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Course Challenge and Equivalency Policy

Course Challenge Policy

To challenge a course is to prove the student has undocumented prior learning. Students are entitled to challenge in order to receive credit for Ministry Authorized or Board Authority Authorized Grade 10, 11 or 12 courses.

Prior to engaging in the challenge process, schools must review any documentation of prior learning that a student presents in order to determine if credit can be awarded through equivalency.

A student can challenge a course if he or she:

  • Is currently enrolled in the school district, registered as a home schooler, or enrolled in the distance education school where the challenge is being requested.
  • Has not already challenged the course and received a passing grade, or completed the course through previous enrolment, or been granted equivalency for the course.
  • Can give compelling evidence that he or she will succeed in the challenge.
Challenge Process

The challenge process begins when it is determined that credit cannot be awarded through equivalency and a student has given compelling evidence that he or she will succeed in a challenge assessment.

To receive credit for a course that does not have a required exam, a student must:

  • Obtain at least a C- (50% minimum) grade/score in the challenge course assessment. This course assessment is created by Heritage Christian Online School (HCOS) teachers and staff, and generally consists of a mid-term exam and final exam in core academic courses. In certain electives other criteria will be used to determine competency of the course curricular competencies at the discretion of the course teacher.

To receive credit for a course that has a required exam, a student must:

  • Complete the challenge process through the school and have a passing school percentage reported to the Ministry; and
  • Write the provincial exam at one of the scheduled exam times set by the Ministry; and
  • Obtain a final mark in the course of at least a C- (50% minimum) based on the combination of school mark (based on the challenge) and exam mark. The minimum passing score is the same as for students enrolled in the course.
Equivalency Policy

Courses taught outside the British Columbia school system that substantially match the curricular competencies of Ministry Authorized or Board Authority Authorized Grade 10, 11 or 12 courses are eligible for credit through equivalency. For example, a student who completes a course in Alberta may receive credit for a comparable course in British Columbia through equivalency.

Courses That Qualify for Equivalency

Equivalency is only granted for courses and programs that meet all of the following requirements:

  • The course matches approximately 80 percent or more of the prescribed curricular competencies of a Ministry Authorized course or a Board Authority Authorized course;
  • The student provides documentation that the curricular competencies of the course have been successfully completed; and
  • The course has been taken at another institution or in an education jurisdiction outside the regular British Columbia school system. In general, students should be granted credit, through Equivalency, for courses taken in other Canadian provinces and territories.

For example: Students who come to British Columbia from another jurisdiction and who have a Grade 10 level social studies course (e.g., History, Geography, Civics/Government, Aboriginal/Indigenous Studies) on their transcripts or other educational documents, should be given credit for Social Studies 10.

If the Ministry has not assessed the equivalency of credentials from other institutions or jurisdictions, the Board of HCOS has the authority to determine equivalency.

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