2,900 Colleges Offering CLEP Test Credits

[toledo]

My son took the Spanish CLEP test yesterday at a local university. They graded it on the spot and told him he got 6 credits and they'll send the scores to the university he'll be attending in the fall. He score narrowly missed getting 12 credits. This still beats the 3 credits that the AP test was offering. This is such an easy way to get college credits and very few people even know about it, especially in our area.

Here are the colleges that accept CLEP tests:

Colleges Granting CLEP Credit

[timely]

My S just took a CLEP test in Sociology. It sure was less time consuming than a one semester course.

One small caution about "Institutional CLEP Tests". These tests are offered at the student's university for a lower fee than regular CLEP tests. Apparently, the school takes care of all the grading and College Board doesn't have anything to do with it. If I understand correctly, scores on Institutional CLEP Tests are only valid at the institution at which the test was taken.

Also, my S got badly burned on one of these. He took the Freshman English Comp CLEP test as an Institutional CLEP. This test has an essay, and apparently the English dept. at the university grades the essay. S passed the multiple choice but failed the essay. He is an economics major who usually makes A's on his papers. I was shocked when he failed the essay because I didn't understand that the grading standards were different than for a regular CLEP test. His roommate, who has nearly a 4.0, also failed the essay. It sounds to me as if the English dept. at the university is offended by students trying to get out of taking freshman English comp.

S took this test his sophomore year. Unlike College Board, his school did not report his scores to him. He just assumed he passed. Finally, a year later he went to check on it and found out he had not passed. Unfortunately, by this point he had more than 90 credit hours and students with more than 90 hours are not eligible for the CLEP, so he could not take it again. Also (and I do not know how they get away with this), he could not register for freshman English comp because he has more than 90 hours.

So, this summer he is taking freshman English comp at the cc at home. It was his only option. There are only 6 students in the class so he can't even sleep. Yesterday they went over parts of speech...."What is a noun?" He's taking English Lit, too, and it's the same prof....very boring. He is in "English hell" from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. 4 days per week.

To summarize...I recommend taking traditional CLEP tests rather than institutional ones, especially in subjects with an essay component.

[abasket]

Can you give more particulars? The cost of one test? How long was the test? Is he going to try more than the Spanish?

[toledo]

The test was only about 2 hours long. He said it was easier than the AP test.
I paid $65 to CLEP (CollegeBoard) and $25 to the local university who administered the test. My son's college said it was o.k. to take the CLEP elsewhere, as they only offer it once each month. Spanish was his only AP class in high school so I don't think he'll try any of the other tests.

[MidwestMom2Kids_]

A year ago, my daughter was considering GW, and they are very generous with CLEP credits. After her junior year, she took CLEP chemistry and Spanish tests (since she knew she would not be taking any more Spanish). She would have gotten credit for a year of chemistry and more than a year of Spanish had she gone to GW. Amazing. Ohio State is pretty nice about CLEP credits, too. The school she will be attending gives CLEP credit for a few of the CLEP tests, but sadly, not for chemistry and Spanish. Oh well. It wasn't much trouble to take the tests.

[NorthMinnesota]

I believe CLEP tests are free in MN if you take them before entering college.