The coronavirus global pandemic has created new challenges for schools and students. Information on how the pandemic may affect CLEP testing can be found here.
CLEP gives students of any age the opportunity to demonstrate college level achievement through a programme of exams in undergraduate college courses. It enables students to earn college credit for learning gained through independent study, advanced high school courses, non-credit courses, or professional development. Students can use the CLEP examinations to demonstrate learning and earn placement, credit or exemption from entry-level courses.
Exams are offered in 34 subjects within the following areas: composition and literature, foreign languages, history and social science, science and mathematics, business. There are more than 2900 colleges that grant credit and/or advanced standing for CLEP exams. The exams themselves are 90 minutes long and are mostly multiple choice, covering material taught in courses that most students take during their first two years of college. Most examinations are designed to correspond to one-semester courses; some, however, correspond to full year or two year courses.
The exams are administered at over 1700 US test centres and at several international sites. There are no national test dates; students can work with their individual test centre to schedule the CLEP exam when they are ready.
The American Council on Education (ACE) has developed a recommended credit granting score and number of semester hours of credit for each CLEP exam. Bear in mind that the amount of credit you receive for each CLEP exam you take and the score you have to achieve to get that credit or exemption is determined by the credit granting policy of your college or university.