Will CLEP Work for Me?

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"I want to be an astronaut." 

OK!

"I also have an interest in engineering."

All right!

"Did I mention my lifelong dream to get into secretarial work?"

No, but that's fine!

"What about my aspirations for theater?"

Awesome!

The truth is that CLEP can help you with just about whatever you want to do! If you're getting an Associate's, Bachelor's or even a Master's degree, you could benefit from taking a CLEP test. 



• Shorten the time it takes to earn your degree.
• Save money on tuition.
• Graduate on time if you’re a few credits short of a degree.
• Add flexibility to your degree program.


So, how are you using CLEP to accomplish your goals and pursue your dreams?

Who is Eligible?

Practically anyone can use the CLEP to get ahead on their degree. 

First of all, there is no age limit! If little Johnny shows major aptitude in Biology, but you're not ready to ship him off to the State College, just take him to the testing center and let him get credits for his knowledge. If Grandpa has always regretted his lack of education, all he has to do  is learn how to use the testing software and get the credits he wants.


There is absolutely no degree requirement! No matter where you are in your education, if you can find a testing center and pay for it, you can take a test.


Here is the College Board's list of some people who benefit from CLEP tests:

• Adults returning to school
• Military service members
• Traditional-age college students
• Home-schooled students
• Speakers of world languages looking to fulfill their language requirements
• International students who want to translate their overseas courses into credit at U.S. colleges 
• Applicants for master’s degree programs looking to fulfill undergraduate prerequisites
• Professionals wanting to advance in their careers

P.S. Find out about military eligibility at www.collegeboard.com

Who Accepts CLEP?

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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,     

What is CLEP?

A CLEP (College Level Examination Program) test is a multiple-choice (a few have an essay question or two), computer based, 90-120 minute test that can earn you anywhere from 3-12 college credit hours. It was designed for people who have extensive knowledge of a subject outside the classroom and want to get college credit for it instead of sitting through a long, boring class learning something they already know more about than the professor.

However. 

The CLEP is also infinitely useful for

• High school graduates
• Homeschoolers
• Working parents
• International students coming to the U.S.
• Military service members 
• Those who are fluent in French, German, or Spanish and want credit for it 

The test is usually made up of 80-120 questions (depending on the subject). It is scored on a 20/80 scale and the typical required score for passing is 50. For most institutions you will not be awarded a grade for your test, it's just "win or lose," as it were. If you pass, you have just earned the same credits in a few minutes that Joe Smith over there worked an entire semester or two to get!

If you fail a test then it is almost as if it never happened, no record of failure will be kept on your transcript and you'll be able to take it again after 3 months.

And what is the best part of all this?

One test is $80.

You may have to pay a $25-$50 fee to the testing center where you take the CLEP, but the test itself is dirt cheap.

A CLEP test is in one of 33 subject areas:

Business

• Financial Accounting 3
• Business Law, Introductory 3
• Information Systems and Computer Applications 3
• Management, Principles of 3
• Marketing, Principles of 3

Composition and Literature

• American Literature 6
• Analyzing and Interpreting Literature 6
• College Composition 6
• College Composition Modular 3/6
• English Literature 6
• Humanities 6

Foreign Languages

• French Language, Level 1 6
• French Language, Level 2 12
• German Language, Level 1 6
• German Language, Level 2 12
• Spanish Language, Level 1 6
• Spanish Language, Level 2 12

History and Social Sciences

• American Government 3
• Educational Psychology, Introduction to 3
• History of the United States I: Early Colonization to 1877 3
• History of the United States II: 1865 to Present 3
• Human Growth and Development 3
• Macroeconomics, Principles of 3
• Microeconomics, Principles of 3
• Psychology, Introductory 3
• Social Sciences and History 6
• Sociology, Introductory 3
• Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648 3
• Western Civilization II: 1648 to Present 3

Science and Mathematics

• Biology 6
• Calculus 4
• Chemistry 6
• College Algebra 3
• College Mathematics 6
• Precalculus 3
• Natural Sciences 6

I'm sure that you can see why I can't wait to get more people excited about CLEPing!