CLEP
A College-Level Examination Program® overview
The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) helps students earn credit for what they already know, regardless of how that knowledge was acquired. By receiving a satisfactory score on a CLEP exam, students can earn up to 12 college credits toward a college degree, depending on the exam subject and the policy of the college.
CLEP exams test mastery of college-level material acquired in a variety of ways—through general academic instructions, significant independent study, or extracurricular work. CLEP exam-takers include adults just entering or returning to school, military service members, and traditional-age college students.
More than six million CLEP exams have been administered since the program was launched in 1967. Today:
- More than 1,400 colleges in the U.S. and overseas administer CLEP exams.
- Nearly 3,000 colleges and universities have credit-granting and/or placement policies for CLEP.
Why CLEP?
Students engaged in the CLEP program:
- Save time and money by advancing through college course work quickly
- Outperform students taking the introductory course by approximately one-half of a grade point1
- Have a higher number of hours per semester than the students who take the comparable course2
- Are as likely, or significantly more likely, to graduate than their non-CLEP-earning peers2
Learn more about the tests including how to:
- Help students register and prepare for CLEP exams.
- Become a test center and administer tests.
- Order free materials and learn ways to promote your test center.
- Interpret students' score information.
1Moulder, B., Abdulla, A., and Moore, D. (2005) Validity and Fairness of CLEP Exams. College Board Research Notes RN-22 (New York: The College Board).
2Scammacca, N., and Dodd, B. (2005). An Investigation of Outcomes for Students Who Earn Credit through the College-Level Examination Program. College Board Research Report No. 2005-5 (New York: The College Board).