CLEP tests, produced by College Board, are used by university students to earn credits through examination, rather than taking an actual course for an entire semester or year. They are ideal for students who already know the material covered in freshman level general education courses, students who want to graduate early (or just on time), or students who need to cut their college costs. CLEP tests are similar to AP exams that high school seniors take to earn college credit, but CLEP tests are open to anyone, no matter their age or year in college.
As of this date, there are a total of 33 CLEP tests available in 5 different topic areas. The exams contain a mixture of multiple choice and free response questions; all are timed and scored on a fixed scale similar that of other standardized tests.
Which tests should I take? Will my college accept CLEP credit? How many credits will I earn?
These are some of the most frequently asked questions about CLEP tests, and the answer is the same for every question: it depends on your college's policies. You can find a detailed description of your school's CLEP policy by reading the course catalog, talking to your advisor, or a representative from the registrar's office.
Not all CLEP tests are equivalent to a particular course at a university. For example, most universities have courses equivalent to the Calculus, Freshman Composition, and Introductory Psychology CLEP exams, but there may be no course equivalent to the Natural Science test. Even if there exists a similar course at your university, they may choose not to accept CLEP Credit.
How much credit you can earn by CLEP testing also varies by instution. Most colleges put a cap on the number of AP and CLEP credits you can earn, and the minimum score needed to earn credit also varies. In many cases, CLEP credits are counted as "pass," not as A, B, or C, though with high enough scores you may be able to petition to have a grade recorded. Bottom line, check with your school before you register for any tests.
CLEP Subjects & Study Resources
The College Board has compiled a list of suggested books and study guides for the 33 exams. The list here is a sampling with links to more information about each book. This list is only a guideline outlined by the developers of the CLEP tests; it contains many books that are used as textbooks in courses that correspond to the tests, but is not endorsed as an official study rubric.
Composition and Literature:
- Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing: A Brief Guide to Argument
- The Norton Field Guide to Writing, With Readings
- A Writer's Reference
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- The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Package 1: Volumes A and B
- The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Package 2: Volumes C, D, and E
- Nation of Letters: A Concise Anthology of American Literature
- The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Eighth Edition, Volume 1: The Middle Ages Through the Restoration and the Eighteenth Century
- The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Eighth Edition, Volume 2: The Romantic Period Through the Twentieth Century
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- The Humanities, Volume I: Cultural Roots and Continuities
- The Humanistic Tradition, Book 1: The First Civilizations and the Classical Legacy
- The Humanistic Tradition, Book 3: The European Renaissance, The Reformation, and Global Encounter
- Adventures in the Human Spirit (5th Edition)
- Contacts: Langue et culture francaises
- Schaum's Outline of French Grammar, 5ed (Schaum's Outline Series)
- Workbook for Contrastes: Grammaire du francais courant
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- Treffpunkt Deutsch: Grundstufe (5th Edition)
- Student Activities Manual for Treffpunkt Deutsch: Grundstufe
- Kaleidoskop: Kultur, Literatur und Grammatik
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- Nuevos horizontes (Spanish Edition)
- Puntos De Partida: An Invitation to Spanish (Includes Workbook, 8th Edition)
- Manual de gramática: Grammar Reference for Students of Spanish
- Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy, Brief Edition (10th Edition)
- American History: A Survey, Volume 1
- American History: A Survey, Volume 2, Since 1865
- The Developing Person Through the Life Span (paper)
- Educational Psychology (10th Edition)
- Psychology, Fifth Edition
- Essentials of Sociology (Second Edition)
- Principles of Microeconomics (9th Edition)
- Principles of Macroeconomics (9th Edition)
- A History of Modern Europe, Second Edition: From the Renaissance to the Present (One-Volume Edition)
- Western Civilizations (Second Brief Edition) (Vol. 1)
- Single Variable Calculus: Early Transcendentals
- College Algebra and Trigonometry (4th Edition)
- Precalculus : Mathematics for Calculus: 5th Edition (with CD-ROM)
- Essentials of Biology
- Fundamentals of Chemistry
- Financial Accounting: A Business Process Approach (2nd Edition)
- Business Law: The Ethical, Global, and E-Commerce Environment
- Principles of Management
- Management (Barron's Business Review Series)
- Essentials of Marketing
To save money, you can buy the used versions of many of these textbooks on Amazon Marketplace. To see the full list of suggested study resources on the CLEP website, click here and follow the links to find your particular CLEP test.
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