High School Students Can Earn College Credits Through AP and CLEP Exams

Many high school students have the opportunity to take AP (Advanced Placement) Courses. In these courses, students learn college-level material in subjects such as English, United States History, and Biology. Upon completion of the AP course, students are able to take a standardized AP exam that evaluates their college-level proficiency. For instance a student who takes AP English his senior year in high school is able to sit for the AP English exam at the end of the school year. Depending on the score he or she achieves on the exam, the college or university that the student attends after high school graduation may grant credits to the student. AP exams provide students with an excellent opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school. Students who are interested in earning college credits using the material they learned in high school AP courses should also know that they can also take CLEP exams to earn credits toward their college degree.

Unlike AP exams, which require the student to have completed the AP course prior to taking the exam, CLEP exams do not have any prerequisite requirements such as completion of a specific course. CLEP, College Level Examination Program, exams evaluate students' college level proficiency of material in subjects such as history, science, English, and business. Over 2,900 colleges and universities grant credits to students who achieve satisfactory scores on CLEP tests. Students can earn between 3 and 6 credits for a satisfactory score on over 30 different exams. With certain exams, such as the Spanish and French CLEP exams, students can even earn as many as 12 credits based on their CLEP test score.

In addition to not requiring a course prerequisite, CLEP exams are different from AP exams in several other areas. Most CLEP exams are computerized and timed (most are 90 minutes long), although students with special learning needs can apply for a pencil and paper and/or untimed test. AP exams are all paper-and-pencil timed tests. While high school students often sit for their AP exam at their high school and usually take the test at the same time as their classmates, students can take their CLEP test at any of the 1,300 testing centers across the U.S. and abroad. In addition, students can take a CLEP test when their schedule best permits. Students generally take their AP exam in April or May of the course's spring semester and will receive their AP exam score by mid July. With CLEP exams, students receive their score immediately after completing the computerized test.

Students who take AP courses can maximize the full potential of the knowledge learned from these courses. For instance a student who takes the AP English course in high school is likely to have an excellent understanding of literature and highly developed composition skills. When the material from the AP course is fresh on his or her mind, the student can take one or more composition or literature CLEP exams such as the Analyzing and Interpreting Literature, American Literature, and/or English Literature CLEP exams. Even if he or she does not receive a high enough AP exam score to receive college credit, the student is likely to earn a satisfactory CLEP test score and earn college credits. In the event of satisfactory AP and CLEP test scores, the student will receive even more credits toward his or her future undergraduate degree.

CLEP exams offer an amazing educational opportunity for high school students to earn college credits before beginning their freshman college semester. Earning credits through AP and CLEP exams can allow students to save time, money, lighten college semester course loads, move on to more interesting courses, and even graduate sooner.

Students interested in taking CLEP exams should first consult with the college or university academic advisor for more specific information on CLEP test policies and procedures.