The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), developed and administered by the College Board, lets you earn college credit by demonstrating knowledge in 34 subject areas. Nearly 3,000 colleges and universities grant credit for qualifying CLEP scores.
Exams take about 90–120 minutes, depending on the subject, and cost $97 each, plus any test center or remote proctoring administration fee. CLEP exams are mostly multiple choice and scored from 20 to 80. The American Council on Education (ACE) recommends a credit-granting score of 50 for most exams, but each college sets its own passing score and credit award. World language exams can earn up to 9 semester hours under ACE recommendations.
Eligible service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and eligible spouses can have their exams funded through DANTES. DANTES funds each exam subject once; to retake a DANTES-funded exam you must wait three months and pay yourself. Veterans may be able to seek reimbursement through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Exam topics
Explore each CLEP exam before registering to make sure you take the right one. Topics include:
- History and Social Sciences
- Composition and Literature
- Science and Mathematics
- Business
- World Languages