CLEP Testing is a great option for homeschool families with teenagers who are wanting to earn college credits while in high school and at a cost that is much less than a college course.
What is a CLEP Exams?
Great question. CLEP stands for College Level Examination Program. CLEP exams are made by the same company who makes the SAT tests and these exams are accepted at most colleges, in fact more than 2,900 colleges accept CLEP Exams now. There are currently 34 CLEP exams ranging in subjects of Science and Math, Business, History and Social Science, Composition and Literature, and World Languages. There are several tests in each of these categories. Each CLEP exam taken and passed earns you those college credits for that class. Tests are a Pass/Fail grade. You must take the test at CLEP certified location (there are many locations throughout the United States where you can take these exams – most local colleges are set up for CLEP Exams) Tests are multiple choice and taken on a computer. Each Exam is $89 if you fail you must pay to take the exam again.
Why would a homeschooler want to take CLEP Exams?
Taking CLEP exams can be a way to get many of your undergraduate classes for college finished before stepping foot on a college campus. Rather than your student walking into college as a freshman they can start as a junior having spent a fraction of the cost of 2 years of college.
Or if you have a child who doesn’t know what they want to do when they get to college taking a year off to just take CLEP Exams gives them a chance to figure it out without spending thousands of dollars on college.
There are also several online colleges that accept a large amount of CLEP exams and with just a few online classes at their college you can earn a Liberal Arts degree all done through CLEP exams, and again at a fraction of the cost!
How can you use CLEP Exams in your homeschool?
In our family we have used CLEP Exams as the “final” at the end of the school year. When my oldest finished both Algebra 1 & 2 she did some extra study on Study.com to prepare for the College Algebra CLEP Exam and then went and passed the CLEP Exam. This Exam counts as college credit and when she goes to college this fall she will not have to take a College Algebra class because she has already earned these credits. As our children finish classes (American History, Biology, and American Lit) they will prepare for the CLEP Exams and then take these tests.
How can I learn more information on CLEP Exams?
I’ve compiled some of the most informative resources I can find on CLEP Exams and have linked them below.
- CLEP Exam Website– this is a great place to start, see what tests are being offered and what locations near you offer CLEP Exams.
- The Chapman Kids Blog – this is a great blog where a homeschool family in depth document there journey using CLEP Exams with their children
- Prep for CLEP Exams – here is a great top 10 list of ways to prepare your children for CLEP Exams
- Lumerit – this is an organization who creates a custom plan for your student to earn a college degree from home. We know many homeschool families who have used Lumerit and some who work for Lumerit too, it’s a tremendous resource and a great way to think outside of the box when it comes to getting a degree.
- Duel Credit at Home – they offer a 5 day free e-course on CLEP exams and how to use them in your homeschool. This course takes 10 minutes a day through an email. It’s another great resource!
Hope this list of resources is helpful and this short blog on CLEP exams gets you rolling in the right direction to research this more. As always if you have questions feel free to reach out. We are here to help you in your homeschool journey!
