As someone homeschooled throughout high school, I didn’t have a lot of opportunities to take accelerated classes. I just took what my program had, which wasn’t a lot. What I’m saying is I came into college with very few credits. I was okay with this and was content to have a classic four years.
But then it seemed like everyone I met had the test scores to bypass all their general education requirements, go straight into their major classes, and take on a double major. I became a tiny bit jealous. I was an English major wasting away in baby biology. No offense to any biology majors reading this, but I wanted out.
I went to my advisor freshman year to see if there was a way out of my gen eds. Unfortunately, I remained trapped in biology that semester, but I did learn about the College-level Examination Program (CLEP) exams! CLEP is run by College Board, the same organization that runs the SATs and AP courses.
So, what exactly is CLEP?
By taking and passing a CLEP exam in a particular subject area, FSU will issue the credits for the equivalent class, thus freeing you of some of those pesky gen-ed requirements. The exam itself is like taking a final. It proves you know enough information to not need the class on it. Exams are scored on a scale from 20 to 80. According to FSU’s policy, passing is receiving a 50 or higher.
CLEP exams are offered in almost every foundational class, from English composition to accounting. The topics the university accepts and the course each one tests you out of are listed on FSU’s admissions page.
It’s worth noting that while CLEP offers language exams and FSU accepts these credits, their policy for scoring them is slightly different. A 50 is still considered passing the entry-level course, but higher scores are required for second and third-level courses, depending on the language being tested. However, the Department of Modern Languages will have much more detailed information if you’re looking to test out of a language requirement.
Exams cost $95 plus a proctoring fee, which is still significantly less than a course would cost. As of writing this, if you schedule two exams to be taken before Dec. 15, you get the second half off. They can be taken at a testing center or online from anywhere.
Tips and Tricks
I’ve learned a few things as someone now well-versed in the CLEP exam.
- Go To the FSU Testing Center
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First, I don’t recommend the online system unless you don’t have another option. Both times I’ve used their online proctoring system, I’ve had issues with my exam. Between some weird technology requirements, proctor connection issues, and the program’s overall toll on my poor laptop’s battery life, I haven’t had good experiences.
Luckily, the FSU testing center will proctor the exam for you. Everyone who works there is super friendly and makes taking the test a piece of cake!
- Meet with your advisor first
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Always check with an advisor before scheduling your exams! You can only receive credit for exams correlating with course codes you’ve never taken. For example, if you wanted to test out of ENC 1101, you can’t have another ENC class on your transcript, like ENC 2135.
Even if you’re pretty sure you don’t have a conflicting course code, sending a quick email to an advisor can’t hurt. I once mistakenly thought I didn’t have a course code in my transcript, but I did. The college equivalents are subject to change, and studying (and paying) for an exam you can’t take would be awful.
- study, study, study
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Last but not least, study! Hearing you only need a 50 to get credit can make the exams seem like something you can blow off, but they can be really difficult! These exams are designed to be college finals. You’re meant to study for them.
There are plenty of books and online resources to help you out! College Board provides an exam breakdown, topic list, and resources for each test, but I highly recommend going outside of these. Modern States has been my go-to for all of the exams I’ve taken so far!
CLEP exams are a great opportunity if you want to get ahead in your coursework. I’ve found them to be straightforward and also easy to pass! Good luck and happy studying!
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