FCS EOC Test Out Procedures

As approved for in amendments to State Board of Education Rule 160-5-1.15 (AWARDING UNITS OF CREDIT AND ACCEPTANCE OF TRANSFER CREDIT AND/OR GRADES) adopted by the State Board of Education in November 2021, the opportunity exists for student to “test-out” of any course for which there is an associated Georgia Milestones End of Course (EOC) exam and earn credit for the course through the process.

Under the provisions of the amended rule, and Guidelines published by the Georgia Department of Education’s (GaDOE) Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, local boards of education shall award course credit to students who reach the achievement level of Distinguished (Grade Conversion Score=92 or higher) prior to taking the course. For example, a student may attempt the Biology EOC prior to taking the course. If the student reaches the achievement level of Distinguished, the local board of education shall award the student the Biology course credit.  A student may test-out of any course that has an associated EOC. (EOC courses include Biology, Literature and Composition II, US History and Algebra: Concepts and Connections.)  As stated in the Guidelines, students may earn no more than three units of credit by demonstrating subject area competency in this fashion.

Student Eligibility

Students must meet the following requirements to exercise this option:

1. Not currently or previously enrolled in the course;
2. Have earned a grade of B or better in the most recent course that is the same content area of the course for which the student is attempting the EOC;
3. Received a teacher recommendation from the teacher of the most recent course in the same content area for which the student is attempting the EOC; and
4. Received parent/guardian permission if the student is less than 18 years of age.

Consideration of the test-out option will not be exercised for students without deliberation and clear evidence of the likelihood of student success both on the test itself and in future coursework/endeavors. Students who do not meet the eligibility criteria above must not be assessed for this purpose.

Test Administration Guidelines

Per state guidance, when allowing students to attempt to earn course credit through testing out, districts and school shall:

1. Allow eligible students only one opportunity per course to demonstrate subject area competency.
2. Systems must utilize only the GaDOE designated administration windows for this purpose and all administrations must be conducted online.
3. Require students who do not reach the achievement level of Distinguished when attempting to test-out to enroll in and complete the associated course when applicable.  The student would again take the EOC at the conclusion of that course experience regardless of their score during their attempt to test-out.
4. As stipulated in the Guidelines previously issued for this Board rule, districts/schools shall not allow students who are currently enrolled, or who have previously been enrolled, in a higher-level course to attempt to earn credit by testing out.
5. The administration of all EOCs for this purpose must adhere to the system’s local EOC testing calendar. This stipulation is critical to ensure test security.
6. The administration of all EOCs for this purpose must adhere to the system’s local EOC testing calendar.  This stipulation is critical to ensure test security.

Once a test-out credit has been posted to a student’s transcript, a student may not enroll in the course, and course credit cannot be declined from the student’s transcript.

EOC Test-Out Opportunity Registration Form

Cost to FCS Students

The established fee for the EOC test-out is currently $50.00 per test. Schools will collect this fee from each student during registration for the EOC test. Students who reach the achievement level of Distinguished will be refunded the $50 fee (applicable only for those courses for which the student posts a credit). Students who attain the achievement level of Beginning Learner, Developing Learner or Proficient Learner will not be refunded the fee and will not earn course credit; these students must enroll in the course and will take the associated EOC again at the end of the course.

Availability of Test-Out Options for Forsyth County Students

• Fall Window: August 11-15, September 8-12, 2025
• Spring Window: March 2-6, 2026
• Summer Window = June 22-25, 2026 (HS Summer School)

Registration deadlines:

• August 4, 2025
• September 1, 2025
• February 23, 2026
• May 22, 2026 (Summer Window)

Credit Application to Transcripts

If a student is enrolled in high school, the Distinguished score will be recorded on the student’s transcript and will be calculated in the student’s GPA. (Honors, Accelerated, IB and AP designations do NOT apply to EOC test-out options.) If a Forsyth County student takes the EOC test-out option prior to the official entry date for 9th grade, the Distinguished score will be recorded on the student’s transcript but will not be calculated into the student’s high school GPA. Per Forsyth County Schools’ Testing Policy, only students enrolled in Forsyth County Schools may participate in testing.

Questions

Questions regarding the EOC test-out option should be directed to your school’s EOC Test Coordinator or to Forsyth County Schools’ Assessment team at 770-887-2461.