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College Credit by Exam: How CLEP Works

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Imagine walking into a ninety-minute exam and walking out with the credit for a full semester course. For millions of students since the 1960s, that is exactly how the College-Level Examination Program, known as CLEP, has worked. It is one of the most useful and least understood tools for adults finishing a degree.

What CLEP is

CLEP is run by the College Board, the nonprofit behind the SAT and AP exams. It offers 34 exams covering material from typical first- and second-year college courses, grouped into five areas:

Who accepts it?

According to the College Board, more than 2,900 colleges and universities grant credit for passing CLEP scores. But every college sets its own policy: which exams it accepts, what score it requires and how many credits it awards. Check your own college's policy before you study, so your effort lands where it counts. The College Board website has a search tool for this.

What it costs, and the free route

Each CLEP exam carries a fee paid to the College Board, roughly in the $90s at the time of writing, plus any administration fee charged by the test center. That is far less than tuition for a course, but it still adds up.

Here is the free route most people do not know about. Modern States, a nonprofit, offers free online courses taught by college professors for the CLEP exams. Learners who complete enough of a course, at least 75 percent of the coursework according to its current terms, can request a voucher that pays the exam fee, and Modern States also offers to reimburse the test-center fee with a receipt. Terms can change, so check its website for current details.

How to prepare well

Pass one exam, and you may skip the class. Check your college's policy first.

Where GSU fits

Global Sovereign University is not part of CLEP and does not grant credit. What GSU does is build the foundation: the free reading, writing and math hubs, a private Grade Level Check, and GENO, an AI tutor who answers questions patiently in many languages. Several of Dr. Constant's books also make strong companion reading for exams such as Principles of Management and US History.

Start at GSU's Finish What You Started page. CLEP is a registered trademark of the College Board; GSU is not affiliated with the College Board or Modern States.

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