CLEP provides affordable course credit for students

Sarah Mead

Staff Writer

smead@murraystate.edu

As the deadline for scheduling approaches, students can avoid taking core classes by earning college credits through the College Level Examination Program.

CLEP, a type of prior learning assessment similar to AP exams, allows students to earn credits for classes in which they already have a solid foundation of knowledge. CLEP credits can allow students to get a head start on their education, as students can receive a certain number of credit hours based on how university courses equate to each score.

“While there are many reasons someone decides to take a CLEP exam, the two [primary] groups are incoming students who may have taken AP courses in high school, but for whatever reason did not take the AP exam and college seniors who, for whatever reason, need a particular credit in order to graduate,” Zebreina Patterson, testing center supervisor, said. “There is also a very small segment of home-schoolers who have taken CLEP exams here.”

Murray State offers CLEP testing on an appointment basis. Students can contact the Testing Center to schedule a date and time to take an exam. After scheduling an appointment, students can visit the CLEP website to create an account and purchase an exam. The student must bring an admission ticket, a government-issued ID and the test administration fee to the scheduled appointment.

CLEP tests are generally 90 minutes in length. If taken at Murray State, a copy of the exam results will be automatically sent to the Transfer Center. The official CLEP score is sent from the College Board within two to three weeks.

Students cannot take the exam if they have already taken the class which they are trying to test out of. Even if a student only attends the first class session, they will be prohibited from taking the exam. However, there are no age restrictions on the exam and no limits on the amount of credit hours one can receive from CLEP exams.

“Anyone can register to take a CLEP test at any national CLEP testing center,” Jennifer Husemann, assistant director for undergraduate admissions and the Transfer Center, said. “At this time, there is no limit [on how many CLEP hours Murray State will accept. However], students cannot take the CLEP exam and count it as a repeat of a course already completed.”

The fee for each CLEP exam taken at Murray State is $89 payable to CLEP and $20 payable to the University, for a total of $107 per course.

“While there are those administrations which may feel that CLEP exams take away from the profitability of their respective institutions by decreasing revenue from class tuition, there are others who feel it is in the best interest of current and future students to help them decrease the cost of attending college, aid in retention and graduating their students in a timely manner,” Patterson said. “The cost of a CLEP test, even with a possible retake, is still far less than the cost of the average college class. This not only helps students save money, but can also accelerate degree completion so they can get started making a living.”

Taylor Pierce, senior from Paducah, Kentucky, who has received course credit from taking the CLEP tests.

“I think for the price of the exam that it is very beneficial to college students,” Pierce said. “I don’t think high schools or colleges tell students about CLEP exams. I have taken several now and being able to test out of those classes has helped me advance quicker in my degree.”

Pierce believes the only major downside to taking CLEP courses is that students do not receive a letter grade for the course. The result is recorded as a pass or fail on a student’s transcript.

“So you [don’t receive an] A on your transcript that you could’ve gotten for [having] taken the [class], but it is worth it to get college credits for cheaper,” Pierce said. “I feel like you may not get as much knowledge from the CLEP exam as you would in a classroom, but you do get the basics.”

Exams are available for 34 different courses that cover intro-level college material. With a passing score on one CLEP exam, you could earn three or more college credits at more than 2,900 U.S. colleges and universities.

A list of courses for which CLEP credit can be earned can be found at the Testing Center. Contact information for the testing center can be found here.

Scroll to Top