Should I take a CLEP exam?
What are CLEP exams?
The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams are tests offered by CollegeBoard that allow you to earn college credit in different subjects at a reduced cost. CLEP exams cover a wide range of topics, including History and Social Sciences, Composition and Literature, Science and Mathematics, Business, and World Languages. Many colleges across the country accept these exams and may give credit for various general education requirements.
What are the benefits of taking a CLEP exam?
The CLEP exam offers two main benefits: saving time and saving money. According to CollegeBoard, students who take CLEP exams can save months on their undergraduate college degree and may graduate up to 10 months earlier than their peers. They are also a great way to save money, costing only $95 plus a test center or remote proctoring administration fee, as opposed to the thousands of dollars a single college course can cost. These exams allow you to receive credit for subjects you are already proficient in or self-study for courses you may be interested in. For example, if math is your strong suit, you could skip introductory college math courses by scoring well on the CLEP exam.
How do I register for CLEP exams?
The exams are available to anyone 13 years or older in the United States. Similar to signing up for AP or SAT tests, you can sign up for CLEP exams on the College Board’s website. Before you register for an exam, do some research to check out your school’s requirements for receiving credit in certain courses. Some questions you might want to research are:
Is this exam accepted by my college/colleges I’m interested in?
How much credit can I receive for this exam?
What is the minimum score that is accepted?
How do I prepare for the exam?
Just like any standardized test, utilize all the study materials available to you and stick to a good study schedule to prepare for the test. There are plenty of resources online, both free and paid, that can assist you in achieving a good score on the CLEP exam. CollegeBoard provides The CLEP Official Study Guide, which contains practice questions from all 34 subjects. Additionally, there are numerous websites and YouTube channels that offer similar practice questions for free.
