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Home > College Board Tests > CLEP: Preparing > Study Resources for CLEP

History & Social Sciences Resources

When you prepare for your CLEP exam in history or the social sciences, we suggest that you read the exam description for your exam carefully, and match the knowledge and skills required to any free course or study content.

The following resources, compiled by CLEP test development committees and staff members, may help you study for your exam. However, none of these sources are designed specifically to provide preparation for a CLEP exam. The College Board has no control over their content and cannot vouch for accuracy.


American Government Resources

Read the American Government exam description.

Textbooks

  • Bardes et al., American Government and Politics Today: The Essentials (Wadsworth)
  • Edwards et al., Government in America: Brief Edition (Longman)
  • Fiorina et al., America's New Democracy (Longman)
  • Ginsberg and Lowi, American Government: Freedom and Power (W.W. Norton)
  • Jacobson and Kernell, The Logic of American Politics (Congressional Quarterly)
  • Janda et al., The Challenge of Democracy (Wadsworth)
  • O'Brien et al., Government by the People (Prentice Hall)
  • O'Connor and Sabato, American Government: Continuity and Change (Longman)
  • Patterson, The American Democracy (McGraw-Hill)
  • Welch et al., Understanding American Government: The Essentials (Wadsworth)
  • Wilson, American Government (Wadsworth)
  • Wolf et al., Keeping the Republic: Power and Citizenship in American Politics (Congressional Quarterly)

Online Resources


Resources for History of the United States I and II

Read the exam descriptions for History of the United States I and History of the United States II.

Textbooks

  • Berkin et al., Making America (Wadsworth)
  • Boydston et al., Making a Nation (Prentice Hall)
  • Boyer et al., The Enduring Vision (Wadsworth)
  • Brinkley, American History: A Survey (McGraw-Hill)
  • Davidson et al., Nation of Nations: A Concise Narrative of the American Republic (McGraw-Hill)
  • Divine, et al., The American Story (Penguin/Prentice Hall)
  • Faragher et al., Out of Many: A History of the American People (Prentice Hall)
  • Foner, Give Me Liberty! (W. W. Norton)
  • Goldfield et al., American Journey (Prentice Hall)
  • Henretta et al., America's History (Bedford/St. Martin's)
  • Jones, et. al., Created Equal: A History of the United States (Prentice Hall)
  • Kennedy et al., Brief American Pageant: The History of the Republic (Wadsworth)
  • Murrin et al., Liberty, Equality and Power (Wadsworth)
  • Nash et al., The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society, Concise Edition (Prentice Hall)
  • Tindall and Shi, Essential America (W. W. Norton)

Online Resources


Human Growth and Development Resources

Read the Human Growth and Development exam description.

Parents and others who work with children may have gained some preparation for this test through experience. However, knowledge of the basic facts, theories, and principles of child psychology and development is necessary to provide background for taking the exam.

You may find it helpful to supplement your reading with books and articles listed in the bibliographies found in most developmental psychology textbooks.

Textbooks

  • Berger, The Developing Person Through the Life Span (Worth)
  • Berk, Exploring Lifespan Development (Allyn & Bacon)
  • Berryman et al., Developmental Psychology and You (Wiley)
  • Boyd and Bee, Lifespan Development (Allyn & Bacon)
  • Brown, Developmental Psychology: A Course Companion (SAGE)
  • Craig and Dunn, Understanding Human Development (Prentice Hall)
  • Feldman, Development Across the Life Span (Prentice Hall)
  • Harris and Butterworth, Developmental Psychology: A Student's Handbook (Psychology Press)
  • Kail and Cavanaugh, Human Development: A Life-Span View (Wadsworth)
  • Newman and Newman, Development Through Life: A Psychosocial Approach (Wadsworth)
  • Papalia et al., Human Development (McGraw-Hill)
  • Sigelman and Rider, Life-Span Human Development (Wadsworth)
  • Santrock, Essentials of Life-Span Development (McGraw-Hill)
  • Slater and Bremner, An Introduction to Developmental Psychology (Wiley-Blackwell)
  • Thornton, Understanding Human Development (Macmillan)

Online Resources


Introduction to Educational Psychology Resources

Read the Introduction to Educational Psychology exam description.

