The CLEP test is short for College-Level Exam Preparation®. This
is a program where you can take a test, and if you pass, you’ll
receive college credit. There are tests for a variety of study areas,
most are general education classes. This allows you to skip a class,
a semester or even a whole year of college, depending on your school.
Who takes a CLEP or DANTES test?
Everyone: In reality, any student who wants to skip
a class, with credit, should take a CLEP test.
Adult Students: Because adults returning to college
are in a hurry to graduate as fast as possible, testing out is a great
way to shave off an extra class or two.
High School Students: Enter your 1st year of college
as a sophomore, not a freshman by testing out of your general education
credits.
Military Students: Students that are in the military
do not have to pay for CLEP testing fees (although the testing center
may charge a fee). Also, many military bases, especially Air force bases
have testing centers on site, making it easier than ever to test out
for credit.
Why should I take a CLEP or DANTES test?
Taking a CLEP or DANTES test will:
Save you money on tuition and books. Don’t forget all those
extra expenses like lab fees, school supplies, parking fees and gas.
Save you time. Your time is the most precious thing you have.
If you could take a year off of your schooling, would you do it?
That’s one full year earlier that you can start your career,
at a higher salary. Even testing out of only one CLEP or DANTES test will
save you at least three months of class time. That’s extra
time you can spend with your family, your friends and doing the
thing you enjoy.
Who can take the CLEP?
Everyone, at any age, can take
a CLEP or DANTES test at an Open Testing Center. These are a great alternative to an AP test that high school students take. If you are a high school student who studied for, but didn't pass their AP test, we encourage you to take the CLEP test in the same subject.
What is an Open Testing Center and
Where Can I Find One?
An Open Testing Center is a school
that allows anyone to take CLEP or DANTES tests there, even if you are not a student.
Usually, these Centers involve a fee above the regular testing fee.
Sometimes, the center will charge you an appointment fee in addition
to a testing fee. If you don’t show up for the test, they keep
the appointment fee. The average school testing fee is about $15 above
and beyond the test fee. You can look up the closest CLEP testing center
by clicking
here.
Where can I take a DANTES test?
Dantes tests are now $80 plus any additional fee that the school
or university charges. You can take them at most schools that accept
the credit. For a list of testing centers, click
here.
What is the Fee to take a CLEP test?
The fee to take a CLEP test is
$77. However, some schools charge an administration fee in addition.
Most schools charge an additional $15, making it approximately $92 to
test out of one CLEP test. The fee is the same for a 3 credit hour or
a 6 credit hour test. Students in the Military do not have to pay the
CLEP fee but are still subject to the administration fee.
What do I need to bring to the test?
Bring two forms of government
issued identification and your credit card to pay for the test. You
cannot pay for the CLEP or DANTES test in cash.
What tests can you test out of?
You can take as many CLEP tests
as you wish. However, you will need to contact your school directly
to find out how many credits you can receive by examination. Here is
a list of all the CLEP tests and their credits. Remember, you need to
contact your school to verify that test credit is accepted and the amount
of credit you can receive. Finally, double check with your academic
advisor to make sure you actually NEED that type of credit. For example,
some schools may count English Literature as a communication art while
another will count that test as general education, while another will
count that same test for an elective or interdisciplinary. Your academic
advisor can be a great source of information about CLEP credits and how they apply at your school. If you attend
a public school, chances are your academic advisor will have little
if no experience with this under publicized information. In that case,
send them to this web site!
