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Credit by Demonstrated Mastery

Credit by Demonstrated Mastery (CDM) is a State Board of Education policy (GCS-M-001.13) that was passed in October 2013. CDM offers students in grades 6-12 the opportunity to personalize and accelerate their learning by earning credit for a high school course through demonstrating mastery of course content, without being required to complete classroom instruction for a certain amount of seat time. 


Students who wish to pursue CDM will need to show mastery of the content by completing two phases. In phase I, students must complete an exam of course content. In phase II, students must create a product/ performance that exhibits a deeper understanding and application of course content. 

Course Eligibility & Prerequisites 
Students may earn CDM for all high school courses in grades 9-12 and high school courses offered in grades 6-8. The following courses are excluded from CDM: 

  • Career and Technical Education (CTE) work-based learning courses (internship, apprenticeship) 
  • CTE courses that have a clinical setting as a requirement of the course, such as Early Childhood Education I & II,  and Nursing Fundamentals 
  • CTE Advanced Studies courses or any course without state technical standards 
  • CTE Courses in Field Test status
  • English as a Second Language courses
  • Healthful Living required courses 
  • AP/IB courses 

For courses offered in a predetermined sequence, a student may only attempt to earn CDM for the next course in the  sequence. For example, if a student has taken NC Math I and would like to attempt CDM for NC Math III, the student would need to first successfully earn credit for NC Math II, either through CDM or traditional enrollment in the course.