Biology 101: Principles of Biology

General Information

• The BIOL 101 & 101L Credit-by-Exam will be given on Monday, August 18th from noon until 2PM in room 201 Coker. You are not eligible to take the exam if you have credit for any college biology-type course (which might include zoology course, botany course or anatomy and physiology courses) or have taken the exam previously. It is not necessary to sign up in advance to take the exam. A picture ID and a UNC PID are required for the exam. If you have any questions regarding the test, please contact Dr. Jean DeSaix at jdesaix@email.unc.edu., 211 Coker Hall or 962-1068. 
• Report Scanned Exam Scores (https://onyen.unc.edu/cgi-bin/unc_id/reportcard.pl)

About the Biology Placement Test

This test is designed for people who have had two years of high school biology and, therefore, probably do not belong in our introductory biology (Biology 101) course. Although most departments give placement tests only once a year before classes begin in the Fall, this test is generally given three times a year. We do this in order to help the greatest number of students. It is given before classes start in the Fall for students who need the score to plan registrations, and about two weeks into both Fall and Spring semesters to allow students who feel their registration into the course is a mistake, to attempt to place out. 

 Students who have credit for a college biology course are not eligible to take this test because credit has already been given for the knowledge.  The test is equivalent to a final exam in Biology 101 and demands an equivalent passing level (60%).  Students who choose to take the test given after the semester starts must maintain enough credit hours to drop Biology 101 and lab if credit is awarded.  This means having 12 academic hours in addition to the Biology 101 hours to be dropped.

If you pass the test, you may take “by exam” credit for both lecture and lab (Biol 101 and Biol 101L).  These hours go directly to your record at the end of the semester and do not count as hours credit in any particular semester. Alternatively, it is possible to take “by exam” credit for only one of the two components and take the other component as a class. There is no separate exam for laboratory only.  If you are currently registered in the course and you plan to drop lecture or lab or both, you should do so immediately upon being notified of your passing score.  You may not drop after the last day to drop a course, even if you have placement credit.  Remember that university regulations require that you be registered for 12 academic hours (lifetime fitness courses above 199 don't count as academic hours) in order to be a full time student.  Because “by exam” credits do not appear on your transcript until the following semester, it is your responsibility to see an academic advisor in the Steele building in the following semester to be sure your credits have been distributed correctly.

You may take the test only once.  If you do not pass the test, nothing will be entered on your transcript.  When you take the test, you will be asked to sign the following:

I pledge that I have not taken this test before, that I have not received credit for other college-level biology courses, that I will not request a drop below 12 hours as a result of this test, and that I have neither given nor received aid on this examination. _________________________

The test is largely multiple choice. The test covers all of biology: cells, genetics, ecology, plants, animals, etc. Any good introductory biology textbook may be used to study for the exam.

Interpretation of your score: