Math 111 · 3 credits · NCCRS
College Algebra
Self-paced: polynomials, equations and inequalities, systems, quadratics, functions, exponentials and logarithms.
Home › Courses › College Algebra for credit: CLEP, DSST or a course
Math 1113 creditsNCCRS recommended
College Algebra for credit: CLEP, DSST or a course
If you already know algebra, one exam is fastest: CLEP College Algebra, about 60 questions in 90 minutes with 50 the credit-granting score, or DSST Fundamentals of College Algebra, 100 questions in two hours with 400 the minimum score. There is no AP College Algebra exam; College Board describes AP Precalculus as a college precalculus course or a college algebra with trigonometry course. If you need to learn it first, UPI Study's College Algebra (Math 111) is a self-paced course with an NCCRS recommendation for 3 semester hours.
One exam, year-round
CLEP College Algebra
About 60 questions in 90 minutes, with an online scientific calculator. $97, plus a test center fee or $30 remote proctoring.
From College Board
One exam
DSST Fundamentals of College Algebra
100 questions in two hours; a nonprogrammable calculator is allowed. $100, plus any fee the test site charges.
From getcollegecredit.com
- An AP exam?
- None: AP Precalculus differs
- Exam score for credit
- CLEP 50 · DSST 400
- Course credit
- 3 semester hours (NCCRS)
What you learn
The CLEP exam's four parts, from College Board, and Math 111's 10 chapters, from its syllabus.
On the CLEP exam
- Algebraic operations: 25%
- Equations and inequalities: 25%
- Functions and their properties: 30%
- Number systems and operations: 20%
In Math 111
- Polynomials and factoring
- Rational and radical expressions
- Linear equations and systems
- Quadratic equations and functions
- Exponential and logarithmic functions
- Sequences and series
Side by side
| CLEP | DSST | UPI Study Math 111 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | One exam | One exam | A full course, 10 chapters |
| Length | About 60 questions, 90 minutes | 100 questions, two hours | Self-paced; 58 hours |
| Calculator | Online scientific calculator | Nonprogrammable calculator | Calculators allowed |
| Official fee | $97 + center fee, or $30 remote | $100 + any test site fee | No exam or proctoring fees |
| To pass | 50, on a 20 to 80 scale | 400 | 70 or higher |
| Credit recommendation | ACE: 3 semester hours | ACE: 3 semester hours | NCCRS: 3 semester hours |
| If you miss | No retake within three months | Retest after a 30-day wait | One free retake of the final |
Each college decides how these count. Northern Virginia Community College, which has no course called College Algebra, gives MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning for CLEP College Algebra at 50, a math elective for DSST's exam at 400, and MTH 162 PreCalculus II for a 3 on AP Precalculus.
Which route fits you?
An exam if
- You already know algebra and want credit from one sitting
- Your college's policy lists the exam and the score it needs
- CLEP if you want to test from home, with remote proctoring
Math 111 if
- You need to learn or relearn algebra first
- You'd rather earn your grade across quizzes, an assignment and a final
- Your college works with NCCRS recommendations
Questions, answered
Is there an AP College Algebra exam?
No. AP's math courses are Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Precalculus and Statistics. College Board describes AP Precalculus as equivalent to “a college precalculus course or a college algebra with trigonometry course”, so ask your college what a Precalculus score earns: at NOVA, a 3 earns MTH 162 PreCalculus II.
Is College Algebra required for a gen ed math credit?
Not always: it depends on your college and degree. Northern Virginia Community College's list of general education math electives has no course called College Algebra; it lists Quantitative Reasoning, Statistical Reasoning, Precalculus, Statistics and Calculus. Check your degree plan; if statistics is allowed, see College Algebra vs Statistics.
What do I need before Math 111?
Its syllabus asks for high school Algebra I or its equivalent, or a qualifying score on UPI Study's College Algebra placement assessment. Math 111 then leads to Pre-Calculus and calculus.
What is College Algebra?
College Algebra (Math 111) is a self-paced online course that covers algebra: expressions and polynomials, equations and inequalities, systems, quadratics, functions, exponentials, logs and series.
How much credit is College Algebra worth?
NCCRS recommends 3 semester hours, lower division, in Math among other subjects.
Which subjects can College Algebra count toward?
