If you took Advanced Placement classes in high school to "prepare" for college, you may end up feeling shafted by the system. Standard practice seems to be to tell you that you need, say, two MORE math classes beyond whatever you took in high school to complete your degree, even if you already have mastered more advanced math than your degree would otherwise require.
They generally do not tell incoming freshman "Oh, you can just test out of Algebra rather than taking even more advanced math." But in some cases, you may be able to do exactly that if already know the subject well.
If you live in a remote area or have a demanding job, testing out of classes where you already confidently know the material may be a way to get a leg up on completing a degree. It can help reduce the demands on both your time and your budget because the tests are typically a lot less expensive than a comparable college class.
They generally do not tell incoming freshman "Oh, you can just test out of Algebra rather than taking even more advanced math." But in some cases, you may be able to do exactly that if already know the subject well.
If you live in a remote area or have a demanding job, testing out of classes where you already confidently know the material may be a way to get a leg up on completing a degree. It can help reduce the demands on both your time and your budget because the tests are typically a lot less expensive than a comparable college class.