CLEP
CLEP connects students to college-level study and college degrees
The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) allows students to demonstrate that they have acquired college-level mastery of course content in 34 different subject areas. Students who successfully complete a CLEP exam can:
- Enrich their degree programs with higher-level courses in the same discipline
- Expand their horizons by taking a wider array of electives
- Avoid the need to repeat material that they already know
For students who are able to pursue their degrees only part-time, or who are struggling to meet the rising cost of higher education, CLEP offers an educationally sound, responsible way to shorten the path to a college degree. This benefit makes earning a degree more feasible—making it more likely that part-time or financially strapped students will continue working toward a degree.
College faculty design and set the standards so that any college can rely on their validity, and any student who has mastered the course material can demonstrate that mastery.
CLEP offers significant benefits for institutions
Rigor
CLEP exams are developed by faculty members at institutions across the country. Test development is ongoing:
- Faculty members write exam questions, set score standards, and establish credit-granting policies.
- More than 600 faculty members are involved in setting the standards for CLEP examinations.
- National curriculum surveys assure that CLEP exams are closely aligned with introductory college courses as they are currently taught.
Learn more about CLEP test development.
Success
Students earning credit through CLEP outperform peers who took introductory courses instead. A recent study by 12 universities and community colleges (.pdf/203K) indicated that:
- CLEP students perform very well in the subsequent courses in which they enroll.
- CLEP students who were exempted from College Algebra and Freshman College Composition were far more likely to earn course grades of A and B than any other grade in subsequent courses.
- Exempted students outperformed other students in the sequent course by approximately one-half of a grade point on average.
Access
CLEP students move more quickly into upper-level courses, giving faculty the opportunity to focus on the students enrolled in introductory-level courses.
- Capable students move ahead, opening seats in classes for students who truly need introductory course work.
- CLEP improves affordability for underserved populations who may find rising college costs increasingly challenging.
Completion
Students who earn credit through CLEP tend to complete their degrees at a higher rate than students who don't earn credit-by-examination:
- CLEP students were as likely, or more likely, to graduate than their non-CLEP-earning peers, according to a recent study (.pdf/326K).
- In a survey of over 4,000 CLEP candidates (.pdf/50K), 91% of CLEP test-takers reported that CLEP made a difference in helping them to complete their degrees.
- 70% of CLEP test-takers claimed that earning CLEP credit made a difference in their ability to finance tuition and fees.
Learn more about the role of CLEP in higher education
Testing—An overview of the tests, guidelines for becoming a test center, and information on administering the exams
Building a Program—A closer look at CLEP's benefits for institutions and their practical implications
Advising Students—Tips for identifying potential CLEP candidates and for helping students effectively use the CLEP program
Setting a CLEP Policy—A guide to setting and reviewing the CLEP credit-granting policy at your institution
Test Development—An overview of the rigorous process by which CLEP exams are developed
