CLEP Exams Offer Way For Undergraduate Students To Save Time And Money

Many students begin their college career knowing that they will need to complete both undergraduate and graduate degrees in order to enter their desired career. The thought of four years of college and two years of graduate school can be an overwhelming! In addition, four years of college tuition and two years of graduate school tuition can be pricey, even at a public university. More and more students are discovering how CLEP, College Level Examination Program, can save them both time and money while completing their undergraduate studies.

CLEP exams are standardized exams that students can take to demonstrate college level proficiency in a variety of subjects, such as history, English, math, and science. A satisfactory score on most CLEP exams can result in the student gaining between 3 and 6 credits. CLEP exams cover material taught in college classes that students typically take in the first two years of college. For example, the Introductory Psychology CLEP test covers material typically taught in an introductory level undergraduate psychology class. By taking the Introductory Psychology CLEP test and earning a satisfactory score, students may be able to earn 3 college credits and avoid having to take their semester-long introductory level psychology class. Taking even one of the 34 different CLEP exams offered by the College Board, the company that oversees CLEP, can save time and money. Each CLEP test costs less than $100 to take, a huge savings compared with the average price of tuition for the 2008-2009 college year, $1047 per credit at private universities and $274 per credit at public colleges!

The time savings associated with CLEP tests are equally impressive as the monetary ones. By taking CLEP exams to meet certain degree requirements, students save time driving to, attending, and studying for class. In addition, students who take CLEP exams are often able to begin taking exciting, degree-specific, upper level courses and may even graduate sooner. By using CLEP tests to meet lower level undergraduate degree requirements, students may be able to shave one or more semesters off of their undergraduate studies. These time-saving measures will help the student remain motivated and experience less burnout.

Students can study for CLEP tests during their summer break or while managing their regular semester course load. Although the thought of preparing for a CLEP test can be daunting, students should know that many students who take CLEP exams had little or no knowledge of a subject prior to when they began to prepare for the test. A variety of excellent resources exist to help students to prepare for CLEP tests. These resources are designed for students with all different learning needs and learning styles and varying degrees of background knowledge.

Students may choose from a variety of methods to prepare for the CLEP, such as using college textbooks, study guides, practice tests, and online study systems.

Students will often find that their academic advisor will be able to assist them in learning about their specific college's CLEP policies. With over 2,900 colleges and universities granting college credits to students who earn satisfactory scores on CLEP tests, students are likely to find that they can use this amazing program to accelerate their undergraduate degree completion and be one step closer to graduate school and their desired career.

Students considering taking CLEP tests should first talk to their academic advisor to find out the specific college or university's CLEP test policies. Each college or university accepting CLEP test credits has different courses they allow each CLEP test to count toward.