Examination Policies
- Students may take the exam a maximum of once. If a student does not pass the exam in one attempt, he/she must satisfy the computing requirements by taking BACS 101, or an equivalent course at another school. Students may take the exam only on the scheduled dates and times.
- The CPE is available only to: (a) those students who are officially enrolled in a UNC degree program that requires BA101/BACS101 or its equivalent as a degree requirement; (b) declared Pre-Business majors; or (c) students not meeting the previous criteria but have written permission from the CPE Coordinator or the Chair of the Dept. of Accounting and CIS/Monfort College of Business.
- During the school year, the examination is available at the following times: (1) At the beginning of fall and spring semesters (August and January); (2) During the pre-registration period at the end of fall and spring semesters (November and April)
- Any student who passes the exam will have met the computing prerequisite requirement for the courses that traditionally require BA101/BACS101 as a prerequisite.
Registering to Take the Proficiency Examination
NOTE: Registering for the exam must be done online.
In case you have difficulty registering online, or have questions, please contact Chris Vegter, the CPE Coordinator at chris.vegter@unco.edu. Importantly, registration must be completed at least 24 hours before the scheduled time of the exam. Registrants will receive further instructions by e-mail, 24 hours prior to the exam date.
CPE Required Software Account
Students taking the CPE are required to purchase an account access code for the online testing software (MyITLab).The Account Code can be purchased online for $15. This account will only be active for 2 weeks so do not purchase more than two weeks before the CPE is scheduled. This is different than the ISBN used in classes. If you purchase the version at the bookstore it includes 18 months of access and includes access to eTexts.
Importantly, you cannot take the exam without an active MyITlab account.
Proficiency Examination Content and Structure
Successful completion of the examination will require basic knowledge and skill levels in using the Windows Operating System, and Microsoft Office 2010 applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint), as well as an understanding of computer concepts, Cyber Security, Outlook Web Access and the Internet. Please note that the exam focus is on the 2010 version of Microsoft Office. The exam is time-limited to 2 1/2 hours, though most students finish in two hours or less.
Proficiency Examination Preparation
Study guides covering each element of the CPE are available for downloading from the CPE Website. Most books covering the Microsoft Office 2010 Skill Sets are acceptable review tools. Also, Microsoft has Office 2010 tutorials and related materials at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/support/getting-started-with-office-2010-FX101822272.aspx.
