Jump to page content

CLEP®

CLEP Policies

CLEP Policies vary from college to college. Before you register for a CLEP exam, use College Search to learn which exams your college recognizes. Go

Real Deal

"Participating in CLEP exams has helped me get a sense of what college is like."

Claire, student, Arizona State University

Got a Real Deal to share?
Tell us

Home > College Board Tests > CLEP: Exam Descriptions > Principles of Management

Principles of Management

Description of the Examination

The Principles of Management examination covers material that is usually taught in an introductory course in the essentials of management and organization. The fact that such courses are offered by different types of institutions and in a number of fields other than business has been taken into account in the preparation of this examination. It requires a knowledge of human resources and operational and functional aspects of management.

The examination contains 100 questions to be answered in 90 minutes. Some of these are pretest questions that will not be scored. Any time candidates spend on tutorials and providing personal information is in addition to the actual testing time.

Knowledge and Skills Required

Questions on the Principles of Management examination require candidates to demonstrate one or more of the following abilities in the approximate proportions indicated:

  • Specific factual knowledge, recall, and general understanding of purposes, functions, and techniques of management (about 10 percent of the exam)
  • Understanding of and ability to associate the meaning of specific terminology with important management ideas, processes, techniques, concepts, and elements (about 40 percent of the exam)
  • Understanding of theory and significant underlying assumptions, concepts, and limitations of management data, including a comprehension of the rationale of procedures, methods, and analyses (about 40 percent of the exam)
  • Application of knowledge, general concepts, and principles to specific problems (about 10 percent of the exam)

The subject matter of the Principles of Management examination is drawn from the following topics. The percentages next to the main topics indicate the approximate percentages of exam questions on those topics.

Approximate Percent of Examination

15-25% Organization and Human Resources
  • Personnel administration
  • Human relations and motivation
  • Training and development
  • Performance appraisal
  • Organizational development
  • Legal concerns
  • Work force diversity
  • Recruiting and selecting
  • Compensation and benefit
  • Collective bargaining
10-20% Operational Aspects of Management
  • Operations planning and control
  • Work scheduling
  • Total Quality Management (e.g., TQM)
  • Information processing and management
  • Strategic planning and analysis
  • Productivity
45-55% Functional Aspects of Management
  • Planning
  • Organizing
  • Leading
  • Controlling
  • Authority
  • Decision making
  • Organization charts
  • Leadership
  • Organizational structure
  • Budgeting
  • Problem solving
  • Group dynamics and team functions
  • Conflict resolution
  • Communication
  • Change
  • Organizational theory
  • Historical aspects
10-20% International Management and Contemporary Issues
  • Value dimensions
  • Regional economic integration
  • Trading alliances
  • Global environment
  • Social responsibilities of business
  • Ethics
  • Systems
  • Environment
  • Government regulation
  • Management theory and theorists
  • E-business
  • Creativity and innovation

Study resources

Most textbooks used in college-level principles of management courses cover the topics in the outline given earlier, but the approaches to certain topics and the emphasis given to them may differ. To prepare for the Principles of Management exam, it is advisable to study one or more college textbooks, which can be found in most college bookstores. When selecting a textbook, check the table of contents against the "Knowledge and Skills Required" for this test.