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You've bought the books, gone through weeks of study and preparation, passed a CLEP test with flying colors, and then found out that your college won't even accept the credits you earned. What a letdown! A waste of energy, time, and money. You don't want this to happen to you, and that is why you have to know your college's CLEP policy!
Don't worry, over 2,900 colleges do accept CLEP credits in one form or another. And thankfully the details aren't very hard to find out. For example, I selected a random local school--John Brown University--and just typed "CLEP policy" into the search box. The first result gave me this. By clicking on the link you can see a detailed example of this college's acceptance, or nonacceptance, of test credits. If you get a 50 or more on English Literature then you get 6 credit hours, while the same score on American Literature will only get you 3. This school doesn't even accept credits from the Freshman Composition with Essay or Natural Sciences CLEP.
Here is an example of another college's CLEP policy. Once again, all I did to find it was use the search function on the homepage. Crowder College will only allow students to earn 15 credits through CLEP or other alternative learning experiences. They also do not accept Information Systems and Computer Applications, among others.
Another thing to find out: some colleges require the essay portion of certain tests, others couldn't care less!
In the end, every school is different. The College Board has a search function that allows you to find out if the college of your choice accepts CLEP (find it here). However, it won't tell you the college's entire CLEP policy. For that you'll probably have to go to the college's own website. Alternatively, it's always a good idea to talk to your school's advisor for the most accurate, up-to-date information.
Happy CLEPing,
