1. Home
  2. Departments
  3. Student Academic Success
  4. Instructions: College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Instructions: College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

The College Board’s College Level Examination Program (CLEP) has been the most widely trusted credit-by-examination program for over 50 years, accepted by 2,900 colleges and universities and administered in more than 2,000 test centers.  This rigorous program allows students from a wide range of ages and backgrounds to demonstrate their mastery of introductory college-level material and earn college credit.  Students can earn credit for what they already know by getting qualifying scores.

OUR OFFICE RECOMMENDS THAT YOU SPEAK WITH AN ACADEMIC ADVISOR BEFORE YOU REGISTER FOR ANY CLEP EXAM.

Scheduling a CLEP Exam at South Alabama 

  1. Register and submit payment for the CLEP exam fee through College Board.
  2. Submit payment for the test site fee (a test site fee is required for each exam).
  3. Submit your CLEP ticket and test site fee receipt on this Google Form.
  4. Once the Google Form is completed, please select the date and time that works best for you. (Testing will be closed for Thanksgiving, and winter break)

Testing Procedure

  1. Register your testing appointment with Student Academic Success by emailing the CLEP Primary Test Administrator, Erick Romero (clep@smcun.com) or call (251) 341-4966.

      2. On the Date of the Exam

  • Arrive 5 minutes early
  • Bring a current government issued photo ID with signature (such as driver’s license or passport)
  • If you do not currently have a parking pass at the University of South Alabama, please contact Parking Services to get a visitor's parking pass. Only park in the spaces labeled "Visitor". 
  • Testing Location:
    Center for Educational Accessibility and Disability Resources 

Exam Length

See specific exam title on College Board site for details.  Most exams are 90 minutes in length.

Note:

As of February 18, 2022, the University of South Alabama will no longer award credit for CLEP American Literature and CLEP English Literature.

Study Materials

CLEP Individual Exam Guides

Text book in appropriate subject area of test.

Fees

  1. Purchase CLEP exam from College Board.  Exam ticket will be valid for 6 months.
  2. Purchase testing appointment from Student Academic Success.  $30 fee is non-refundable/non-transferable.  If you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, there will be another $30 fee for the new appointment.

Retesting Information

As per College Board, you may not repeat an exam of the same title within three months of the initial testing date.  If you retake the exam within that three month time period, your administration will be considered invalid, your score will be canceled and any test fees will be forfeited.  For more information visit: clep.collegeboard.org.

CLEP Credit at South Alabama 

A student may receive credit from the General Examinations and certain Subject Examinations of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) as shown below. Official CLEP scores mailed directly from the CLEP division of the Educational Testing Service are required before credit will be awarded.

 

CLEP Exam 
USA Credit Awarded
 Hours Awarded Required Score 
Financial Accounting  ACC 211 3 hrs 50
General Biology  BLY 121/121L &
BLY 122/122L		 8 hrs 50
Natural Sciences-General  Biology & Natural Science Electives 8 hrs 50
Intro to Business Law BUS 265 3 hrs

50
General Chemistry  CH 131/131L &
CH 132/132L		 8 hrs 50
Intro to Microeconomics  ECO 215 3 hrs 50
Intro to Macroeconomics  ECO 216 3 hrs 50
College Composition  EH 101 & EH 102 6 hrs 50
Humanities-General  Fine Arts & Literature Electives 6 hrs 50
Western Civilization I:
Ancient Near East to 1648 - 		 HY 101
3 hrs
50
Western Civilization II:
1648 to Present 		 HY 102
3 hrs
50
U.S. History I:
Early Colonizations to 1877 		 HY 135
3 hrs
50
US History II:
1865 to Present - 		 HY 136
3 hrs
50
Precalculus MA 115 4 hrs 50
Calculus MA 125 4 hrs 60
College Mathematics  Math Electives 8 hrs 50
Intro to Marketing  MKT 320 3 hrs 50
American Government  PSC 130 3 hrs 50
Into to Psychology  PSY 120 3 hrs 50
Human Growth and
Development 		 PSY 250
3 hrs
50
Intro to Sociology  SY 109 3 hrs 50
Social Science & History  Social Science & History Electives 6 hrs 50
French  LG 111 & LG 112 6 hrs 50-59
French  LG 111, LG 112, and
LG 211		 9 hrs 60
German  LG 151 & LG 152 6 hrs 50-59
German  LG 151, LG 152, and
LG 251		 9 hrs 60
Spanish  LG 131 & LG 132 6 hrs 50-59
Spanish  LG 131, LG 132, and
LG 231		 9 hrs 60

 

Computer Science CLEP credit are awarded based on USA departmental recommendations. The University reserves the right to change the CLEP minimum scores and credit awarded based on recommendations by the College Board and University research.

Feel free to email records@smcun.com with questions regarding transfer credit to the University of South Alabama.