College Level Examination Program (CLEP^®)

The College Board’s College Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a nationally recognized credit-by-examination program that provides high school students an opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of college-level materials in introductory subjects and earn college credit. Developed by the College Board, CLEP has been the most widely trusted credit-by-examination program for over 40 years, accepted by 2,900 colleges and universities and administered in over 1,800 test centers. A passing score on particular tests allows students to earn between 3 and 12 credits of college-level coursework before leaving high school, depending on the guidelines of the specific postsecondary institutions.

CLEP exams are developed by committees of college faculty who design questions based on what is typically covered in lower-level college courses and who set passing standards for the exams (scores are no longer based on studies of student performance in college courses). With the new computer-based tests, new questions are constantly being added, especially in rapidly-changing fields such as Computer Science. CLEP exam scores range on a scale of 20-80 with a typical passing score of 50 or above.

CLEP offers exams in five subject areas. There are approximately 174 test centers located on the campuses of high school and postsecondary institutions across Louisiana. The current price of CLEP exams is $87 per exam, but after July 1, 2019 the price will increase to $89 per exam. CLEP scores are available immediately upon completion of the exam. The amount of credit you can earn on an individual CLEP exam varies with each college. Contact the CLEP test center nearest you for more information about registration, scheduling, and fees. 

View more information about CLEP, including recent test information guides.