CLEP TEST
CREDIT RECEIVED
Composition and Literature Tests
American Literature
3-6 credits*
Analyzing and Interpreting Literature
3-6 credits*
College Composition
3-6 credits*
College Composition Modular
3-6 credits*
English Literature
3-6 credits*
Humanities
3-6 credits*
Foreign Languages
French Language
6-12 credits*
German Language
6-12 credits*
Spanish Language
6-12 credits*
History and Social Sciences
American Government
3 credits
Human Growth & Development
3 credits
Introduction to Educational Psychology
3 credits
Principles of Macroeconomics
3 credits
Principles of Microeconomics
3 credits
Introductory Psychology
3 credits
Introductory Sociology
3 credits
Social Sciences and History
3-6 credits*
U.S. History I: Early Colonizations to 1877
3 credits
U.S. History II: 1865 to the Present
3 credits
Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648
3 credits
Western Civilization II: 1648 to the Present
3 credits
Science and Mathematics
Biology
3-6 credits*
Calculus
3 credits
Chemistry
3-6 credits*
College Algebra
3 credits
College Mathematics
3-6 credits*
Natural Sciences
3-6 credits*
Precalculus
3 credits
Business
Financial Accounting
3 credits
Information Systems and Computer Applications
3 credits
Introductory Business Law
3 credits
Principles of Management
3 credits
Principles of Marketing
3 credits
*Depends on your school/university policy (at least 3 credits, sometimes
6)
How do I know if my school accepts CLEP
credit?
You can check on your school’s
website or click
here. Make sure you verify your school’s policy with an academic
advisor before you take your test, to make sure you’ll receive
credit.
How long does it take to study for a
CLEP test?
How long it takes to study for
a CLEP test depends on a few factors:
What is your life experience? Are you a business
person who is taking Principles of Management just to save time?
If so, you’ll have the work and life experience that will
give you some background in this test area.
Have you previously taken a class in this area? If you’ve taken psychology, even in high-school, you’ll
have a base knowledge that will help you study faster. Even if it
was 20 years ago, pieces of knowledge will fall into place for you
faster, because you’ve already learned this before.
Are you interested in the subject area? Have
you read a lot of books, seen a lot of plays or read a lot of poetry?
Then you’ll be halfway there on many of the Humanities and
English tests. Again, any previous knowledge you have in an area
will help improve your score.
Are you a good student? If you can read fast
and well, it will take you less time to study for a CLEP test.
The more you already know a subject, the less you will need to study
for the test. Think of studying for a test in hours, not in days.
Some students have the ability and the free time to study four hours
a day while other’s can only study one hour a day. On average,
to study for a 3 credit hour CLEP test, approximately 20 hours of
studying is required – give or take on your experience with
the subject area.
Do I need to purchase other books to
go with this study guide?
One of the best things about our
materials is that it is not necessary to buy other text books. All you
need is our books, flashcards and access to the internet. With some study guides, we’ll
give you links to explore areas online – only if you need the
extra review – otherwise you can go ahead and skip that section
with no unnecessary studying.
What percentage of your students pass
the test?
A fantastic 98% of our students
pass with our study guides.
How do I know that this is the best
product?
Rest assured with our “Pass
or Don’t Pay” Guarantee. Study the material, read the texts
in the book and online. Drill with the flashcards. If you still don’t
pass, just fax us a copy of your score within six weeks of buying the
book to be eligible for a refund.
Where do you ship study guides to?
We ship our guides to all AEO,
APO, and FPO locations at the included rate. We also ship to all international
locations, please email us for a shipping quote. You can choose either standard or expedited shipping.
How do I download the PDF now?
If you are in a hurry and ONLY
want the PDF, you can order the PDF only by clicking "download
now" on the products page. This will allow you to receive ONLY
the PDF. Once your payment is approved, you will be emailed a link to where you can download the information. You will only have three days to download the information to your computer, so make sure that you save it on your computer to somewhere you can find again easily.
Who writes the study guides?
The study guides are written with contributions
from college professors and graduates. These instructors teach the very
classes that you are hoping to test out of.
What happens if I don’t pass the
test?
Send us a copy of your score within
six weeks of buying the book and we will refund your money the same
way that you paid.
Which test is the easiest to take?
It all depends on your background – but in general, we recommend
taking Analyzing and Interpreting Literature. It is the only English
CLEP test that you don’t need to know specific poems, texts, etc.
All you’ll need to know is how to analyze literature (which we
teach you how to do).
Do you have any testimonials from other
students?
We have more testimonials than we can put on the site. We help students
every year test out of DANTES and CLEP tests, saving them time and money.
Some graduate early and it allows others to graduate on time. We've
put together a few and you can read them here.
