Credit by Exam

The State Board of Education has established procedures to allow elementary students to “skip” one grade level by taking a series of exams which assess the Texas Essential Knowledge/Skills (TEKS) established for that grade level. Parents interested in having their children screened for credit-by-exam should contact their school counselor. If the school is unable to answer a question, please email the Testing Office at creditbyexam@cfisd.net.

GRADE LEVEL ACCELERATION

Students in elementary and middle school may test to skip a grade level or to accelerate in math only. Parents interested in this type of testing should reach out to their student's counselor. Please visit the campus website for counselor contact information.

To skip kindergarten or grades 1-8, students' scores on the credit-by-exam tests will be examined to see if advanced placement criteria have been met. Students who meet the criteria - [score of 80% or better on each subtest of the exam] - may advance one grade level.

Students will only have one opportunity to test for each grade level considered.

To skip Kindergarten:
- To be eligible for Credit-by-Exam, kindergarten students must be 5 on or before September 1 and registered in CFISD. Additional criteria to be considered are noted below.
  - Completed kindergarten in a private school in Texas or public school out-of-state; or
  - Parent request

To skip First Grade:
- To be eligible for Credit-by-Exam, first grade students must be 6 on or before September 1 and enrolled in CFISD. Additional criteria to be considered are noted below.
- Demonstrate above-level achievement on the end-of-year kindergarten benchmarks given in May; or
  - Be formally identified as Gifted/Talented [HORIZONS]; or
  - Parent request

GRADE LEVEL ACCELERATION TESTING SCHEDULE

Parents interested in this type of testing should reach out to their student's counselor. Please note elementary and middle school counselors leave campus for summer break on June 2 and 3, respectively. All credit by exam testing is arranged through the campus counselor.

Test Dates	Parent Registration Deadline
Week of June 8, 2026	Monday, May 18, 2026
Week of July 13, 2026	Monday, June 1, 2026

MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH ACCELERATION TESTING SCHEDULE

Math 361, Math 371, Accelerate to Algebra & Moving Up in Math

Parents interested in this type of testing should reach out to their student's counselor. Please note middle school counselors leave campus for summer break on June 3. All credit by exam testing is arranged through the campus counselor.

Test Dates	Parent Registration Deadline
June 9, 2026	Monday, May 18, 2026
July 14, 2026	Monday, June 1, 2026

COURSE CONTENT CBE TESTING

Students in grades 6-12 may be awarded high school credit based on performance on a CBE taken either with no prior instruction or with prior instruction. Sixth grade students become eligible to participate during the summer between grades 6 and 7.

Students may not attempt to earn credit by exam for the same high school subject more than two times. Students who wish to take an assessment for high school credit courses need to contact their campus counselor to review course requirements prior to signing up for a credit by exam. Please visit the campus website for counselor contact information.

Parents and students interested in this type of testing should reach out to their student's counselor. Please note high school counselors leave campus for summer break on June 10.

Test Dates	Registration Deadline
Tuesday, February 10, 2026	Monday, January 26, 2026
Tuesday, March 3, 2026	Monday, February 16, 2026
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 (4 pm - 9 pm): LOTE ONLY Wednesday, April 1, 2026 (4 pm - 9 pm): Content & TTU ONLY	Monday, March 16, 2026
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 (4 pm - 9 pm) – LOTE ONLY Wednesday, May 13, 2026 (4 pm - 9 pm): Content & TTU ONLY	Monday, April 28, 2026
June 10 & 11, 2026	Monday, May 18, 2026
July 20 & 21, 2026	Monday, June 1, 2026