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Advanced Standing Examinations (ASEs)

Students may take an ASE to earn credit for an MIT subject without taking the subject. To be eligible to take an ASE, students must have neither attended the subject in question or been registered for it. Exceptions are made only in the case of a student who never attended a class and submitted a drop form within the first week of the term. Special students are not eligible to take ASEs. A student who fails an ASE may not retake the same exam, but may register for the subject in a subsequent term.

General ASE Schedule

Not all departments offer ASEs during each of the periods shown below. Contact the appropriate department for specific information about when an exam will be offered. First-year and transfer students may take ASEs during orientation.

Date Offered

Credit Awarded For...

Late August / Early September
(before Registration Day) 		Fall semester
December (during final exam period) Fall semester
Late January / Early February
(before Registration Day) 		Spring semester
May (during final exam period) Spring semester

 

Petition Procedure

Follow the procedure outlined below unless you are a first-year or transfer student taking an ASE during orientation.

  1. Confirm that you have neither attended the subject in question or been registered for it. If you were registered for the subject briefly, you must have not attended any classes and must have submitted a drop form within the first week of the term in order to be eligible to take an ASE in that subject.
  2. Print, complete, and sign an ASE petition form.
  3. Obtain the following signatures:
    • Instructor in charge of the subject or the appropriate department administrator. The instructor in charge may require evidence of competence in addition to the examination if the subject normally involves measures of student performance qualitatively different from the examination.
    • Advisor's signature, if you are an undergraduate student, or your Registration Officer, if you are a graduate student.
  4. Return the completed petition to the MIT Registrar's Office in Room 5-119, at least three weeks before the examination period. Deadlines are published in the MIT Academic Calendar.

You will receive notification regarding the status of your petition via email shortly after your submission. If your petition is approved, you will receive scheduling information about the ASE.

Once you receive approval, it is your responsibility to contact the headquarters of the department offering the subject if you decide not to take the exam. Failure to cancel by notifying the appropriate people may hinder your ability to get approval to take the exam at a later date.

For further information: