Credit for Prior Learning

The California Community College System, the California State University (CSU) System, and the University of California (UC) System all award credit for International Baccalaureate (IB) Exams. The San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) grants credit toward its local associate degrees and applies it towards California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) certifications.

IB exams assess student work and measure students’ academic, intercultural, and basic skills. If you passed a IB exam with a minimum score of four (4) on a Higher Level exam, please request that your official IB test scores be sent to your SMCCCD college. A score of 5, 6, or 7 on Higher Level exams is required to grade credit for CAL-GETC certification.

Students can earn a minimum of 3-semester units of credit for each IB exam satisfactorily passed. The International Baccalaureate Equivalency Guide identifies how IB exam credit can be applied. Students should meet with a counselor for specific information regarding IB exam placement and credits awarded. Students intending to transfer to a four-year institution should consult a counselor or the individual university regarding its IB credit policy.

If you took an IB exam and received a minimum score of 4 or higher on a HL exam, you can:

1. Request your official IB scores be sent to your SMCCCD College. For information about obtaining your IB scores, contact the International Baccalaureate. NOTE: If you have submitted your scores to another institution outside our district, you will need to submit your scores again to SMCCCD.

2. Upon receipt of your official IB scores, credit will be determined according to the SMCCCD IB Credit Equivalency Guide; coursework and units will be posted on your SMCCCD transcripts.

3. Upon notification, meet with a counselor to determine if you wish to accept, decline, or appeal the application of the IB credit to your transcript.

The following chart outlines the application of credit for IB toward each SMCCCD college’s coursework, associate degree general education requirements, degrees, and California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) certifications.

If your SMCCCD college does not offer a course similar in content to an IB exam, the college will award credit for the General Education area shown in the SMCCCD IB Equivalency Guide below. If an IB exam does not align with a general education area, the College may award elective credit.

If only a portion of the credit applicable is deemed beneficial to the student, only that portion will be added to the student record.

Please note:

• IB credit will receive a grade of CRE, which does not affect GPA.

• The equivalencies defined by the IB Test Policy will be applied based on when the student completed the exam.

• If you have any questions regarding Math and English placement or IB credit, please contact your counselor.

• While SMCCCD does not put a limit on the number of External Exams you may earn credit for, please be aware that transfer schools may have limits. Please check with your Counselor.

• IB exams that have been discontinued are not shown on this table.

If you plan to transfer to another institution, please be aware that every college/university has its own policies about Credit for Prior Learning. What was accepted at SMCCCD may not be accepted at another institution. Please consult a Counselor regarding your intended transfer institution(s).

For more information on IB regulations for the CSU and UC segments, please see:
https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/admission-requirements/ap-exam-credits/ib-credits.html
https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/14685671/latest/

All units listed are semester units.

SMCCCD IB Credit Equivalency Guide

IB Examination HL	SMCCCD Course Equivalent	SMCCCD Associate Degree GE Area	SMCCD GE Units	CalGETC GE Area	CalGETC Units
Biology	N/A	Area 5B	4 Units	Area 5B	3 Units
Chemistry	CHEM 192 (score: 5,6) CHEM 210 (score: 7)	Area 5A	CHEM 210 (5 units), CHEM 192 (4 units)	Area 5A	3 Units
Economics	N/A	Area 4	3 Units	Area 4	3 Units
Geography	GEOG 100	Area 4	3 Units	Area 4	3 Units
History (any Region)	N/A	Area 3B or Area 4	3 Units	Area 3B or Area 4	3 Units
Language A: Literature (any language, except English) HL	N/A	Area 3B (Minimum Score of 4)	3 Units	Area 3B	3 Units
Language A: Language and Literature (any language, except English) HL	N/A	Area 3B (Minimum Score of 4)	3 Units	Area 3B	3 Units
Language A: Literature (any language) HL	N/A	Area 3B (Minimum Score of 4)	3 Units	Area 3B	3 Units
Language A: Language and Literature (any language) HL	N/A	Area 3B (Minimum Score of 4)	3 Units	Area 3B	3 Units
Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL	MATH 251 (score: 5,6) MATH 251 and MATH 252 (score: 7)	Area 2 (Minimum Score of 4)	5 Units	Area 2	3 Units
Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation HL	STAT C1000 (score: 5)	Area 2  (Minimum Score of 4) (may not be at all UC)	4 Units	Area 2 (may not be at all UC)	3 Units
Physics	PHYS 210, PHYS 220	Area 5A	4 Units	Area 5A	3 Units
Psychology	PSYC C1000	Area 4	3 Units	Area 4	3 Units
Theatre	N/A	Area 3A (Minimum Score of 4)	3 Units	Area 3A	3 Units