College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
CLEP is a national program that allows students to obtain course credit by examination. CLEP examinations cover material taught in courses that most students take as requirements in the first two years of college. Most exams are 90 minutes long and primarily composed of multiple-choice questions, though some exams have fill-ins.
Note that examinations in composition and literature have additional 90-minute handwritten-essay sections, except for the College Composition Modular, which provides a 70-minute computerized-essay section. These essays are required for APU students. Handwritten essays are evaluated by faculty from the APU Department of English after a passing score on the multiple-choice section of the CLEP is achieved; these faculty evaluations are final and may not be appealed.
The CLEP program’s policy limits test retakes to every 90 days, which allows students to spend additional time preparing for the exam or the option of taking a classroom course. APU students may request tutoring to prepare for the CLEP exam by contacting the Academic Success Center (ASC) Testing Services.
CLEP study guides are available from the CLEP website, the Campus Store, or any local bookstore. Visit the CLEP website for useful tips on assessing and preparing for any of the CLEP exams.
To take a CLEP exam, students must:
- Purchase the CLEP exam through the CLEP website. The cost for the exam is $89 and must be paid on the CLEP website by credit or debit card.
- Schedule an appointment to take the exam at ASC Testing Services using our online scheduling system.
- Pay the $30 nonrefundable proctoring fee no later than 3 calendar days prior to your appointment.
- The fee for any written CLEP essay exams is $10 per exam, payable on the day of your appointment.
On the day of the exam, students must:
- Provide a paper copy of the CLEP Exam Registration Ticket to the ASC Testing Services proctor. The Exam Registration Ticket is issued by CLEP at the time the exam is purchased.
- Bring one form of government-issued identification that shows the student’s legal name, birth date, photo, and signature.
Military CLEP Candidates
CLEP exams are free for eligible military personnel as noted in the chart below. The nonrefundable proctoring fees listed above are required before a test can be administered. All eligible military candidates MUST present a current military identification card and a second form of government-issued photo ID with signature at the time of the exam.
| Candidate Status | CLEP Fee |
|---|---|
| Active Duty Military | No Fee1 |
Air Force |
|
Army |
|
Marine Corps |
|
Navy |
|
Coast Guard |
|
National Guard and Reserve Component |
|
| Spouses and Civilian Employees of: | No Fee1 |
Air Force Reserve |
|
Air National Guard |
|
Army National Guard |
|
Army Reserve |
|
Coast Guard |
|
| DOD Acquisition Workforce Personnel | No Fee1 |
| Are eligible for the following exams only: | |
| Principles of Macroeconomics | |
| Principles of Microeconomics | |
| Principles of Marketing | |
| Veterans | Veterans must pay the CLEP fee in advance and seek reimbursement from the Veterans Benefits Administration using their canceled check or credit card statement as proof of receipt.2 |
- 1
Tests are funded by DANTES. Questions regarding eligibility for DANTES-funded CLEP exams should be directed to DANTES at (877) 471-9860.
- 2
Veterans are eligible for reimbursement of the CLEP fee under provisions of the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2004.
Credit for CLEP Scores
| Subject | Score | Units | Course Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business | |||
| Financial Accounting | 50 | 4 | ACCT 120 |
| Business Law, Introductory | 50 | 3 | Not acceptable for BUSI 296, Elective, Non-General-Education |
| Information Systems and Computer Applications | 50 | 3 | BUSI 240 or CS 205 |
| Management, Principles of | 50 | 3 | MGMT 210 |
| Marketing, Principles of | 50 | 3 | MKTG 260 |
| Macroeconomics, Principles of | 50 | 3 | ECON 250 |
| Microeconomics, Principles of | 50 | 3 | ECON 251 |
| Composition and Literature | |||
| American Literature1 | 50 | 3 | Not acceptable for ENGL 244, ENGL 254, Elective, Non-General-Education |
| Analyzing and Interpreting Literature1 | 50 | 3 | ENGL 1111 |
| College Composition | 50 | No course equivalency at APU | |
| English Literature1 | 50 | 3 | Not acceptable for ENGL 222, ENGL 232, Elective, Non-General-Education |
| College Composition Modular1 | 50 | No course equivalency at APU | |
| Modern languages | |||
| French Language | 50 | 3 | FREN 101, FREN 102 |
| German Language | 50 | 3 | GERM 101, GERM 102 |
| Spanish Language | 50 | 3 | SPAN 101, SPAN 102 |
| Spanish Language | 63 | 3 | SPAN 201 |
| Spanish Language | 74 | 3 | SPAN 202 |
| History and Social Sciences | |||
| American Government | 50 | 3 | POLI 150 |
| Educational Psychology, Introduction to | 50 | 3 | Elective, Non-General-Education |
| History of U.S. I: Early Colonization to 1877 | 50 | 3 | HIST 151 |
| History of U.S. II: 1865 to the Present | 50 | 3 | HIST 152 |
| Human Growth and Development 2 | 50 | 3 | PSYC 290 2 |
| Humanities | 50 | 3 | Elective, Non-General-Education |
| Psychology, Introductory | 50 | 3 | PSYC 110 |
| Social Sciences and History | 50 | 3 | APS, Elective credit only, Non-General-Education |
| Sociology, Introductory | 50 | 3 | SOC 120 |
| Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648 | 50 | 3 | HIST 120 |
| Western Civilization II: 1648 to Present | 50 | 3 | HIST 121 |
| Science and Mathematics | |||
| Calculus | 50 | 5 | MATH 165 |
| College Algebra | 50 | 3 | MATH 110 |
| College Mathematics | 50 | 3 | MATH 90 3 |
| General Biology | 50 | 8 | BIOL 151, BIOL 152 |
| 57 | 8 | Required for all students in the Department of Biology and Chemistry majors and minors | |
| General Chemistry | 50 | 8 | CHEM 151, CHEM 152 |
| 52 | 8 | Required for all students in the Department of Biology and Chemistry majors and minors | |
| Natural Sciences | 50 | 3 | APS, Elective credit only, Non-General-Education |
| Precalculus | 50 | 3 | MATH 150 |
- 1
Essay is required to receive APU course equivalency. Note that essays are evaluated after a passing score on the multiple-choice section of the CLEP is achieved.
- 2
This test is not acceptable as an equivalent course for students in the liberal studies major seeking the multiple subject (K-12) teaching credential.
- 3
MATH 90 does not meet the General Education Quantitative Literacy requirement and does not count toward total units needed for graduation.