Speed up the Graduation Process with CLEP Exams
How Students Can Earn a Degree while Saving Time and Money
Sep 18, 2008
An individual with a college degree stands a better chance of landing a lucrative job position than someone without a degree. However, in these tight economic times, not everyone can afford the cost of a four-year college education. Full-time employees looking to further their career may have the money but lack the time to attend school. Taking CLEP exams is a potential solution for individuals looking to save both time and money while earning a college degree.
What are CLEP Exams?
CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) exams allow students to gain college credit for real life experience. By passing the exam with a qualifying score, candidates earn credits that can be applied towards a college degree.
Available CLEP Exam Subjects
As of this writing, CLEP offers exams in 34 subjects, ranging from college algebra to Spanish. The current cost to sit for a CLEP exam is $70 per exam (quite a bit cheaper than taking one course for one semester at just about any college or university).
How to Prepare for CLEP Exams
Having hands-on, real-life experience is a great asset when taking the exam, however, its best to supplement that experience with the CLEP preparatory material. Before obtaining the study material, be sure to fully understand the scope of the subject exam. Candidates should visit the College Board website and review what is expected of them in order to obtain a qualifying score. After getting a good grasp of what is expected, then its time to prepare for the exam.
The College Board website offers both downloadable booklets of sample exams and tips on how to prepare for the exams. It is recommended that CLEP candidates take the sample test to gain a better understanding of the material covered by the exam and how much additional studying is required to pass it. If the candidate answers half or fewer questions correctly, it's an indication that much more preparation is necessary.
Candidates who answer all or nearly all of the questions correctly should register to take the actual exam.
Colleges that Accept CLEP Credits
Many colleges across United States accept credits earned from CLEP exams. Schools such as New York's Columbia University and North Carolina's Duke University, to name a few, accept CLEP credits. Visit the CLEP school search to view the updated list of higher education institutions accepting CLEP credits.
Not limited to American schools, CLEP exam credits are accepted internationally in schools such as the Institute of Science Technology in Manchester, England, University of New South Wales in Kensington, Australia and many more. Before taking the CLEP exam, however, be sure to check the university or college's policy on CLEP exam credits.
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