Textbooks

  • Eggen and Kauchak, Educational Psychology: Windows on Classrooms (Pearson/ Merrill/Prentice Hall)
  • Fetsco and McClure, Educational Psychology: An Integrated Approach to Classroom Decisions (Pearson/Allyn & Bacon)
  • Jackson and Ormrod, Case Studies: Applying Educational Psychology (Prentice Hall)
  • Ormrod, Educational Psychology: Developing Learners (Prentice Hall)
  • Parsons et al., Educational Psychology (Wadsworth/Cengage)
  • Santrock, Educational Psychology (McGraw-Hill)
  • Slavin, Educational Psychology: Theory into Practice (Allyn & Bacon)
  • Snowman and Biehler, Psychology Applied to Teaching (Houghton Mifflin)
  • Woolfolk, Educational Psychology (Allyn & Bacon)

Online Resources

Valdosta State University: Educational Psychology Interactive


Introductory Psychology Resources

Read the Introductory Psychology exam description.

Textbooks

  • Brannon and Lefton, Psychology (Allyn & Bacon)
  • Coon, Psychology: A Modular Approach to Mind and Behavior (Wadsworth)
  • Feldman, Essentials of Understanding Psychology (McGraw-Hill)
  • Gerrig and Zimbardo, Psychology and Life (Allyn & Bacon)
  • Hockenbury and Hockenbury, Psychology (Worth)
  • Huffman, Living Psychology (Wiley)
  • Kowalski and Westen, Psychology (Wiley)
  • Lahey, Essentials of Psychology: An Introduction (McGraw-Hill)
  • Meyer and Ciccarelli, Psychology (Prentice Hall)
  • Myers, Exploring Psychology (Worth)
  • Nairne, Psychology: The Adaptive Mind (Wadsworth)
  • Pastorino and Doyle-Portillo, What is Psychology? (Wadsworth)
  • Rosenberg and Kosslyn, Psychology in Context (Allyn & Bacon)
  • Santrock, Psychology Essentials (McGraw-Hill)
  • Smith & Passer, Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behavior (McGraw-Hill)
  • Wood et al., The World of Psychology: Portable Edition (Allyn & Bacon)
  • Zimbardo, et al., Psychology: Core Concepts (Allyn & Bacon)

Online Resources


Introductory Sociology Resources

Read the Introductory Sociology exam description.

As you read sociology textbooks, take notes that address the following issues, which are fundamental to most questions that appear on the test:

  • What is society? What is culture? What is common to all societies, and what is characteristic of American society?
  • What are other basic concepts in sociology that help to describe human nature, human interaction, and the collective behavior of groups, organizations, institutions, and societies?
  • What methods do sociologists use to study, describe, analyze, and observe human behavior?

Textbooks

  • Alexander and Thompson, A Contemporary Introduction to Sociology: Culture and Society in Transition (Paradigm)
  • Andersen and Taylor, Sociology: The Essentials (Wadsworth)
  • Brinkerhoff et al., Essentials of Sociology (Wadsworth)
  • Brym and Lie, Sociology: Your Compass for a New World, Brief Edition (Wadsworth)
  • Curry et al., Sociology for the Twenty-First Century (Prentice Hall)
  • Ferris and Stein, The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology (W. W. Norton)
  • Giddens et al., Essentials of Sociology (W.W. Norton)
  • Henslin, Essentials of Sociology (Allyn & Bacon)
  • Hughes and Kroehler, Sociology: The Core (McGraw-Hill)
  • Macionis, Society: The Basics (Prentice Hall)
  • Newman and O'Brien, Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life (Pine Forge)
  • Schaefer, Sociology: A Brief Introduction (McGraw-Hill)
  • Stark, Sociology (Wadsworth)
  • Sullivan, Introduction to Social Problems (Allyn & Bacon)
  • Thompson and Hickey, Society in Focus: An Introduction to Sociology (Allyn & Bacon)
  • Tischler, Introduction to Sociology (Wadsworth)
  • Witt, SOC (McGraw-Hill)

Online resources


Resources for Principles of Macroeconomics and Principles of Microeconomics

Read the exam descriptions for Principles of Macroeconomics and Principles of Microeconomics.

