how do i study for a clep course?

by Prof. Yoshiko Robel V 7 min read

The most basic way to do this is to head over to the Official CollegeBoard Website and click on the exam you are studying for. Then, if you scroll down, you will find free information there including a content outline of the topics covered along with recommended textbooks.

5 Effective Study Tips for CLEP Exams
  1. Review the specific info provided by the College Board about each exam you plan to take.
  2. Take free or paid CLEP practices tests online and review your results.
  3. Schedule your study sessions at a time when you can focus without distractions.
May 17, 2021

Full Answer

How to decide which CLEP exams you should take?

Now that you know how the exams are made, all you need to do is study what you would learn in any average college course on the subject. The most basic way to do this is to head over to the Official CollegeBoard Website and click on the exam you are studying for. Then, if you scroll down, you will find free information there including a content outline of the topics covered …

Which CLEP exams should I take?

1. Find Your Exam Breakdown. The first thing that we need to do is navigate over to the College Board Website and locate the "CLEP" section. After that, find the exam that you want to take. Once you have located your exam, take some time to read through both the "Overview" & "Knowledge and skills required" sections.

What are the easiest and hardest CLEP exams?

1. Take a diagnostic placement test for one of our 30+ CLEP courses. Test out of material you already know - our technology will tell you which lessons you …

What are the best classes to CLEP?

Purchase official practice resources. Buy the CLEP Official Study Guide or exam-specific guides (available on exam pages) for additional practice questions and tips. You can also buy the Official CLEP Study Guide App from examIam so you can practice for the exam on your mobile device. (Again, these official resources contain the same questions, so no need to buy more than one.)

How long do I need to study for a CLEP exam?

Exam Descriptions Many CLEP exams are designed to correspond to one- semester courses. Some, however, correspond to one to two years of study. At most colleges, students earn three credits for a one-semester course and six credits for a full-year course.

Are CLEP courses hard?

It's unusually time intensive because of the vast amount of material to cover, but it doesn't contain hard concepts. Some can take it almost cold (without studying) and still pass, while others find it tough even after preparing for weeks. That can happen with any CLEP feedback.

Does CLEP give you a study guide?

The CLEP Official Study Guide covers all 34 CLEP exam topics in one comprehensive book. It includes practice questions for all exams, exam descriptions, information on getting credit for CLEP, and test-taking tips and strategies.

How easy is it to pass a CLEP exam?

Thankfully, CLEP tests are actually easily passed by anyone willing to put in the study time and effort. I've personally talked with hundreds of CLEP students from high schoolers to adult learners who have successfully passed and earned college credit.Nov 14, 2013

What happens if you fail a CLEP test?

If you fail, the College Board will keep your failed score until you retake the test. The next time you attempt the test, they will replace your old score with your new score. After that, the College Board won't have any trace of your first failed score. So that's how the College Board handles the failed scores.

Are CLEP exams multiple choice?

Most CLEP exams are designed to correspond to one-semester courses, although some tests correspond to full-year or two-year courses. The format of most questions is multiple choice.

What does a CLEP test look like?

CLEP Exams Each CLEP test varies in how it is made up, but most solely consist of multiple choice questions. Scores are between 20-80 with a passing score generally being a 50 or higher. Mometrix Academy offers free practice questions and tutorials videos to help you prepare for the CLEP exams.Dec 22, 2021

How many credits is a CLEP exam worth?

10. How many credits are CLEP tests worth? This is ultimately up to the university you transfer them to, but a passing score on a CLEP exam is generally worth between 3 and 6 credit hours.Oct 3, 2019

How are CLEP exams scored?

CLEP exams are graded using a computer system that converts your raw score into a scaled score between 20 and 80. If you take a CLEP exam with an essay portion, two real people from a third party grading service will grade your essays. That's the general method.

Are CLEP tests worth it?

Benefits of Taking CLEP Exams Even with added costs, such as $10 study guides, the CLEP remains a bargain. These exams can also help you to get a degree faster. While a college undergraduate degree can often take students four to six years, CLEP exams can cut that time substantially to as little as one year.Aug 27, 2020

Is CLEP harder than AP?

CLEP vs AP Test Difficulty: Which is Harder? According to May 2019 pass rate data, students may have found AP exams more difficult. CLEP exams had a 68% pass rate while AP exams had a 65% pass rate. However, there were many more AP examinees than CLEP test takers.

What does a CLEP score of 50 mean?

The American Council on Education (ACE) recommends a credit-granting score of 50 for each CLEP exam. This is a scaled score, equivalent to earning a C in the relevant course.

How to get college credit for CLEP?

To earn college credit for your CLEP exams, you must request for CLEP Services to send the scores of completed exams to your designated schools. Each institution will then determine if the scores meet their requirements and grant credits that may be used towards a degree at their school.

What is a CLEP test?

CLEP exams test your expertise in a particular subject, providing an opportunity for you to demonstrate understanding through a standardized test. Passing these exams proves your mastery and grants real college credit, just as though you had passed the corresponding course at a college or university!

How many CLEP exams are there?

Are you looking to earn college credit outside the classroom? The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) offers over 30 exams that can help you earn real college credit in a fraction of the time for a fraction of the cost of traditional colleges and universities. CLEP exams test your expertise in a particular subject, providing an opportunity for you to demonstrate understanding through a standardized test. Passing these exams proves your mastery and grants real college credit, just as though you had passed the corresponding course at a college or university!

How many credits can I earn on a CLEP exam?

You can earn between 3 and 9 college credits per CLEP exam depending on the test subject. Over 2,900 colleges and universities across the U.S. accept CLEP credit in place of general education requirements, courses in a student's major, or prerequisites for advanced classes.

Can I take AP classes in high school?

Only high school students are eligible for AP programs, which consist of college-level classes that conclude with corresponding exams. AP tests tend to be more difficult, and exam scores are accepted at most two- and four-year colleges and universities worldwide for credit and advanced placement.

What is a CLEP?

It’s called the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), which is a series of examinations that you can use to get credit for college courses. In this article, we’re going to take a look at what the CLEP program is, and how it can help you get your degree faster while saving you thousands in college costs.

How much does a CLEP exam cost?

Starting with the cost, CLEP exams are much cheaper than a full college course. Each exam costs $87 (plus an administrative fee of around $25 generally charged by the testing center).

Where to take CLEP exam?

Civilian employees of Air Force. Generally, you’ll need to take your CLEP exams at either a military base or fully-funded test center in order to get all the fees (including administrative fees) waived. To find a fully-funded test center near you, look for the “Fully funded” tag next to test center names.

Is college expensive?

Let’s face it: college can be expensive. Sure, you can do lots of things to make it cost less, including applying for scholarships. But this doesn’t change the fact that sometimes college costs more than you can afford. A common solution to this problem is to take out student loans.

What does AP stand for in college?

AP stands for “Advanced Placement. ”. It’s a program that aims to help high students take college-level courses while still in high school. The goal is to help students be better prepared for college, skip introductory college classes, or even earn college credit if the university allows it.

How long does it take to get a Clep?

CLEP tests can help you get a degree much faster than the traditional college path. The conventional amount of time to get an undergraduate degree is 4 years, though it can take many students as long as six years. If you just need a degree to get a better job, then 4–6 years is much too long to wait.

Can I take CLEP if I can't transfer my credit score?

This is a crucial first step. There’s no point in taking CLEP tests if you can’t transfer your passing scores for credit. After all, the goal here is to get your degree ASAP, not to get bogged down in the individual details of the tests themselves.

Review the exam description

Read the exam description carefully to understand what topics will be covered on it as well as how much time is allotted for the test as a whole and for each subsection. This will help you know what to expect when you’re taking the test.

Become familiar with the sample questions provided on the exam page

You can find these questions in the free Resource Guide and Sample Questions PDF at the bottom of the exam page. This is a fairly limited selection of questions and it doesn't explain the correct answers.

Review test-taking tips

Read this page for general advice and test-taking tips on multiple choice and essay questions for your CLEP exam.

Test-Taking Tips

Advice and test-taking tips on multiple-choice and essay questions for your CLEP exam.

Purchase official practice resources

Buy the CLEP Official Study Guide or exam-specific guides (available on exam pages) for additional practice questions and tips. You can also buy the Official CLEP Study Guide App from examIam so you can practice for the exam on your mobile device. (Again, these official resources contain the same questions, so no need to buy more than one.)

Warning About Third-Party Study Materials

Things to be aware of when purchasing test prep materials from other sources.

What is a CLEP exam?

CLEP exams allow you to cash-in on knowledge obtained outside the classroom or in high school. While you may know a lot about American government from a high school class and personal study, the key is to understand the concepts covered on the American Government CLEP exam.

Why do we use flashcards in college?

It’s not enough to understand the principles of a concept; you need to know the name of the concept. Flashcards are a proven medium to help you learn and retain those terms and their definitions.

How do flashcards help you?

Flashcards derive their effectiveness from their ability to help you store terms in your long-term memory, eliminating the need to cram the night before the exam. Every time you run across an unfamiliar word, jot down the term and its definition on an index card. Then go through the flashcards a few times a day.

Is a D good enough for a CLEP?

Know that a “D” is Good Enough. Generally, only 50 out of 80 is needed to pass a CLEP exam, which comes out to a grade of 63%. The catch is that a CLEP test will appear as a “P” for “pass” on your transcript whether you get a 50 or an 80. Since CLEP exams cover such a broad range of concepts, you are not expected to pass with flying colors.

Do you need to know the formula for currency appreciation?

Since a CLEP exam covers an entire college-level course, you don’t need to know the formula for determining currency appreciation. Rather, understanding the general concept will be sufficient for the Principles of Macroeconomics CLEP exam.

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How to take a CLEP exam?

How do I take a CLEP exam? 1 Check the CLEP policies for the school you wish to or have been accepted to attend. 2 Choose the CLEP exams you would like to take. 3 Register online to take your exams at one of 2,000 official CLEP testing centers offered by the College Board. Each test is approximately 90 to 120 minutes long. 4 Pay the fee for the CLEP exam. The cost of each exam is $89. If you're a military service member, you are eligible for free exams. Additionally, family members and spouses may be as well, check the College Board website for more details. 5 Prepare for your CLEP exam. Study.com offers online prep courses that help students, through video lessons and quizzes, ready themselves for the most popular CLEP exams. Explore some of the lessons available in these prep courses using the links in this table:

How many schools accept CLEP?

Nearly 3,000 schools accept CLEP exams as a means of earning college credit. Policies regarding the number of credits a student may earn via CLEP exams and minimum scores for each test vary by school.

Where can I find my CLEP score?

Most exams will have the score available to you at the testing center at the conclusion of the test (except for exams with essays). You can view the essay test results on your CLEP account portal online. Schools can get paper copies mailed directly to them or have the option of choosing Electronic Score Reporting.

Can I get a refund for exams or study materials?

Yes. CLEP exams as well as examination guides and study guides are refundable. Review the following refund policies:

How do I request a name change after registering for a CLEP exam?

If you need to change or update your name after you’ve registered for a CLEP exam, you need to submit a Name Change Request form (.pdf/356 KB).

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