To become eligible to skip some required or prerequisite academic course, usually by achieving a certain score on a placement test. I placed out of a number of entry-level courses for my degree, so I was able to finish college a year early.
place out of
v.
To qualify for a waiver of some requirement or prerequisite: If you've placed out of introductory biology, you can take an advanced course. The school has a language requirement, but since I know Spanish, I placed out.