CLEP stands for College Level Examination Program and it is basically a series of examinations that is used to test the college-level knowledge of an individual. An individual might have gained this knowledge from independent study, travel, course work, military service schools, professional development or cultural pursuits.



These examinations cover the material that is taught in the courses taken by the students as the requirement in the first two years of the college and so, an individual can bypass the undergraduate coursework by securing a satisfactory score in the CLEP test as the credits allotted to a student securing a satisfactory score in the CLEP test are same as that of the credits allotted to a student who successfully completes the course. In short, College Level Examination Program gives you an opportunity to receive the college credits for something which you already know.

The test is offered by the College Board and the actual CLEP policies vary from school to school. Around 2,900 colleges and universities grant college credits for each test and both International schools and U.S. schools grant college credits. Most of the tests are 90 minutes long and the current cost for taking a test is $65. However, the tests are free for U.S. military service members and veterans. The tests are conducted at testing centers located at over 1,400 college and university campuses and some testing centers even charge a small registration fee. The actual registration fee differs from center to center.

A CLEP exam is computer-based and it mainly consists of multiple-choice questions but some exams have fill-in-the-blanks questions as well. The English Composition exam is an exception from this exam structure as it has an essay question along with multiple-choice questions. In an English Composition exam, the essay question is to be completed in 45 minutes and multiple-choice questions are to be complete in another 45 minutes.

The test is usually scored on a scale of 20 to 80 and most of the schools grant the college credits for a score of 50 or higher. However, the passing score differs from school to school. At the moment, there are 34 college courses for which you may take an exam so as to earn the credit. A CLEP test usually corresponds to one or two semester introductory course. Below are some of the benefits of a CLEP exam.

Save Money: A CLEP test costs only $65 plus the registration charges and this amount is a fraction of the money which is spent as college tuition fee and on textbooks. So, you can save some considerable amount of money by securing satisfactory score in a CLEP test.

Save Time: The actual credits earned by securing satisfactory score depends on the college's policies but a satisfactory score on a CLEP test can earn you 3 to 12 credits. This allows you to improve your college credit score and so, you will be able to advance in your studies faster.

Skip Beginner Courses: By taking a CLEP test, you apply the knowledge which you already have and a good score on a test allows you to skip the beginner courses. This makes the college more interesting as you move on to more interesting, challenging and advanced classes.

Complete your Graduation on Time: If you're running short of few credits then you can take up a CLEP exam to cover them.