The short answer is that your score is taken by pink pixies to a secret safe far, far away where it will be kept until the fated day when the order is given for the pixies to spirit it away to the college of your choice.
You don't believe me?
Well, the truth is that it varies, depending on what test you're taking and what choices you make on the front-end:
Seeing Your Score
- Most of the time you will know how well you did on a test instantly, right after you finish answering the questions. Your test administrator should also print out a copy of your scores and give it to you before you leave the testing center. If they forget, badger them within an inch of their lives until you have that glamorous piece of paper in hand!
- If your test includes an essay then you'll have to wait for it to be scored. You should receive your report in the mail 2-3 weeks later.
Sending Score Reports
- At the time you take your exam, right before the question portion, you'll have the choice to send your score to the college, employer, or certifying agency of your choice. If you're already enrolled this is a great choice, since it's free if you transfer your score now and will cost you $20 if you do it later.
- If after the test you decide that you don't want to report your score, you'll have the chance to cancel before viewing it. You cannot retake that test until 6 months have elapsed, and this cancellation cannot be undone. Don't worry--they'll ask you several times if you really want to cancel your scores, so it's just about impossible to do it on accident.
- If you don't know what institution you want to receive your scores then just leave that option blank.
The Credit Vault
Upon completing your test, your score is sent to an invisible vault (you can choose to believe the pink pixie part or not) and kept there for 20 years. At any point during that time you can choose to send it away to the institution of your choice. Just download this transcript request form, or the military form, (or call (800) 257-9558 if ordering with a credit card), fill it in, and send it off. Your recipient will then have rock-hard proof of all your hard work and it should be smooth sailing from there.
All in all, a pretty hassle-free process!
Happy CLEPing,
