Get to Know the CLEP Exam
content provided by Peterson’s, a Nelnet company

About the CLEP

Overview
The College-Level Examination Program* (CLEP) offers you an opportunity to show a college admission officer or a prospective employer what you know in a variety of subject areas. Many college admission officers use CLEP scores to determine where to place college applicants in their traditional four-year programs. Students can earn from 3 to 12 credits toward a college degree for each CLEP exam, depending on the individual exam and the policy of the degree-granting college or university.

With the exception of a few tests offering essay options, each CLEP consists primarily of multiple-choice questions. A few tests include fill-in questions as well. Each test is 90-minutes long.

The following subjects are currently available:

• American Literature
• Analyzing and Interpreting Literature
• English Composition
• English Literature
• Freshman College Composition
• Humanities
• French Language Levels 1 and 2
• German Language Levels 1 and 2
• Spanish Language Levels 1 and 2
• American Government
• Human Growth and Development
• Introduction to Educational Psychology
• Precalculus
• Principles of Macroeconomics
• Principles of Microeconomics
• Introductory Psychology
• Introductory Sociology
• Social Sciences and History
• U.S.History I: Early Colonization to 1877
• U.S.History II: 1865 to the Present
• Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648
• Western Civilization II: 1648 to the Present
• Calculus
• College Algebra
• College Mathematics
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Natural Sciences
• Information Systems and Computer Applications
• Principles of Management
• Principles of Accounting
• Introductory Business Law
• Principles of Marketing

Scoring
CLEP exams are scored on a scale of 20 to 80. With the exception of exams including essays, you should receive your scores immediately at the testing center. Each school sets its own minimum standards for granting CLEP credit. Check with your school to learn if you qualify.

Need-to-Know Tips & Strategies for the CLEP

Prepare with a Practice Test
Practice tests are an ideal way to begin your preparation. They’re affordable and will give you instant results to see how you might score if the test were today. You’ll learn your strengths and weakness, and be able to develop a personalized study plan. Try prepping with Peterson’s practice tests for the CLEP.

Trust your instincts
If you know the answer just by reading the question, you're probably correct. Look for the choice that is similar to your mental response and mark it on the answer sheet.

Trick the "trick" questions
Look for obvious inconsistencies. A question may ask you for specific information, such as the number of feet in a specific distance. If any of the answer choices presents dimensions that are in degrees or seconds, you'll be able to immediately rule it out.

Know the difference between a guess and an educated guess
There is a penalty for a wrong answer, but it is still worth your while to make an educated guess. If you can eliminate answer choices that are obviously wrong, then your odds of selecting the correct answer will be higher.

Helpful Articles

These additional articles on Petersons.com will give you even more advice about preparing for the CLEP.
Find the Right Approach to Test Prep
Master Standardized Tests
Beat Test Stress

*CLEP is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.

Home | Email | Terms of Use | Add URL | Education Partners | Resources | Sitemap