Computer Proficiency Examination Policies

  1. The CPE is available only to: (a) those students who are officially enrolled in a UNC degree program that requires BA101 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.
  2. Students may take the exam a maximum of twice. If a student does not pass the exam in two attempts, he/she must satisfy the computing requirements by taking BA 101, or an equivalent course at another school. It is strongly recommended that students who do not pass the exam the first time, should do adequate remedial work before attempting it the second time. Students may take the exam only at the scheduled times at the beginning and end of each semester.
  3. The examination is available twice each semester: (1) At the beginning of each term, when two test dates are offered at the beginning of the semester; and (2) Two dates during the early/pre-registration period at the end of each semester. Any student who passes the exam at the beginning of the semester will have met the computing prerequisite requirement for the courses that traditionally have required BA 101 as a prerequisite.

Registering to Take the Proficiency Examination
Registering for the exam must be done online at http://www.mcb.unco.edu/Technology/CPE/registration.cfm, In case you have difficulty registering online, or have questions, please contact Dr. Joseph "Ranny" Cullom, the Computing Proficiency Test Administrator at 351-2431 (Kepner 2095-A). Dr. Cullom's email address is ranny.cullom@unco.edu. Importantly, registration must be completed at least 24 hours before the scheduled time of the examination. Registrants will receive notification and further instructions about the exam by email, 24 hours prior to the exam date. Please check your email as the exam date approaches.

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 2007 applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access, as well as an understanding of basic computer concepts and the Internet.

The 2 1/2 hour exam consists of both multiple choice questions and computer-based tasks covering topics in Windows, Word 2007, Excel 2007, PowerPoint 2007, Access 2007, computer concepts, and the Internet.

Proficiency Examination Preparation
Most books covering the Microsoft Office 2007 Skill Sets are acceptable to aid in preparation for the exam. Importantly, study guides covering each element of the CPE are available for downloading, in PDF format, from the CPE Website. Click here to access the CPE study guides:

Obtaining Proficiency Exam Results
The exam results will be e-mailed to the student as soon as the scores are tabulated. This will be followed up with a formal letter noting the exam results as either "Pass" or "Fail". For privacy reasons exam results are not given over the telephone.