USNA Course Validation Policy
There are many opportunities for midshipmen to earn validation credit for USNA courses. While the majority of validation occurs during plebe summer, midshipmen may validate upper level courses at other times. To be considered for validation of a course, a midshipman must have one or more of the following:
- equivalent college level experience elsewhere,
- high AP or IB test scores as indicated below, and/or
- good performance on one or more validation test(s).
In general, validation for a particular course is determined by the academic department in which the course is offered. Midshipmen who wish to validate courses for which opportunities are not provided during plebe summer may visit the relevant department to make appropriate arrangements nearly anytime after plebe summer.
A summary of our validation policies for the class of 2026 is shown in the table below. Additional information about validation can be seen on the Course Validation Information page.
| School of Engineering and Weapons | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Department | Validation via AP or IB scores |
Validation testing opportunities during plebe summer |
Validation requirements for upper level courses |
| Aerospace Engineering | No validation tests are administered during plebe summer. | Interview, test. | |
| Electrical & Computer Engineering | No validation tests are administered during plebe summer. | Interview, test. | |
| Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering | No validation tests are administered during plebe summer. | Interview, test. | |
| Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering | No validation tests are administered during plebe summer. | Interview, test. | |
| Weapons & Systems Engineering | No validation tests are administered during plebe summer. | Interview, test. | |
| School of Mathematics and Science | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Department | Validation via AP or IB scores |
Validation testing opportunities during plebe summer |
Validation requirements for upper level courses |
| Chemistry |
For Class of 2025 and earlier: Biology AP=5 or IB=7 validates Biology 1. For Class of 2026 and beyond: Biology 1 can no longer be validated by AP or IB score |
Tests administered for Chemistry 1 and Chemistry 2. | Interview, test. |
|
Computer Science |
No validation tests are administered during plebe summer. |
Interview, test. |
|
|
Cyber Science |
No validation tests are administered during plebe summer. |
Interview, test |
|
| Mathematics (Validation by AP Score or USNA Exam only) | Calculus "AB" or "AB subscore" AP>=4 validates Calc 1. Calculus "BC" AP>=4 validates Calc 1 and Calc 2. |
Tests administered for Calculus 1, Calculus 2 and Calculus 3. | Interview, test. |
| Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences | No validation tests are administered during plebe summer. | Interview, test. | |
| Physics | Tests administered for Physics 1 and Physics 2. | Interview, test. | |
| School of Humanities and Social Sciences | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Department | Validation via AP or IB scores |
Validation testing opportunities during plebe summer |
Validation requirements for upper level courses |
| Economics | Micro AP>=4 and Macro AP>=4 validates FE210. Micro AP>=4 validates SE201. Macro AP>=4 validates SE202. |
No validation tests are administered during plebe summer. | Some combination of syllabus, transcript, interview and test. |
| English | English AP=5 or IB=7, Literature or Language, validates English 1. | Tests administered for English 1 and English 2. | Syllabus, transcript and interview. |
| History | World History AP=5 plus either European History AP=5 or American History AP=5 validates HH216. | No validation tests are administered during plebe summer. | Syllabus, transcript and interview. |
| Political Science | American Government AP>=4 validates FP130. Comparative Politics AP>=4 validates FP230. |
No validation tests are administered during plebe summer. | Syllabus, transcript and interview. |
| Languages & Cultures |
For Class of 2025 and earlier: {French, German, Spanish} AP >= 4 validates Language 1 & 2, and AP = 5 validates Language 3 & 4. {Chinese, Japanese} AP = 5 validates Language 1 & 2. For Class of 2026 and beyond: {French, German, Spanish} AP >= 4 validates Language 1 & 2, and AP = 5 will grant placement into Language 3XY. {Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian} AP = 5 validates Language 1 & 2. |
Tests offered in plebe summer for Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. Only Language 1&2 can be validated by test, skill beyond Language 2 is reflected in placement. |
Interview tests available. Skill beyond Language 2 is reflected in placement, not validation. |
| Division of Professional Development | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Department | Validation via AP or IB scores |
Validation testing opportunities during plebe summer |
Validation requirements for upper level courses |
| Seamanship and Navigation | No validation tests are administered during plebe summer. | Interview, test. | |
| Division of Leadership Education and Development | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Department | Validation via AP or IB scores |
Validation testing opportunities during plebe summer |
Validation requirements for upper level courses |
| Leadership, Ethics & Law | Introductory Psychology AP>=4 validates NL200 (Human Behavior). | No validation tests are administered during plebe summer. | Syllabus, transcript and interview. |
