Strayer's challenge exams: CIS375 - Human Computer Interaction (Dec. 2021)

[carrythenothing]

I hope this post saves someone else their time. I wanted to take the challenge exam for Human Computer Interaction (CIS375), so I registered to take it earlier today. I had read this forum post (September 2021) saying that the exam was "archived," but I thought they might have fixed that particular problem.

The exam is still included on Strayer's credit-by-exam page (archived) and ProctorU allowed me to register for it without warning me of that possibility. Earlier today, the proctor opened the exam link, entered the password, and got the following error message: "+++ This Challenge Exam has been archived and is no longer available. +++"

[bjcheung77]

Ouch, that seemed like a great option for getting credits just by doing exams, especially if I recall correctly, each exam should be just $20. However, their degrees still are expensive even after transferring in the max amount of credits possible... Thanks for the info, it's good to know what we may expect with their exams.

[jch]

I may have also had a strange experience with this particular challenge exam this week! Despite repeatedly pledging in the free year thread that I was done taking these, I've continued to pick them off this year. 
I've had my eye on the CIS375 Human-Computer Interaction challenge exam for a while, but was scared off by the earlier reports of its archived status. I think I know quite a bit about this subject, and this definitely wouldn't duplicate any of my existing credit. 
This past Sunday the 26th, I decided to try another exam, CIS373 Web Design and Development. This is not listed on the Strayer website, but I noticed it in the ProctorU list and signed up for it. Due to lots of web dev study this year, I was confident that I could pass it cold. I had some concern that Strayer may not transcript this exam because it duplicates the Sophia course but felt like trying my luck. 
Here's where the weirdness started. The ProctorU representative usually pastes the strayer.onlinetests.app link into my browser and enters the password. Occasionally, however, ProctorU uses a 'remote launch' system, where the proctor enters the exam on their end, then sends the exam page to you via their browser extension. Because Strayer's online testing system does not show the exam title anywhere other than the proctor authentication page, it isn't possible to tell what exam you're taking when a challenge exam is remotely launched. That's what happened when taking this exam. Upon inputting my student info, I was allowed to start answering the 84 questions within 90 minutes of allotted time. 
Quickly, though, something seemed off. There was absolutely nothing about HTML, CSS, or JS, as one would expect on a web development exam. Instead, I was confronted with questions related to interaction design and research. The material had a surprisingly large overlap with marketing research, which I just completed at SDC. 
Based on the questions, I strongly suspect that I actually took the CIS375 HCI exam. Despite the curveball, I managed to achieve a passing score. I'm really curious what the registrar received! 
After submitting the exam, I asked the proctor to verify the exam I had just taken. However, the proctor who launched the exam silently swapped out with a colleague halfway through the session, so I couldn't get any information.

[carrythenothing]

Received this message from ProctorU by email today:

**THIS IS AN AUTOMATED MESSAGE, DO NOT REPLY**

Hello,

We are reaching out to you in regards to your case for the CIS375 - Human Computer Interaction. We've received an update that your exam is available for rescheduling. Due to the issues experienced during your session, we will be providing you a reschedule at no additional cost.

...

[rachel83az]

So you'll be able to take that exam? Let us know how it goes! jch, let us know what exam you're listed as taking!

[carrythenothing]

I don't think I have the energy to work with ProctorU and Strayer again (especially since we're still not sure if Strayer will require enrollment in at least one of their classes). I'll think about it and report back if I do take it!

[gams007]

How can you enroll to take the challenge exams at Strayer University and how much it cost / credits, are those credits transferable?

[jch]

Instructions for Strayer's challenge exams are here: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/St...University
The only cost is the proctoring fee, about $20-25 depending on how far in advance you schedule.
Credits are unlikely to transfer at all because of the way Strayer transcripts the challenge exams. They're located in the transfer credit section of student transcripts, instead of within the Strayer undergraduate record. Transfers are sometimes possible if you can get Strayer to issue a transcript amendment letter and get that accepted by your target school.

[jch]

I may have also had a strange experience with this particular challenge exam this week! Despite repeatedly pledging in the free year thread that I was done taking these, I've continued to pick them off this year. 
I've had my eye on the CIS375 Human-Computer Interaction challenge exam for a while, but was scared off by the earlier reports of its archived status. I think I know quite a bit about this subject, and this definitely wouldn't duplicate any of my existing credit. 
This past Sunday the 26th, I decided to try another exam, CIS373 Web Design and Development. This is not listed on the Strayer website, but I noticed it in the ProctorU list and signed up for it. Due to lots of web dev study this year, I was confident that I could pass it cold. I had some concern that Strayer may not transcript this exam because it duplicates the Sophia course but felt like trying my luck. 
Here's where the weirdness started. The ProctorU representative usually pastes the strayer.onlinetests.app link into my browser and enters the password. Occasionally, however, ProctorU uses a 'remote launch' system, where the proctor enters the exam on their end, then sends the exam page to you via their browser extension. Because Strayer's online testing system does not show the exam title anywhere other than the proctor authentication page, it isn't possible to tell what exam you're taking when a challenge exam is remotely launched. That's what happened when taking this exam. Upon inputting my student info, I was allowed to start answering the 84 questions within 90 minutes of allotted time. 
Quickly, though, something seemed off. There was absolutely nothing about HTML, CSS, or JS, as one would expect on a web development exam. Instead, I was confronted with questions related to interaction design and research. The material had a surprisingly large overlap with marketing research, which I just completed at SDC. 
Based on the questions, I strongly suspect that I actually took the CIS375 HCI exam. Despite the curveball, I managed to achieve a passing score. I'm really curious what the registrar received! 

After a long appeals process and investigation, Strayer confirmed that the exam I took and passed was indeed CIS375 Human-Computer Interaction instead of CIS373 Web Design and Development. Strayer has since recorded the correct credit, which TESU accepted as CIS-3310 Man-Machine Interface.