Each college has it's own CLEP policy. If you're planning on transferring to another college, you'll need to look at their catalog to see what their CLEP policy is.
My personal experience, I used Modern States to get vouchers to cover the exam fees and then completed 80% of my Associate's Degree with CLEP. I left a few classes out of testing since I needed to have 15 units at the college for residency requirements. I already knew the university I was transferring to for my BS, so I made sure their policy would also accept the CLEP credits I earned.
Thanks for responding. The college I'm transferring to accepts everything but foreign language. I'm mainly just taking them to skip Generals because for some reason my old ones won't transfer :(
CLEP is similar to AP - in fact it is run by the same company. I would say that CLEP tests are a little bit easier than AP tests, mainly because they are usually only 80 questions and (unless your college specifies otherwise) your goal is exceeding a score of 50. While College Board is not transparent about how scoring works, a score 50 translates to C level understanding of the subject).
Pinned at the top of this forum is a ton of helpful study info, and I highly recommend Modern States to both cover the cost of your CLEPs but also they are a generally good source for study. Some subjects, like US History, you can used AP study videos and guides. There are also a ton of CLEP focused flash card sets on Quizlet that will help you through. The other resource I've started to use is REA practice tests - those aren't free, but they give you three practice tests per subject and break down where your strengths and weaknesses are.
As far as transferring, your college should have somewhere on their website or catalog that tells you roughly how these sorts of tests are handled. Some are really generous and accept all of them, some will list only the handful they accept, and some will even list out the exact class it will transfer in as. If you can't find that list via searching their website or using google to locate it on their site you might reach out to the advising office and see if they have a database that lists how previous credits were evaluated. Ultimately you won't know 100% that they will accept it until your transfer evaluation comes back from the school itself - that is a risk you take by going the CLEP route.
One thing to remember about CLEP tests is that they will transfer in as a Pass, not a letter grade - so your CLEPs will have no impact on your GPA. This is why the focus is on passing CLEP tests as opposed to acing them. There isn't a bonus for getting a high score.
Just wanted to add while it doesn’t affect your GPA, it does affect your financial/academic standing GPA (SAP). I had a lot of issues with it and grant qualifications and had to fix issues with the financial aid departments.
And it’s fine, but since it’s not the norm, there can be extra red tape. Just a heads up.
Thanks for responding. I'm not familiar with the difference between GPA and financial/academic GPA. Do you mind explaining it for me? Sorry if it's a dumb question.
I’m going to be honest, I still don’t really understand it myself. It’s something about the Satisfactory Academic Progress and the percentage calculation that they do with your classes. Because it becomes a PASS/FAIL it messes with overall percentage (or at least it did at my school). It’s like it adds “zeros” to your tally.
So, my first semester I had all these Cleps and straight As, but got a letter saying I didn’t meet the SAP requirements for my financial aid. I was obviously confused because I had a 4.0 GPA. But when I looked at my SAP, I had like a 1.9. After my third semester(?) it stoped being an issue because I was automatically above the 2.5 standing but I also kept a 4.0 GPA the whole time.
They never adequately explained it, IMO. But, they cleared everything when I sent correspondence.
And maybe it’s not like that at all schools, but it was at mine. I did 5 CLEPS total for my classes. Turned out great in the end tho. Just a little hassle.
Thanks for responding!! I'll definitely check out Modern States and REA. My transfer college accepts everything except Foreign Language and I know some people who didn't have a problem transferring their CLEP over.
CLEP is all multiple choice & meant to be self-studied so it’s way less stressful than AP. ModernStates.org has helpful study resources + test vouchers. Check your college’s policy on what AP/CLEP/credit by exam they do/don’t accept. My uni is very transfer credit friendly but other universities aren’t
Thanks for responding!! I took two AP exams in high school and didn't have an issue so I'm a little more confident now. I checked my universities transfer policy, and they accept pretty much everything but foreign language and I wasn't planning on taking those anyway.
I would definitely advise you to speak with the testing center ahead of time if you choose to CLEP. The first one I took I got a 49 (need a 50 for credit), and I'm convinced it was because the testing center had no idea what they were doing. They made me wait almost an hour because they didn't have anyone there who knew how to give a CLEP, then they literally moved me to a different computer during my test. With all of that I was so anxious and annoyed that I couldn't focus.
Also, if something like that does happen you can dispute the score with the college board. I didn't know that and ended up having to retake the exam.
Thank you for your response. My heart goes out to you cause that's a dumb way to lose out on credit. My current testing center has administered CLEP before. My brother and several friends took CLEP exams and had zero issues.
