Testing Information
Information for testing, including placement tests, credit by examination, and entrance exams. Visit the Testing Services website for more information on preparatory materials and other resources.
Placement Testing
Students of all majors are encouraged to take the writing placement exam (Accuplacer) if they have not submitted ACT/SAT scores, AP scores, or dual- or transfer credit for college composition.
Residential Honors students are exempt from the Accuplacer.
SAT/ACT, AP, IB, Transfer Credit, Dual Credit, etc.
Depending on your score on the SAT or ACT (or other similar tests), you may not need to complete the Accuplacer. Review the Placement Guide for more information.
If you completed an English Lang/Lit & Comp AP exam and earned a score of 3 or higher, you may be able to earn college credit for writing. Review Admissions' AP Transfer Credit chart for more information.
If you completed an International Baccalaureate (IB) program and participated in the IB Examination (Higher Level or HL) of English Language A1 or A2 with a score of 4, you may be eligible to earn college credit (ENG 2000) and direct placement into WRI 1100. Review Admission's IB Transfer Credit chart for more information.
If you completed transfer or dual credit for college composition, you may not need to complete the Accuplacer.
Contact your advisor if you believe you may be exempt from the Accuplacer through one of the above methods. All official score reports and transcripts must be sent to HPU Admissions to be considered.
The math placement exam (ALEKS) is needed for students of the following majors (or who are interested in related minors) if they have not submitted AP/IB scores or transfer/dual credit for mathematics.
Required Majors: Biochemistry, Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology Engineering, Business Administration, Chemistry, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Science, Marine Biology, Mathematics, and Oceanography.
Review the Placement Guide for more information on what score you may need to earn on the ALEKS.
*Military Campus Program students: Please contact your base advisor for additional information on math placement exam options.
AP, IB, Transfer Credit, Dual Credit, etc.
If you completed a Mathematics AP exam and earned a score of 3 or higher, you may be able to earn college credit for the corresponding mathematics topic. Review Admissions' AP Transfer Credit chart for more information.
If you completed an International Baccalaureate (IB) program and participated in the IB Examination (Higher Level or HL) of Mathematics with a score of 4, you may be eligible to earn college credit for MATH 1150. Review Admission's IB Transfer Credit chart for more information.
If you completed transfer or dual credit for mathematics, you may not need to complete the ALEKS, depending on the evaluation of your transcript.
Contact your advisor if you believe you may be exempt from the ALEKS through one of the above methods. All official score reports and transcripts must be sent to HPU Admissions to be considered.
The Accuplacer and ALEKS can be accessed remotely through your my.HPU.edu student portal. A detailed guide of how to access both can be found here.
Students enrolled in a major with a modern language requirement or interested in pursuing the study of another language are encouraged to complete a language placement exam. The following languages are offered at HPU and have available exams:
Chinese (Mandarin), French, Hawaiian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish
To schedule a modern language placement exam:
- Contact Testing Services - Email your proposed date (or date range) and preferred times to assessment@hpu.edu.
- Confirmation of Availability - Testing Services will confirm if your proposed time is available or already reserved.
Modern language exams typically take 90 minutes to complete, with an additional 10 minutes for scoring. Please allow for a minimum of 100 minutes to complete the process.
AP, Transfer Credit, Dual Credit, etc.
If you completed a Language AP exam and earned a score of 3 or higher, you may be able to earn college credit for the corresponding language topic. Review Admissions' AP Transfer Credit chart for more information.
If you completed transfer or dual credit for modern language, you may not need to complete a language placement exam.
Contact your advisor if you believe you may earn language credit through one of the above methods. All official score reports and transcripts must be sent to HPU Admissions to be considered.
*Note: German, Italian, and Latin are not offered at HPU but you may still be eligible to earn credit.
Credit By Examination
Transfer Credit Policy
Credits earned by examination are subject to the transfer credit policy as laid out in the Academic Catalog. The following policies are relevant to credit by examination:
- Maximum of 36 credits may be earned in passing courses by examination (including CLEP and DSST)
- Maximum of 30 credits combined may be awarded for dual credit, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and eligible advanced standing credits from international secondary school curricula
Residency Requirements
Credits earned by examination are considered transfer credits, even if the exam is completed while attending HPU. Therefore, the following policies also apply:
- Candidates for first baccalaureate degrees must complete at least 12 credit hours of major course work and 30 semester credit hours from HPU.
- At least 24 of the last 30 credits towards degree completion must be completed through HPU-delivered courses.
- Study abroad, consortia (Acadeum), and HPU online courses are considered in-residence.
- In other words, a student can transfer (or complete through examination) up to 6 credits of their final 30 credits towards degree completion.
To view the Transfer Credit Policy and Residency Requirements in their entirety, visit the Academic Catalog:
Transfer Credit Policy Residency Requirements Credit by Examination
Hawai'i Pacific University will grant the following college credits as a result of specific scores received through the College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) exams. In addition, the course equivalents are based on The College Board exam descriptions and do not include any additional material covered in class.
An AP transfer credit equivalency chart can be found here: https://www.hpu.edu/undergraduate-admissions/transfer/ap/index.html
Hawai'i Pacific University recognizes the International Baccalaureate (IB) program and encourages students to challenge themselves while in high school by taking part in the IB Diploma Programme. Students who have participated in this program may qualify for college credit at Hawai'i Pacific University.
An IB transfer credit equivalency chart can be found here: https://www.hpu.edu/undergraduate-admissions/transfer/ap/international-baccalaureate.html
The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) is computer-administered exams available to adults who are returning to school to obtain a degree or who need evidence of acquired knowledge in specific areas, knowledge usually gained in the workplace or through independent study.
Information about the CLEP can be found below:
- Registration, costs and fees, exam length, study guides, and more - https://hpu.edu/cas/testing/clep.html
- Transfer credit equivalencies - https://www.hpu.edu/undergraduate-admissions/transfer/clep.html
DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSSTs) are online exams available to adults who are returning to school to obtain a degree or who need evidence of acquired knowledge in specific areas of study, knowledge usually gained in the workplace or through independent study.
Information about the DSSTs can be found below:
- Registration, costs and fees, exam length, study guides, and more - https://hpu.edu/cas/testing/dsst.html
- Transfer credit equivalencies - https://www.hpu.edu/undergraduate-admissions/transfer/dantes.html
Entrance Exams
The TEAS exam (Test of Essential Academic Skills) is a standardized, multiple-choice entrance exam used by nursing and allied health programs to assess applicants' readiness. It tests basic academic skills in four areas: Reading, Math, Science, and English and Language Usage. The TEAS is a key component of the application process for Hawai'i Pacific University's Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
Discuss with your Pre-Nursing Advisor when the right time is for you to prepare for and take the TEAS.
The TEAS is no longer offered on campus at HPU. For information on how to register for the exam at an alternate site, please check Testing Services website: https://hpu.edu/cas/testing/teas.html