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How can I test out of college credit?

CLEP exams allow you to prove your college-level knowledge of a subject--and potentially test out of courses if you score high.

By Sean-Michael Green, 8/17/09

One way to creatively earn college credits is through examinations, such as the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP).

More than 2,900 colleges and universities reward students who have successfully completed CLEP tests. The exams cover a variety of courses generally required by college programs during the first two years of study. Each exam costs $70 (members of the U.S. Armed Forces can take them for free), and successful completion of a single exam can save you hundreds of dollars in college tuition.

Another advantage to CLEP is that it may allow you to demonstrate your proficiency in certain areas. For example, your university may require that you learn a foreign language. a CLEP test can prove that you have already mastered a second language, and you may be able to avoid a series of courses in this subject.

Many people, however, make the mistake of thinking that CLEP and similar exams will be easy. As a result, they are unpleasantly surprised when they sit for the exams. The tests are used to grant college credit, and a college-level understanding of the subjects is required.

Find a list of exam subjects at collegeboard.com.

Sean-Michael Green is a former enlisted Marine; a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University; and the author of Marching to College: Turning Military Experience into College Admissions (Random House 2004).

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