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PLA Self-Assessment
See if Prior Learning Assessment is Right for You

This 20-question quiz is designed to help you understand your options for earning credit through Prior Learning Assessment (PLA), which is a process that enables you to earn credit for college-level knowledge you have acquired outside the traditional classroom that is equivalent to what would have been learned in a college course on the same subject. This includes knowledge gained through professional and military training, work, licenses and certifications you possess and other experiences, including credit-by-exam programs and portfolio assessment.

The PLA Self-Assessment takes only a few minutes to complete. At the bottom of the page you can choose to email the report to yourself. If you're a current TESU student, you can send it to an advisor by including your TESU ID number and selecting that option.

* indicates a required field

By providing your phone number, you agree to be contacted by Thomas Edison State University.

If you have already applied for admission or are a current student, please provide your University ID#:

Have you applied to the University for admission into a degree program?*

 Yes     No

Are you a member of the military or have veteran status?*

 Yes     No

Have you earned college-level credit that can be transferred to TESU toward a potential undergraduate degree?*

 Yes     No

As part of your application to the University, have you provided official transcripts of previously earned credit for evaluation?
If yes, select all that apply:

 CLEP
 DSST / DANTES
 ACE
 NCCRS
 Portfolio

Prior learning assessment (PLA) refers to a collection of credit-earning methods used to earn credit for the college-level knowledge you have acquired through work, training and other college-level learning completed outside of a traditional college. Have you previously earned any credit for your prior learning through any method?*

 Yes     No

Have you previously taken PLA-100 or PLA-200 or an equivalent prior learning assessment guidance course elsewhere?

 PLA-100 from Thomas Edison State University
 PLA-200 from Thomas Edison State University
 Learning Counts (CAEL)

Are you fluent in a Foreign Language?*

 Yes     No

Have you earned credit for college-level composition writing skills?*

 Yes     No

Would you say that you are now comfortable with composition-style research and writing?*

 Yes     No

Have you earned credit elsewhere through a portfolio assessment process, to be transferred to TESU?*

 Yes     No

Are you comfortable with taking standardized exams to earn college credit?*

 Yes     No

Have you taken any CLEP® or DSST® exams, or exams for which credit was awarded?*

 Yes     No

Do you hold certifications, licenses, training, workplace or industry credentials that might be worth college credit?*

 Yes     No

Have you completed any noncredit or open courses?*

 Yes     No

Do you have any expertise for which you have taught credit-bearing college courses?*

 Yes     No

Do you have formal or informal part-time or full-time work experience?*

 Yes     No

Are you involved with any hobbies and interests for which credit might be earned?*

 Yes     No

Are you able to produce evidence of learning (letters of support, samples of your work, training certificates)?*

 Yes     No

Do you still have questions about the possibility of earning college credit for what you already know?

 Yes     No
  • Your result will be emailed to you once you complete the Self-Assessment and select "Submit".