Its NCCRS recommendation lists Math, Accounting, Business, Business Administration, Business Management, Economics, Liberal Arts, or as a General Education Elective, or as part of STEM fields. Your college decides which requirement it fills.
How long does College Algebra take?
Its syllabus has 10 chapters and 58 instructional hours. It is self-paced, so you finish as fast or as slow as you want.
What is on the College Algebra final exam?
100 multiple-choice questions, counting for 25% of the grade.
Which textbook does College Algebra use?
The syllabus lists Abramson, Jay, editor. College Algebra 2e. OpenStax, Rice University, 2021. Additional material for reference: Algebra and Trigonometry 2e. OpenStax, Rice University, 2021, with other references.
Is College Algebra on the ACE list?
No: it is not on the ACE list. It has an NCCRS recommendation for 3 semester hours in Math. Not being on the ACE list never means not recommended for credit.
How soon after finishing College Algebra can I send the credit?
As soon as your dashboard shows College Algebra at 100%. The last assignment takes about 48 hours to be checked, so leave about two days after you submit it, then request the transcript.
What if I fail the College Algebra final?
Take it again: a failed College Algebra final comes with one free retake (fail that and you restart the course). A passed final can be retaken too, but the original score stands; for quizzes, the average of your first two attempts counts.
How do I know if my college takes College Algebra?
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities. Search your school in Find My College and ask whether Math 111 meets your math requirement. NCCRS recommends it for 3 semester hours in Math, Business, Economics and more, or as a general education elective. For the registrar: College Algebra's NCCRS recommendation lists Math.
Where these credits can go
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Plus many more partner colleges and ACE and NCCRS cooperating colleges.
Find My College →Keep exploring
- College Algebra course pageLessons and syllabus
- CLEP College Algebra vs a full courseExam or course?
College Algebra vs StatisticsWhich meets your math
College Algebra vs Calculus 1Which one you need- CLEP vs DSSTWhich exam
- College Algebra vs Business MathCompare
Check your college first
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Sources (17)
- College Board: CLEP College Algebra exam https://clep.collegeboard.org/clep-exams/college-algebra
- College Board: Register for a CLEP exam https://clep.collegeboard.org/register-for-an-exam
- College Board: Register for a CLEP exam (schedule, military) https://clep.collegeboard.org/register-for-an-exam
- College Board: Registering for a CLEP exam with remote proctoring https://clep.collegeboard.org/register-for-an-exam/registering-remote-proctoring
- College Board: Understand CLEP scores https://clep.collegeboard.org/scores/understand-scores
- College Board: CLEP exam policies https://clep.collegeboard.org/clep-exam-policies
- DSST: Fundamentals of College Algebra exam https://getcollegecredit.com/exam/fundamentals-of-college-algebra/
- DSST: Questions and answers https://getcollegecredit.com/resources/questions-and-answers/
- College Board: AP Precalculus https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-precalculus
- College Board: AP courses and exams (math and computer science) https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/course-index-page
- Northern Virginia Community College: Credit by CLEP exam https://catalog.nvcc.edu/cpl-manual/credit-examination-clep/
- Northern Virginia Community College: Credit from DSST and other exams https://catalog.nvcc.edu/cpl-manual/credit-earned-dsst-nyu-exams/
- Northern Virginia Community College: Credit by AP exam https://catalog.nvcc.edu/cpl-manual/credit-ap-exam/
- Northern Virginia Community College: Mathematics (MTH) courses https://catalog.nvcc.edu/courses/mth/
- Northern Virginia Community College: General education electives (mathematics) https://catalog.nvcc.edu/general-education-electives/
- NCCRS: UPI Study, Inc. (every course and its credit recommendation) https://www.nationalccrs.org/organizations/upi-study-inc
- UPI Study: College Algebra syllabus (PDF) https://www.upistudy.com/syllabus/college-algebra.pdf
- NCCRS: UPI Study's credit recommendations https://www.nationalccrs.org/organizations/upi-study-inc
UPI Study facts are from our course catalog, syllabi and course rules. CLEP and AP are registered trademarks of College Board, which is not connected with UPI Study. DSST is a trademark of Prometric, which is not connected with UPI Study; DSST facts are as getcollegecredit.com stated them. Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) is named only as one college's published policy; it is not connected with UPI Study.