learning Evaluations have been separated out of this category and placed on their own. These include CLEP (College Level Exam Program), DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Test), AP (Advanced Placement), Military Training, and Military Occupations.

On Education Tab – Choose “Other Institution” with FICE Code (999999) and change institution name to be the name of the training or certificate source – i.e. “Sophia Learning, LLC”; “Straighterline”; “Study.com, LLC”

uAchieve transfer encoding
Source ID: (Currently determined locally – Contact System Office ASA division for guidance)

CC08 - Advanced Placement (AP)
On Education Tab – Choose “Other Institution” with FICE Code (999999) and change institution name to be “Advanced Placement (AP)”.

uAchieve transfer encoding:
Source ID: AP
AP## - AP exams are coded with a common 2-digit number per list provided by the system office.

CC10 - High School Articulated Credit
On Education Tab – Choose “Other Institution” with FICE Code (999999) and change the institution name to “High School Articulated Credit (may include high school name)”.

uAchieve transfer encoding Source ID: (Currently determined locally – Contact System Office ASA division for guidance)

CC11 – Industry Certification 
Certifications that are based on assessment of industry skills and knowledge. On Education Tab – Choose “Other Institution” with FICE Code (999999) and change the institution name to the certifying agency for the certification – i.e., “OSHA30”  

uAchieve transfer encoding
Source ID: (Currently determined locally – Contact System Office ASA division for guidance)

CC12 – Military Courses 
ACE Learning Evaluations of Military Courses are listed on a Joint Services Transcript (JST).  The JST transcript can also include DSST, DLPT, and CLEP exams.  

On Education Tab – Choose “Other Institution” with FICE Code (999999) and change the institution name to:

  • Army Course
  • Marine Corps Course
  • Navy Course
  • Coast Guard Course
  • Air Force Course (if not covered by Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcript)
  • Space Force Course (TBD - unknown if they will be covered on the CCAF or if they will have their own transcript)
uAchieve transfer encoding (ex: Army): 
Source ID: ARMY 
Army Courses begin with AR - course id 

CC13 – Military Occupations
ACE Learning Evaluations for Military Occupation(s) are listed on a Joint Services Transcript (JST).

On Education Tab – Choose “Other Institution” with FICE Code (999999) and change the institution name to be:

  • Army Occupation
  • Marine Corps Occupation
  • Navy Occupation
  • Coast Guard Occupation
  • Coast Guard Occupation
  • Air Force Occupation (if not covered by Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcript)
  • Space Force Occupation (TBD - unknown if they will be covered on the CCAF or if they will have their own transcript)
uAchieve transfer encoding (ex: Army Enlisted)
Source ID: AREN
Occupations begin with MOS (Military Occupational Specialty)

CC14 - World Language Seals and Certificates 
College credit is awarded for language proficiency seals on high school transcripts.

On Education Tab – Choose “Other Institution” with FICE Code (999999) and change the institution name to be “World Language Seal”.
uAchieve transfer encoding:
ACTFL (World Language Seal /Certificate):
Source ID: HSLANG
CERT / GOLD /PLAT
Each language has transfer articulation (TA) rules listed under the Segments for CERT, GOLD, and PLAT for specific languages.

CC15 - Employer Based Training
Training provided by employers that Minnesota State college and university faculty have previously assessed and determined to be equivalent to college-level learning.

On Education Tab – Choose “Other Institution” with FICE Code (999999) and change the institution name to be the company doing the training. i.e., ‘’Uponor - AquaSAFE”

uAchieve transfer encoding
Source ID: (Currently determined locally – Contact System Office ASA division for guidance)

CC16 – Community-Based Organization Training
Training provided by a community based organization that Minnesota State college and university faculty have previously assessed and determined to be equivalent to college-level learning.

On Education Tab – Choose “Other Institution” with FICE Code (999999) and change the institution name to be the name of the organization providing the training and the training name. i.e., “Goodwill/Easter Seals-Automotive Training”

uAchieve transfer encoding
Source ID: (Currently determined locally – Contact System Office ASA division for guidance)

CC17 – National Examination Programs
National examinations that were previously assessed, which include, but are not limited to, NOCTI (National Occupational Competency Testing Institute), UEXCEL (Excelsior College exams), or TECEP (Thomas Edison College Examination Program) that have not been evaluated by the American Council on Education. See specific recommendations for CC01 for College Level Exam Program (CLEP), CC03 for DSST/DANTES, and CC08 for Advanced Placement exams.

On Education Tab – Choose “Other Institution” with FICE Code (999999) and change the institution name to be the assessment i.e., “NOCTI”

uAchieve transfer encoding
Source ID: (Currently determined locally – Contact System Office ASA division for guidance)

CC18 - Apprenticeships
A formal system of employee training that combines structured on-the-job training with related technical instruction. Upon successful completion, participants are fully competent in all aspects of an occupation, including knowledge, skill, and proficiency on the job. With apprenticeship training, there is a written contract between the apprentice and the sponsor that specifies the length of the training, school hours, an outline of the skills of the trade to be learned, and the wages the apprentice will receive, that may or may not be approved by and registered with the state of Minnesota.

Management of apprenticeships occurs at the college or university level.

uAchieve transfer encoding
Source ID: (Currently determined locally – Contact System Office ASA division for guidance)

Related Documents:

To view any of the following related statutes, go to the Revisor's Office website. You can conduct a search from this site by typing in the statute number.

  • Minn. Stat. § 120B.022 Elective Standards.
  • Minn. Stat. § 120B.13 Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Programs
  • Minn. Stat. § 120B.131 College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)
  • Minn. Stat. § 197.775 Higher Education Fairness

Operating Instruction History:

Date of Adoption: 04/19/23
Date of Implementation: 09/14/23
Date of Last Review:

Date & Subject of Amendments:

No additional HISTORY.

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