Earn College Credit through AP and CLEP Exams

Are you looking to get a jump-start on college by earning credits while you’re in high school? Advanced Placement (AP) examinations can help you do just that.  Or, maybe you want to get college credit for your professional experience or through independent study. Then, the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) might work for you.

AP and CLEP tests are administered by The College Board. Taking advantage of one or both of these credit-by-exam options may shorten the time needed to earn your Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree. In fact, some students enter college with a full year of college-level credits on their high school transcripts. This can potentially save thousands of dollars in tuition. Be aware, however, that preparing for AP or CLEP exams takes a significant commitment of time and energy. Because it is important to engage in a full range of activities in high school, you need to be realistic about how much you can take on.

Advanced Placement (AP)
Most often, students take AP-designated courses at their high school. These classes follow a consistent curriculum created for The College Board by subject-matter experts and college educators. Thirty-six subjects are available, though each high school’s administrators determine which ones to provide for its students. Ask your guidance counselor for listing of your high school’s AP courses offerings.

Subject areas include: English, science, history/social science, math/computer science, arts, and world languages/cultures. When selecting AP classes, some students strategically choose only those courses relevant to their intended college major, while passing on those in ancillary subjects. This prioritization allows them to use their study time in a more focused way. Some students work to get their general education requirements completed.

Advanced Placement exams take place on a pre-determined schedule during the first two weeks of May. Most are administered in a pencil-and-paper format. Except for three AP Studio Art courses, which require students to submit portfolios of their works, AP exams include multiple choice questions as well as free-response items for which you generate your own responses (like writing an essay or solving a math problem).

Scores are released to you, your high school, and your designated colleges in July. AP tests are graded on a scale of 1 through 5, with 5 being the highest; a score of 3 is denoted as “passing” by The College Board.  Yet, while many four-year colleges award credit for a score of 3 or above, some schools demand at least a 4.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
Accepted by over 2,900 colleges, CLEP exams are another non-traditional way to earn college credits. There are 33 different exams covering material taught in courses generally taken during the first two years of college.  Subject areas include: business, composition/literature, foreign languages, history/social science, science, and math.

Unlike the AP program, through which high school students take a class prior to sitting for an exam, the knowledge needed to pass a CLEP test may be acquired through a variety means, such as:

• on-the-job training,
• professional development,
• independent study,
• previous coursework.

The College Board provides CLEP exam matrices for each test. Each matrix offers a summary of the knowledge and skills covered by each exam, suggested textbooks and study resources for test preparation, and sample test questions.

All CLEP exams are computerized. They are administered year-round at CLEP Testing Centers across the country, many of which are located on college campuses. You can earn 3 to 12 college credits for every CLEP exam you pass. If you don’t succeed on your first attempt, you may re-take the test after a waiting period.

Will all schools recognize the results from these exams?
You should be aware that some prestigious post-secondary institutions do not grant credit for AP or CLEP exams. For example Dartmouth College, Columbia University, and Brown University have either ended the practice of giving AP credit altogether or they have reduced the number of AP courses for which credits may be earned. These policy changes came after research conducted by Dartmouth showed that a passing score on an AP exam was not correlated to the level of academic rigor it expects from its students.

On the other hand, the vast majority of colleges do grant AP and CLEP credit. But each school sets its own policies regarding credits. It is your responsibility research each college of interest in order to determine:

• which exams will be accepted for credit,
• the number of credit hours awarded per exam,
• the minimum exam score required for credit,
• the maximum number of credit hours accepted from CLEP and/or AP tests,
• whether credits can be applied toward coursework in your major.

To find the answers to these important questions, you can search the school’s website. You can also use The College’s Board’s AP Credit College Policy Search Tool and/or CLEP Credit College Policy Search Tool.

Having the right information and a strategy can guide your decisions about which courses to take. After all, preparing for AP and CLEP exams requires dedication and commitment. You want to be sure that the time and energy you invest will benefit you.