Course Equivalency Exam (Test-Out) Program
Rapid City Area Schools Course Equivalency Exam (Test-Out) Program
Registration for Summer 2025 Will Open June 9, 2025
Course Equivalency Exam (Test-out) sessions are now being set up for students who will be enrolled in grades 9-12 during the 2025-2026 school year. Any student enrolled in the district may challenge (test out of) courses approved by the South Dakota Department of Education (SDDOE), subject to the conditions outlined in Rapid City Area Schools District Code: IHH. The tests are comprehensive and assess factual knowledge as well as process and performance skills appropriate to the subject. Students must pass the exam with a minimum score of 85% .
Special Notice to Middle School Students and Parents/Guardians:
Middle school students (grades 6 through 8) who have completed the high school course Algebra I at their middle school will take the appropriate end-of-course exam and must score an 80% or better for graduation credit. Students will have two opportunities to achieve this score. These tests will be administered in your student’s middle school classroom prior to the end of the current school year.
The grade from the course (not the exam) will be recorded as a letter grade on their high school transcript and calculated into the student’s GPA. Those students not achieving an 80% will be placed in Algebra I as a 9th grader.
Full-Year Course Exams
Students will earn 1 full credit if they successfully challenge the following:
Algebra I
Geometry
Algebra II
English 9 (Additional requirements listed below)
Biology
Semester Course Exams
Students will earn 0.5 credit if they successfully challenge the following:
Computer Applications
Physical Science 1
Physical Science 2
U.S. Government
World History
World Geography
U.S. History I
U.S. History II
U.S. History III
Students may challenge a course only once. A score of 85% or better is required to earn credit. These will be recorded as a pass on the official transcript and will not affect GPA. Students may request a letter grade for scholarship purposes, as outlined in District Code: IHH-P1. This letter grade will not impact GPA or class ranking per SDDOE.
Per South Dakota Department of Education (SDDOE) guidelines, students are not eligible to take a Course Equivalency Exam for any course in which they have already received instruction, commonly referred to as "seat time." This includes - but is not limited to - situations where a student:
Is currently enrolled in the course and attempting to improve a non-failing grade,
Is currently enrolled and attempting to recover a failing grade, or
Has previously completed the course, regardless of the outcome (pass or fail).
In short, Course Equivalency Exams are intended only for students who have not previously taken the course in any form.
RCAS will host End-of-Course (EOC) testing over two days, with a total of four testing sessions available. Please note that not all subjects will be offered during every session, so it's important to carefully review the scheduled dates and times for each test.
Test Session Dates and Location:
Thursday, July 17, 2025 and Friday, July 18, 2025
Location:
Rapid City Alternative Academy
Room 419
601 Columbus Street
Rapid City, SD 57701
Session Times Each Day:
8:30 AM – 10:30 AM
12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Registration is first-come, first-served.
Registration Window:
Opens: June 9, 2025
Closes: Monday, July 7, 2025 at 4:00 PM
No registrations accepted after this time. Walk-ins will not be allowed.
There is no cost to challenge a course.
Registration Form Submission Options:
Online (available June 9-July 7)
Or Download and submit via:
Hand-delivery
Mail
Fax
Submit to:
Rapid City Area School District
Office of Teaching, Learning, and Innovation
625 9th Street, 7th Floor
Phone: (605) 394-4053
Fax: (605) 394-2271
For Registration Questions, Contact:
Justin Conroy @ (605) 394-4048
Test Schedule Details:
Thursday, July 17, 2025 & Friday, July 18, 2025 ( 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM or 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM):
Algebra I
Geometry
Algebra II
World Geography
U.S. History I, II, III
U.S. Government
World History
Physical Science
Biology
Thursday, July 17, 2025 & Friday, July 18, 2025 (8:30 AM – 10:30 AM ONLY):
Computer Applications
(This test often takes longer than 2 hours. Students should be prepared to stay until finished.)
English 9
(Additional preparation materials required. See link below.)
Resources & Exam Info:
There are no official study guides, but resources below can help:
RCAS Created Exam Blueprints: