
What is CLEP and how does it work?
The College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP) helps you receive college credit for what you already know, for a fraction of the cost of a college course. CLEP offers 34 exams that cover introductory level college course material.
How many credits are CLEP exams worth?
For each of the exams taken and passed, students can earn between three and 12 college credits. Depending on the required general education courses at the college of their choice, students could bypass most of their entire first year of introductory courses.
How do I use my CLEP credits?
How to Use CLEP Exams to Get College CreditFind a University That Accepts CLEP.Plan Your Courses.Prep for the CLEP Exams.Schedule and Take Your CLEP Exams.Transfer Your CLEP Credits.Earn Your Degree.
Is it worth it to take CLEP?
Taking CLEP exams offers two primary benefits to students. The program makes it possible to save time and money while earning a degree [2]. It also lets students earn credit for knowledge they already have, either from independent study or experience.
How do CLEP credits affect GPA?
CLEP exams have no effect on your grade point average—all they do is allow you to receive course credit. That means any passing grade on a CLEP test earns you the same amount of college credit—no matter if you get a “C” or an “A” on the exam.
Is CLEP same as AP?
Both CLEP and AP programs offer students the opportunity to master introductory college-level work. The main difference between the two programs is that you prepare for CLEP exams on your own, while AP exams are taken after completing an AP course.
Is it hard to pass a CLEP exam?
Thankfully, CLEP tests are actually easily passed by anyone willing to put in the study time and effort. I've personally talked with hundreds of CLEP students from high schoolers to adult learners who have successfully passed and earned college credit.
What college accepts the most CLEP credits?
Which Schools Accept the Highest Number of CLEP Credits?Purdue University - unlimited credits can be transferred as long as students take at least 32 credits at this university.University of Massachusetts - 75 credits can transfer.University of Arizona - 60 units can transfer.
Do most universities accept CLEP?
More than 2,900 U.S. colleges and universities grant credit for CLEP. A college's CLEP credit policy explains: which CLEP exams are accepted by the institution.
Do CLEP credits expire?
CLEP credits don't technically expire. But the College Board only keeps your CLEP transcripts on record for 20 years after you take the exam. So if you haven't sent your CLEP transcripts to your college by then, you probably won't be able to use those credits.
Does Harvard accept CLEP?
Credit by Examination We accept a maximum of 16 credits, combined, for coursework completed by an examination, such as the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), or professional training approved by the American Council on Education (ACE). For each CLEP exam, students are awarded 4 credits.
What happens if I fail a CLEP exam?
What happens if you fail a CLEP test? If you fail a CLEP exam, there is a 3-month waiting period before you can retake the exact same CLEP exam. However, you can take a CLEP exam in a different subject in the meantime.
How long does it take to study for a CLEP?
Many CLEP exams are designed to correspond to one- semester courses. Some, however, correspond to one to two years of study. At most colleges, students earn three credits for a one-semester course and six credits for a full-year course. Exams are approximately 90 minutes and consist mainly of multiple-choice questions.
Do Ivy League colleges accept CLEP?
At this time, many of the highest-ranked institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Brown do not accept CLEP exams. Visit the College Board website and use the official CLEP search tool to see if the schools you're considering made the list. Looking for help on your college journey?
Can you CLEP a class you failed?
Most schools won't allow you to clep out of any course previously attempted, meaning you have to retake the course.
Do colleges like CLEP?
While CLEP isn't the most transferable source of credit, it's still an excellent way to save some money on college. And Podunk University isn't the only college which accepts it. In fact, CLEP exams are more popular than ever, currently accepted at more than 2,900 schools across the United States.
Is CLEP pass or fail?
Do CLEP exams affect your GPA? No, CLEP exams are almost always considered pass or fail. Because they don't receive letter grades, they aren't factored into your GPA. On your transcript, they will be indicated with either a “P” (pass) or “F” (fail), or less commonly, “CR” (credit) or “NC” (no credit).
Do colleges prefer CLEP or AP?
Often, parents and students want to know which test is better, an AP or CLEP exam. Generally, AP scores are more widely accepted by colleges than CLEP scores when it comes to placing out of courses. Even so, a high CLEP exam on your student's resume may still boost their chances of acceptance into a college.
What is the hardest CLEP exam?
Top 5 hardest CLEP examsChemistry. Pass Rate: 39% The chemistry exam is one of the toughest CLEP tests, featuring a pass rate of just 39%. ... Western Civilization II. Pass Rate: 48% ... American Literature. Pass Rate: 51% ... Introductory Business Law. Pass Rate: 51% ... American Government. Pass Rate: 52%
Which is harder CLEP or AP?
There is of course some variability each year, but in general about 60% of students who take CLEP exams meet the passing score of 50, and roughly the same percentage of students who take AP exams meet the passing score of 3.
What Cleps are worth 6 credits?
CLEP Level 1 scores are good for six credits, Level 2 scores for twelve. There are CLEP language exams for French, German, and Spanish.
Is 68 a good CLEP score?
“The American Council on Education (ACE) recommends a credit-granting score of 50 for each CLEP exam....CLEP Score: What's an A? B? C?Exam TitleB-Level ScoreC-Level ScoreGerman Language Level 2 Proficiency6760Spanish Language Level 1 Proficiency5650Spanish Language Level 2 Proficiency6863Spanish with Writing Level 1 Proficiency58504 more rows•May 24, 2022
Is 64 a good CLEP score?
The American Council on Education (ACE) recommends a credit-granting score of 50 for each CLEP exam. This is a scaled score, equivalent to earning a C in the relevant course....Science and Mathematics.Exam TitleB-Level ScoreBiology56Calculus64Chemistry66College Algebra633 more rows
Does Harvard accept CLEP?
Credit by Examination We accept a maximum of 16 credits, combined, for coursework completed by an examination, such as the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), or professional training approved by the American Council on Education (ACE). For each CLEP exam, students are awarded 4 credits.
How to register for CLEP?
You can register for a CLEP exam with the College Board, or you can contact a testing center. The CLEP exams are administered throughout the year across the United States and internationally. When you register on the College Board, you have to create an account and fill in your personal information. The account allows you to search for test locations and dates, and to sign up for score reports. Here's a checklist of what you need to do: 1 Research CLEP credit policy by institution 2 Select a CLEP exam 3 Register for a CLEP exam 4 Get prepared with practice questions
Why Take a CLEP Exam?
Earning college credit by taking a CLEP exam allows you to reduce the amount of time and money spent earning a degree. Over 2,900 universities and colleges accept CLEP credits. Aside from higher education institutions, CLEP exams are also administered at over 1,800 test centers.
How many CLEP exams are there?
The College Board offers 34 CLEP exams in several subject areas. You need to check your institution's CLEP credit policy to determine the exams that are acceptable and how many credits you can get. The table below lists the exams by subject:
What are CLEP exams?
CLEP exams are multiple-choice exams that college professors develop. They design the question based on the material commonly taught in lower-level college courses and establish the passing score for the exam.
Benefits of taking CLEP exams
Taking CLEP exams offers two primary benefits to students. The program makes it possible to save time and money while earning a degree [ 2 ]. It also lets students earn credit for knowledge they already have, either from independent study or experience.
How to take CLEP exams
You can choose to take a CLEP exam in a test center or opt for home testing with a remote proctor. To qualify for remote proctoring, you must be at least 13 years old, located in the United States, and have a testing room that meets the technical requirements for the test [ 4 ].
Next steps
Get a head start on your bachelor's degree with the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences from the University of North Texas. If you have between 30 and 90 credit hours from CLEP exams, community college, technical institute, or another university, you could be able to transfer them toward this flexible degree from a top research school in Texas.
What does CLEP stand for?
Key Takeaways. CLEP stands for the College Level Examination Program, a program that enables students to earn college credit for introductory-level courses by achieving satisfactory scores on subject-specific tests. Administered by College Board, the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) is accepted by nearly 3,000 colleges ...
What Is the College Level Examination Program (CLEP)?
CLEP stands for the College Level Examination Program, a program that enables students to earn college credit for introductory-level courses by achieving satisfactory scores on subject-specific tests. CLEP is administered by College Board, the same company that administers the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) required for seeking admission at nearly all undergraduate institutions and colleges.
How long is a CLEP exam?
Most exams are 90-minutes to 120-minutes long and consist of multiple-choice questions, taken on a computer. Students should check with their university's policy on granting credit for specific CLEP exams before registering for, studying for, or taking any exams.
What is AP exam?
Advanced Placement (AP) exam s are also designed to help students test out of college-level coursework, however, they are different than CLEP tests in that AP exams are accompanied by a high school course. For example, a student would typically take an AP Calculus BC class for a school year, before registering to take the AP Calc BC examination. CLEP is less well-known than AP exams and classes (as they are not advertised within high school classes), and is also not exclusively designed for high school students. Anyone who is motivated and has the ability to self-study for the test can take CLEP. In fact, though high school students are eligible, those who take CLEP exams include adults going back to school, military members, international students, master's degree candidates, and other professionals. In addition, whereas AP exams only take place in May, CLEP exams are offered throughout the year.
How many credits does a college level exam have?
Administered by College Board, the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) is accepted by nearly 3,000 colleges and can reward anywhere between one and 12 credits for a passing score. CLEP offers 38 different multiple-choice exams ranging from 90-120 minutes for topics such as business to languages, math, and science.
How many colleges accept CLEP?
Nearly 3,000 colleges accept the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and universities and exams are given in more than 1,800 test centers. A qualifying test score can earn a student anywhere from one to 12 college credits, depending on the college's policy.
Does CLEP come with high school?
Unlike the AP exam, CLEP does not come with an accompanying high school course and can be taken by adults returning to school.
How many credits are needed for CLEP?
You will need to check if your university offers language testing for your target language. Note: World Languages exams are worth 6 credits for the Level 1 portion and 9 credits for the Level 2 portion.
What is a CLEP exam?
CLEP Exams cover the subject matter areas of composition and literature, world languages, history and social sciences, science and mathematics, and business. The Spanish language section has a new test that evaluates a student's Spanish language knowledge with writing. Some links to CLEP courses are provided in the lists.
How to register for CLEP exam?
To register for a CLEP exam, select an exam either from the CLEP registration page or an individual exam page, then use the My Account portal to submit your payment. If you cannot identify a preferred test center in the My Account portal during registration, you can use the Find a Test Center tool at clep.collegeboard.org to locate one in your area. After finding a test center, contact it directly to schedule the date and time to take your exam.
How much does it cost to take the Clep exam?
Each CLEP exam costs $89. Payment is made in the My Account portal (clep.collegeboard.org) via debit or credit card. It's good to note that the testing center you select could charge an additional administration fee. Military personnel may be able to have their exams funded through the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES). If you qualify for DANTES and can take your exam at an on-base or fully funded test center, your exam (and test center administration fees) will be free. Veterans may also be eligible to use disability to pay for the exam.
How many Clep exams are there?
CLEP is a credit-by-examination program offering 34 exams you can take to earn credits that are accepted at 2,900 colleges and universities. This is a list of CLEP exams sorted by subject area, followed by the credits offered for each exam.
What is the minimum score for CLEP?
CLEP exams offer a scaled score range of 20 to 80. The recommended minimum passing score to earn college credits is 50 for most exams; however, each institution is allowed to set its own minimum passing score for granting credits. For help studying for your CLEP exams, check out Study.com CLEP courses, study guides, and practice tests.
How many credits are needed for the World Languages exam?
Note: World Languages exams are worth 6 credits for the Level 1 portion and 9 credits for the Level 2 portion.
How many schools grant CLEP credit?
More than 2,900 schools grant credit for CLEP. CLEP exams are especially useful if your child’s school doesn’t offer AP courses, or if there’s no AP Exam in the subject your child wants to take. For instance, there’s a CLEP exam in introductory sociology, but there isn’t a corresponding AP Exam. Read More About It.
What is CLEP exam?
beginning of content: College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams are college-level tests that anyone can take to earn credit toward a college degree.
How many CLEP exams are there?
Anyone can earn college credit through CLEP, whether they’re in high school or already in college. There are 34 CLEP exams in 5 subject areas. See all CLEP exams. Students can schedule their exams any time throughout the year. Students take CLEP exams on computers.
How much does it cost to take a CLEP exam?
There are CLEP exams for topics that aren’t offered in AP. Students can prepare for the exams with free online CLEP courses. The 2019-20 CLEP exam fee is $89 —far less expensive than a college course.
How many CLEP test centers are there?
There are over 2,000 CLEP test centers where your child can take a CLEP exam. After your child registers for a CLEP exam online, they’ll need to contact an official CLEP test center to schedule their exam. Use the Test Center Search tool to find a nearby test center. CLEP exams are available year-round.
How many schools grant CLEP credit?from parents.collegeboard.org
More than 2,900 schools grant credit for CLEP. CLEP exams are especially useful if your child’s school doesn’t offer AP courses, or if there’s no AP Exam in the subject your child wants to take. For instance, there’s a CLEP exam in introductory sociology, but there isn’t a corresponding AP Exam. Read More About It.
What is CLEP exam?from clep.collegeboard.org
beginning of content: College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams are college-level tests that anyone can take to earn credit toward a college degree.
When do you receive your CLEP scores?from clep.collegeboard.org
Students receive their CLEP exam scores immediately after completing the exam (except for College Composition and Spanish with Writing).
How many CLEP exams are there?from parents.collegeboard.org
Anyone can earn college credit through CLEP, whether they’re in high school or already in college. There are 34 CLEP exams in 5 subject areas. See all CLEP exams. Students can schedule their exams any time throughout the year. Students take CLEP exams on computers.
What does CLEP stand for?
CLEP is an abbreviation that stands for College Level Examination Program.
What colleges accept CLEP credits?
There are quite a few universities and colleges in the United States that accept CLEP credits, but some schools accept more credits than others. Some of the schools that accept the highest number of CLEP credits include: 1 Purdue University - unlimited credits can be transferred as long as students take at least 32 credits at this university 2 University of Massachusetts - 75 credits can transfer 3 University of Arizona - 60 units can transfer
How much does a CLEP exam cost?
These exams typically cost $89, and this fee is usually non-returnable.
What is CLEP in college?
The College-Level Examina tion Program (CLEP) awards college credit at more than 2,900 U.S. colleges and universities for demonstrating achievement in a subject by means of a computer-based exam. [i] By earning a satisfactory score, you may earn the same amount of credit as a student who successfully completed the same course at that school.
What Is a CLEP Test?
CLEP test stands for College-Level Examination Program. A CLEP is a test that measures how much you know about certain academic subjects. Students can earn college credits by getting a qualifying score on their CLEPs in topics within Composition and Literature, World Languages, History and Social Sciences, Science and Mathematics, or Business. Thousands of colleges and universities accept CLEP test scores, which are administered by the College Board.
What Are the Benefits of CLEP?
By successfully passing each test, you will receive college credit that can:
Who Accepts CLEP?
Below is a list of online colleges that accept the CLEP exam credits towards a degree. By no means is this a complete list; it is simply a few names to help you get started!
When Do I Get My CLEP Score?
Since CLEP exams are entirely computer-based, you should receive your score immediately after completing the test (ex cept for College Composition and College Composition Modular, in which case you will receive your score in about four weeks). In about a month, any score recipient, if you designate one at the start of the exam, will receive your official score report.
What Does the CLEP Exam Cost?
The fee for each CLEP exam is $80, plus any service fees payable to the testing center. [ii] However, for eligible military service members and eligible civilian employees, CLEP exams may be free of charge.
How long is a CLEP exam?
All CLEP exams are administered by computer. A CLEP exam is an hour and a half long and consists mostly of multiple-choice questions (some exams have fill-in-the-blank questions), except for English Composition with Essay and College Composition.
What is a CLEP?
CLEP, or the College Board’s College-Level Examination Program, has been in place for more than 50 years. One of the most trusted credit-by-examination programs, CLEP enables students to showcase their knowledge of college-level coursework in order to earn credit at multiple schools around the U.S.
What is the CLEP Exam?
Students can take CLEP exams year round at more than 2,000 CLEP test center locations across the nation. Each exam costs $89, and military service members may qualify for free tests. Once you register for a test online, you will have six months to take your exam. Note that students can select an institution to receive their CLEP scores for free at the time of registration. If you wait to designate a school after the fact, expect to pay a $20 fee per institution.
What Subjects are Offered for the CLEP Exam?
Thinking of taking a CLEP exam? The College-Level Examination Program currently provides testing in the following subject areas:
How long does it take to get a Clep score?
CLEP exams include both multiple choice and essay questions and take between 90 and 120 minutes to complete. Scores range from 20 to 80, with 50 being the minimum requirement for a passing grade.
How much time do you save on CLEP?
In fact, students who earn three credits for a CLEP exam save up to 100 hours of time on classroom work and home study. Moreover, those who earn 15 CLEP credits could save up to $5,000 on the cost of tuition.
Which colleges do not accept CLEP?
At this time, many of the highest-ranked institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Brown do not accept CLEP exams. Visit the College Board website and use the official CLEP search tool to see if the schools you’re considering made the list.
Do colleges give credit for exams?
While some colleges and universities accept credit for as many exams as a student passes, others set a limit on the amount of credit students can earn. Moreover, some schools grant the same amount of credit to students who earn high marks in their high school courses.

What Is The College Level Examination Program (Clep)?
Understanding The College Level Examination Program
- Nearly 3,000 colleges accept the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and universities and exams are given in more than 1,800 test centers. A qualifying test score can earn a student anywhere from one to 12 college credits, depending on the college's policy. Passing a CLEP test allows students to save money on tuition, skip unnecessary courses, and speed up graduation. S…
Examples of Clep Exams
- CLEP offers 38 examinations in subjects including English literature, Spanish language, American government, business, science, math, and more. 1. American Literature 2. Analyzing and Interpreting Literature 3. College Composition 4. College Composition Modular 5. English Literature 6. Humanities 7. French Language: Levels 1 and 2 8. German Language: Levels 1 and …
AP Exams vs. Clep
- Advanced Placement (AP) exams are also designed to help students test out of college-level coursework, however, they are different than CLEP tests in that AP exams are accompanied by a high school course. For example, a student would typically take an AP Calculus BC class for a school year, before registering to take the AP Calc BC examination. CLEP is less well-known tha…