A Guide to the CLEP Exams

The CLEP exams (College-Level Examination Program) allow college students to take exams in order to gain college credit for classes. This way, students who are already knowledgeable in a certain subject or subjects can get credit for the class and do not have to actually take the class.

Not all colleges accept CLEP exams for credit and some only accept certain ones. So, it is definitely wise to check with your college or university prior to spending time and money for the exams. The typical CLEP exam costs $60. Some exams require an essay, which costs an additional $10. Exams are given at test centers and they usually charge $15 to administer the exam. This makes the cost of exams around $75 to $85. This is definitely a good deal compared to the cost of physically taking the college classes.

This is an especially good deal for members of the United States Armed Forces. In most cases they can take the exams at no cost!

There are so many different exams available including English, math, natural science, Spanish, German, and humanities. There are several others available and you can go to www.collegeboard.com to see a list of all the CLEP exams available as well as additional information about the exams and where to take them.

Most exams are given on a computer. One of the best benefits of the computer exam is that the score will be given as soon as the test is complete. For most tests this means no waiting around for days or weeks to find out if you passed or failed. Exceptions are exams requiring an essay. Scores range from a 20 to an 80 and each college has different guidelines as to what type of score will earn college credit.

The computer exam may be difficult to take for some people who do not have as much experience using a computer. Luckily, there are loads of study guides out there, and some of them even come with cds so you can see what the exam format is really like. The study books are a very useful aid and provide a great review prior to taking the exam.