CLEP

CLEP

The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a standardized testing program that allows individuals to earn college credit by exam. Created in 1967 and administered by the College Board, CLEP offers subject examinations in areas such as humanities, social sciences, business, and STEM that map to undergraduate course content. Many state university systems, community colleges, private universities such as Harvard University, Stanford University, Yale University, and military service branches including the United States Army and United States Navy recognize CLEP credit policies to varying degrees. The program interfaces with transfer policies, articulation agreements, and prior-learning assessment offices across institutions like the University of California and the State University of New York.

Overview

CLEP provides 34 subject examinations enabling learners to demonstrate proficiency in subjects aligned to college courses offered at institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University, Princeton University, University of Michigan, and University of Texas at Austin. Tests are produced and scored by the College Board, which also administers the Scholastic Assessment Test and the Advanced Placement Program. CLEP credits are applied according to institutional policies; examples of accepting entities include the California State University system, the Florida State University system, private schools like New York University and religiously affiliated institutions such as Notre Dame. Military education evaluators at the Department of Defense and training commands use CLEP for occupational and professional advancement alongside credentials from organizations like the American Council on Education.

Test Structure and Content

Each CLEP exam targets the learning outcomes of an introductory college course. Subject exams—such as those covering material related to Western Civilization, American Government, Introductory Psychology, Principles of Macroeconomics, College Algebra, and Biology—combine multiple-choice items and, for some tests, fielded essay components similar in scope to undergraduate assessments at schools like University of Chicago or Duke University. Exam length typically ranges from 90 to 120 minutes, with question counts varying by subject; for example, humanities-oriented tests parallel syllabi used at institutions such as University of Pennsylvania or Brown University, while quantitative exams reflect course content taught at Georgia Institute of Technology and Carnegie Mellon University. Content outlines, sample questions, and test specifications are modeled to align with curricular standards practiced by departments at universities including Indiana University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Ohio State University.

Eligibility and Registration

Most individuals—including recent high school graduates, adult learners, military service members, and career professionals—are eligible to take CLEP exams. Registration and scheduling occur through College Board-authorized test centers, which include campus testing centers at institutions like Arizona State University, University of Florida, and the University of Washington, as well as Military Service testing facilities overseen by installations such as Fort Bragg and Naval Station Great Lakes. Test-takers must provide identification comparable to policies at organizations like American Psychological Association-accredited testing sites and follow seat reservation protocols similar to those used by ETS for other assessment programs. Some colleges enforce limitations—such as residency requirements or limits on the number of credits—mirroring policies at systems like the Texas A&M University System or the University System of Georgia.

Scoring and Credit Policies

CLEP raw scores are converted to a 20–80 scaled score; a typical passing or credit-granting threshold is often set at a score equivalent to a grade of "C" in the corresponding college course, though institutions set their own cutoffs. For example, the University of California campuses, the State University of New York campuses, and private institutions like Boston University may each apply unique score-to-credit mappings. Awarded credit may be recorded as lower-division or elective credit, or as fulfillment of distribution requirements—analogous to transfer credit practices at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Pennsylvania State University. Policies regarding expiration of credit, repeat testing, and reporting to registrars resemble practices followed by degree offices at Michigan State University and University of Minnesota. CLEP scores are reported to institutions designated by the test-taker and to military education systems like the Army University for professional records.

Preparation and Resources

Preparation resources include official CLEP study guides offered by the College Board, commercial prep materials from publishers used by students at Cornell University and University of Virginia, and free curriculum outlines comparable to open educational resources adopted by institutions such as MIT and the Open University. Test-takers often use textbooks from publishers like Pearson Education, review courses run by companies similar to Kaplan, Inc., and practice tests modeled after exam formats used in course sections at Northwestern University or Vanderbilt University. Campus academic advising centers, veterans’ education offices at installations like Fort Hood, and prior-learning assessment offices at systems such as the California Community Colleges provide guidance on how CLEP fits into degree planning. Professional organizations such as the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers offer policy frameworks that institutions use when integrating CLEP credit.

Category:Standardized tests in the United States