There are many introductory economics textbooks that vary greatly in difficulty. Some books are published in one-volume editions that cover both microeconomics and macroeconomics; some of the texts listed here are published in two-volume editions, with one volume covering macroeconomics and the other microeconomics. A companion study guide/workbook is available for most textbooks. The study guides typically include brief reviews, definitions of key concepts, problem sets, and multiple-choice test questions with answers. Many publishers also make available computer-assisted learning packages as companions to these texts.

Textbooks

  • Arnold, Macroeconomics, Concise Edition, and Microeconomics, Concise Edition (South-Western)
  • Bade and Parkin, Foundations of Macroeconomics and Foundations of Microeconomics (Addison Wesley)
  • Baumol and Blinder, Microeconomics: Principles & Policy (South-Western)
  • Case and Fair, Principles of Macroeconomics and Principles of Microeconomics (Prentice-Hall)
  • Colander, Macroeconomics and Microeconomics (McGraw-Hill)
  • Frank and Bernanke, Principles of Macroeconomics, Brief Edition, and Principles of Microeconomics, Brief Edition (McGraw-Hill)
  • Gottheil, Principles of Macroeconomics (Thomson/Cengage)
  • Krugman and Wells, Macroeconomics and Microeconomics (Worth)
  • Lipsey, Ragan, and Storer, Macroeconomics and Microeconomics (Addison Wesley)
  • Mankiw, Brief Principles of Macroeconomics and Brief Principles of Microeconomics (South-Western)
  • McConnell and Brue, Macroeconomics and Microeconomics (McGraw-Hill)
  • McEachern, ECON for Macroeconomics and ECON for Microeconomics (South-Western)
  • Salvatore, Schaum's Outline of Microeconomics (McGraw-Hill)
  • Samuelson and Nordhaus, Macroeconomics and Microeconomics (McGraw-Hill)
  • Schiller, The Macro Economy Today and The Micro Economy Today (McGraw-Hill)
  • Stiglitz and Walsh, Principles of Macroeconomics and Principles of Microeconomics (W.W. Norton)
  • Taylor and Weerapana, Principles of Macroeconomics and Principles of Microeconomics (South-Western)

Online Resources

To broaden your knowledge of economic issues, you may read relevant articles published in the economics periodicals that are available in most college libraries. Magazines like The Economist and newspapers like the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, along with local papers, may also enhance your understanding of economic issues.


Social Sciences and History Resources

Read the Social Sciences and History exam description.

To prepare for the Social Sciences and History exam, you should consult several introductory college level textbooks. Visit your local college bookstore to determine which textbooks are used by the college for history, sociology, political science, geography, and other related courses.

The materials suggested for preparing for other CLEP exams may also be helpful. Study resources for the subject examinations in American Government, History of the United States I and II, Principles of Macroeconomics and Principles of Microeconomics, Introductory Sociology, and Western Civilization I and II are particularly relevant.


Resources for Western Civilization I and II

Read the exam descriptions for Western Civilization I and Western Civilization II.

Many of the texts listed here are published in two-volume editions, with one volume covering Western Civilization I and the other covering Western Civilization II. Some also have one-volume brief or concise editions, designed for a less intensive review.

Textbooks

  • Chambers et al., The Western Experience, (McGraw-Hill)
  • Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations, Brief Edition (W.W. Norton)
  • Goff, A Survey of Western Civilization (McGraw-Hill)
  • Greer and Lewis, A Brief History of the Western World (Wadsworth)
  • Hunt et al., The Making of the West (Bedford/St. Martin's)
  • Kidner et al., Making Europe: People, Politics, Culture (Wadsworth)
  • King, Western Civilization: A Social and Cultural History (Prentice Hall)
  • Kishlansky et al., Civilization in the West (Pearson Longman)
  • McKay et al., A History of Western Society (Wadsworth)
  • Merriman, A History of Modern Europe (W.W. Norton)
  • Noble et al., Western Civilization: Beyond Boundaries (Wadsworth)
  • Sherman and Salisbury, The West in the World (McGraw-Hill)
  • Spielvogel, Western Civilization (Wadsworth)

Online Resources

Contemporary novels and plays, as well as works by Homer, Shakespeare, and Dickens, provide rich sources of information. Classic works of nonfiction are equally valuable—for example, Machiavelli's The Prince, Mill's On Liberty, and Paine's The Rights of Man. Books of documents are an excellent source for sampling primary materials. Actual works of art in museums can bring to life not only the reproductions found in books, but history itself.