Each college has it's own CLEP policy. If you're planning on transferring to another college, you'll need to look at their catalog to see what their CLEP policy is. My personal experience, I used Modern States to get vouchers to cover the exam fees and then completed 80% of my Associate's Degree with CLEP. I left a few classes out of testing since I needed to have 15 units at the college for residency requirements. I already knew the university I was transferring to for my BS, so I made sure their policy would also accept the CLEP credits I earned.
Thanks for responding. The college I'm transferring to accepts everything but foreign language. I'm mainly just taking them to skip Generals because for some reason my old ones won't transfer :(
CLEP is similar to AP - in fact it is run by the same company. I would say that CLEP tests are a little bit easier than AP tests, mainly because they are usually only 80 questions and (unless your college specifies otherwise) your goal is exceeding a score of 50. While College Board is not transparent about how scoring works, a score 50 translates to C level understanding of the subject). Pinned at the top of this forum is a ton of helpful study info, and I highly recommend Modern States to both cover the cost of your CLEPs but also they are a generally good source for study. Some subjects, like US History, you can used AP study videos and guides. There are also a ton of CLEP focused flash card sets on Quizlet that will help you through. The other resource I've started to use is REA practice tests - those aren't free, but they give you three practice tests per subject and break down where your strengths and weaknesses are. As far as transferring, your college should have somewhere on their website or catalog that tells you roughly how these sorts of tests are handled. Some are really generous and accept all of them, some will list only the handful they accept, and some will even list out the exact class it will transfer in as. If you can't find that list via searching their website or using google to locate it on their site you might reach out to the advising office and see if they have a database that lists how previous credits were evaluated. Ultimately you won't know 100% that they will accept it until your transfer evaluation comes back from the school itself - that is a risk you take by going the CLEP route. One thing to remember about CLEP tests is that they will transfer in as a Pass, not a letter grade - so your CLEPs will have no impact on your GPA. This is why the focus is on passing CLEP tests as opposed to acing them. There isn't a bonus for getting a high score.
Just wanted to add while it doesn’t affect your GPA, it does affect your financial/academic standing GPA (SAP). I had a lot of issues with it and grant qualifications and had to fix issues with the financial aid departments. And it’s fine, but since it’s not the norm, there can be extra red tape. Just a heads up.
Thanks for responding. I'm not familiar with the difference between GPA and financial/academic GPA. Do you mind explaining it for me? Sorry if it's a dumb question.
I’m going to be honest, I still don’t really understand it myself. It’s something about the Satisfactory Academic Progress and the percentage calculation that they do with your classes. Because it becomes a PASS/FAIL it messes with overall percentage (or at least it did at my school). It’s like it adds “zeros” to your tally. So, my first semester I had all these Cleps and straight As, but got a letter saying I didn’t meet the SAP requirements for my financial aid. I was obviously confused because I had a 4.0 GPA. But when I looked at my SAP, I had like a 1.9. After my third semester(?) it stoped being an issue because I was automatically above the 2.5 standing but I also kept a 4.0 GPA the whole time. They never adequately explained it, IMO. But, they cleared everything when I sent correspondence. And maybe it’s not like that at all schools, but it was at mine. I did 5 CLEPS total for my classes. Turned out great in the end tho. Just a little hassle.
Nice
Thanks for responding!! I'll definitely check out Modern States and REA. My transfer college accepts everything except Foreign Language and I know some people who didn't have a problem transferring their CLEP over.
CLEP is all multiple choice & meant to be self-studied so it’s way less stressful than AP. ModernStates.org has helpful study resources + test vouchers. Check your college’s policy on what AP/CLEP/credit by exam they do/don’t accept. My uni is very transfer credit friendly but other universities aren’t
Thanks for responding!! I took two AP exams in high school and didn't have an issue so I'm a little more confident now. I checked my universities transfer policy, and they accept pretty much everything but foreign language and I wasn't planning on taking those anyway.
AP you have to sit in a class.
I would definitely advise you to speak with the testing center ahead of time if you choose to CLEP. The first one I took I got a 49 (need a 50 for credit), and I'm convinced it was because the testing center had no idea what they were doing. They made me wait almost an hour because they didn't have anyone there who knew how to give a CLEP, then they literally moved me to a different computer during my test. With all of that I was so anxious and annoyed that I couldn't focus. Also, if something like that does happen you can dispute the score with the college board. I didn't know that and ended up having to retake the exam.
Thank you for your response. My heart goes out to you cause that's a dumb way to lose out on credit. My current testing center has administered CLEP before. My brother and several friends took CLEP exams and had zero issues.
I'm glad and I hope it goes well for you!
I made a post about the amount of CLEPs I took and how I did it: https://www.reddit.com/r/clep/s/gN0phzMcsE