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Milestone Test Out

Pursuant to statutorily required provisions contained within the State Board of Education Rule regarding Awarding Units of Credit, students can “test out” of courses which have an associated Georgia Milestone End-of-Course (EOC) assessment. This provision impacts students wishing to complete the following HS courses: Algebra Concepts and Connections, Literature & Composition II, US History, and Biology.

To qualify for this test-out option, students must:

  • Not be currently or previously enrolled in the course for which the EOC is being attempted.
  • Have earned a grade of B or better in the most recent course that is in the same content area of the course for which the student is attempting the EOC assessment.
  • Have a recommendation from a teacher of a course in the same content area as outlined above (or, if not available, a teacher in the same content area with knowledge of the student’s academic achievement) for which the student is attempting the EOC assessment.
  • Have parent/guardian permission if the student is less than 18 years of age; and,
  • Have not tested out of more than three courses with three credits earned during his/her high school career.

When students attempt to earn course credit through test-out opportunity, the following state-established rules apply:

  • Students must pay a $50 registration fee. If a student scores at the “Distinguished” Performance Level, the test-out fee will be refunded.
  • Students have only one opportunity per course to demonstrate subject area competency.
  • Students must test during the state testing windows in accordance with the PCSD-approved testing calendar.
  • If a student does not reach the performance level of “Distinguished” when attempting to test-out and the course is required for graduation, the student will be required to enroll in and complete the course and retake the EOC assessment even if the student made a passing score on the EOC assessment during the test-out attempt; and,
  • A student may not test out of a course if he/she has been enrolled in a higher-level course in the same content area. For example, a student taking AP Physics may not earn credit for Physical Science through this option. 

Testing out may not be recommended for student athletes who anticipate competing at the collegiate level. The NCAA Clearinghouse, which establishes athletic rules for college students, differs from state and local graduation rules and explicitly prohibits the use of “courses completed through credit-by-exam” for purposes of collegiate athletic eligibility. 

Students who earn course credit by testing out (scoring “Distinguished” on the EOC assessment) will NOT have the opportunity to re-take the course at a future time to improve the course grade. The EOC assessment grade conversion score will be recorded on the transcript as the course grade and the transcript will reflect “course completed through credit-by exam.” The student’s Grade Point Average (GPA) will be calculated utilizing the EOC assessment test-out grade conversion score. As such, it is important that students and parents realize that the test-out option will impact GPA and class ranking. 

Additionally, the Georgia Student Finance Commission will include this score in the calculation for the HOPE Scholarship/Grant Program. Note: The Georgia Student Finance Commission will only calculate HOPE GPA for students enrolled in 9th through 12th grades. For students who test-out during the 8th grade year or prior, the scores will be included on the High School transcript however, these scores will not calculate into the HOPE GPA. Interested students should speak with their counselor regarding the test-out opportunity. Registration for the EOC assessment Test-Out Option will take place between August 31-September 4. All completed applications and registration fees are due to the counselor no later than September 4 The Georgia Milestone End-of-Course assessment will be administered during the week of September 14th -18th at all high schools (specific dates to be provided by the school).