The Many Time Saving Benefits of CLEP Tests

Anyone who has been a college student understands just how much time, effort, and money goes into earning an undergraduate degree. A variety of factors can influence the amount of time a student spends in college, such as course load, financial situation, and life occurrences. Any or all of these factors might force a student to take fewer courses, drop out of a college class, or take a leave of absence from college coursework. College Level Examination Program (CLEP) can benefit students who find themselves in a situation that alters their college plans. If a student does not have the time or money to fulfill the requirements for a particular subject for one reason or another, a CLEP exam may be a much-needed educational tool.

CLEP exams allow students to earn credits toward general education courses, courses students typically take in the first two years of college. These tests are available in a variety of subjects such as business, foreign language, mathematics, science, and history. Students can earn between three and six credits by obtaining a qualifying CLEP test score. ACE, the American Council on Education, recommends a minimum score and a set number of credits for each CLEP but ultimately, each college or university accepting CLEP exams determines the score requirements and credits granted. Students should speak with the college academic counselor to learn more about if and how their college or university grants credits for CLEP exams.

Another benefit of CLEP is the low cost of each test compared to the tuition fees associated with taking the corresponding college course. Each CLEP test costs $72 to take, which is far less than the $1000+ in tuition and books that a normal college class could easily cost. Students can save a large amount of money by obtaining the same college credit through CLEP exams, a much more affordable means.

The time required to prepare for any one CLEP exam is often times far less than it takes to attend and study for the actual class. In fact, if the student is motivated enough, she can actually finish preparing for the CLEP tests in few days to a few weeks, depending on previous knowledge, the test’s difficulty level, the student’s learning abilities, and the student’s time available to study.

Another benefit of the CLEP test program is that students no longer have to worry about making up any dropped classes during summer break. Rather than wasting those hot summer months in a classroom, students can spend a little time preparing for a CLEP exam and then hit the beach. In addition to benefitting students who drop classes, CLEP exams can also benefit students who want to get ahead on their studies or lighten future semester course loads. Although taking a CLEP test during summer, winter, or fall break may seem like the last thing a student would want to do, the long-term benefits are well worth the short-term sacrifice!

CLEP tests allow for students to rid themselves of hours and hours of attending, studying for, and commuting to general education courses so that they can concentrate more on exciting degree specific courses that are interesting, challenging, and motivating. Using the CLEP program can even allow students to graduate at a much sooner date, which then in turns gives them the opportunity to travel or have some leisure time before entering the workforce or go ahead and enter the workforce earlier than their peers.