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:
● Outperform students taking the introductory course by approximately one-half of a grade point.
● Have a higher number of hours per semester than the students who take the comparable course.
● Are as likely, or significantly more likely, to graduate than their non-CLEP-earning peers.

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.

¹ Moulder, B., Abdulla, A., and Moore, D. (2005) Validity and Fairness of CLEP Exams. College Board Research Notes RN-22 (New York: The College Board).
² Scammacca, 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).

For more general information about the CLEP go to www.collegeboard.com/CLEP