According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average tuition and fees at a 4-year institution are $15, 728 (academic year 2010-11). Using Liberty University as an example, each college credit is approximately $300, with a 3 credit course costing you close to $1000. Now, what if you could save that money but still attain those college credits? Well, you can, with CLEP. College Level Exam Placement (CLEP) is accepted at over 2900 institutions and allows you to test out of a course for a nominal exam fee. The 90 minute exam only costs $80 and saves you an entire semester worth of work along with hundreds of dollars.
Still not sold? Spouses around the country shared stories of how they effectively used this resource to move through their degree program quicker. Emily Morgan, who attended the University of North Florida, utilized CLEP to test out of an entire semester. Similarly, student at Central Texas College, Ken Meyer successfully completed the Biology & Composition assessments to get into the nursing program quicker.
Also note, CLEP is FREE for certain branches: Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Coast Guard (active and reserve)
To find out if your school accepts CLEP and for what classes, visit: https://clep.collegeboard.org/started.
Study Tips from the CLEP site (https://clep.collegeboard.org/study-tips)
- Check with your college bookstore to find out which books and materials are used for the related course. You can usually find the course syllabus on your college’s website.
- Review the appropriate exam description and related resources.
- Answer sample questions for the CLEP exam you plan to take.
- Take a look at suggested study resources.
- Check with your librarian about locating study aids relevant to the exam you plan to take. These materials may include, for example, videos made by education-oriented companies and organizations, language audio files, and computer software
References: https://nces.ed.gov