Getting College Credit through CLEP  

Earning a college credit is helpful for anyone who wishes to finish college early. CLEP is the fast track to your educational future. The College Level Examination Program is one of the examinations that students can take in order to earn college credit from 2,900 colleges that grant it. Each institution awards the credit to students who meet the college’s minimum qualifying score for that exam. Also, each institution determines the exams for which it awards the credit and the amount of credit that will be granted. Make sure to review the college’s or university’s CLEP policy to know this information.

The amount of credit you can earn from a CLEP exam can be up to 12 credits if you pass it. However, the amount of individual CLEP exam you can earn varies with each institution. There are colleges that place a limit on the total amount of credit you can earn while others may grant you exemption but no credit towards your degree.

Minimum qualifying score for earning a CLEP credit may vary from exam to exam. Most colleges publish their required scored for earning CLEP credit in their general catalog or brochure.

There are instances where colleges will not grant credit for a CLEP exam. If you have already attempted a college-level course closely aligned with the exam, some colleges will not grant credit for it. Also, some colleges will not permit you to earn CLEP credit for a course that you failed.

Before repeating a CLEP exam, be sure to wait six months. Repeating a CLEP exam of the same title earlier than six months will make the scores not accepted and test fees will be forfeited. Aside from that, colleges usually award CLEP credit only to their enrolled students.

To be sure if a CLEP credit can be earned, find out from the institution what type of credit you can receive and all other information before taking the CLEP exam.

About your CLEP Examination Scores

Taking the CLEP exam requires a lot of preparation and focus. There are some who finish and pass without any hustle or retake. However, there are those who don’t pass or score below credit minimum. It’s necessary to know how the scoring works in order to make good test taking strategies for yourself.

Most of the questions are multiple choice. These questions are reviewed and checked by the computer. The essay portions are graded by English professors from different colleges who are specifically picked by the College Board. The score you receive from the essay will be combined with your score on the multiple choice portion. It will then appear as a scaled score in the report.

You’ll notice that there are portions of the exam that are optional. Most of them are essays and are required by specific colleges. The college or university that requires the question will personally check the answers, rather than the College Board.

On the multiple choice questions, you will get one point for each correct answer. When your answer is wrong for a certain item, it will not be deducted from your total score, as well as the unanswered items. It is important to answer every item to get a chance of getting a correct answer than leaving it blank and get no chance. Your totaled scaled score will be shown on your score report. Your score will be in between 20 and 80. If you register for a CLEP exam online, you can name the college or certifying agency that you desire to receive your CLEP test scores. You don’t have to pay for your transcript request; the payment will be included in your exam fee.