CLEP Tests Give You College Credit for What You Know

FacebookTwitterPinterestEmailEmailEmailShare
Soldier Taking Exam

The College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP) helps you receive college credit for what you already know, for a fraction of the cost of a college course. Developed by the College Board, CLEP is the most widely accepted credit-by-examination program, available at more than 2,900 colleges and universities.

CLEP offers 33 exams in five subject areas, covering material taught in courses that you may generally take in your first two years of college. By passing a CLEP exam, you can earn 3 to 12 college credits.

The CLEP program is proud of its long standing relationship with the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) to provide CLEP exams to eligible military service members, spouses and civil service employees. DANTES funds one CLEP exam in each of the 33 subject areas for the following groups:

  • Military personnel (active duty, reserve, National Guard): Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, Army Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Navy Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve, Army and Air National Guard
  • Spouses and civilian employees of: Coast Guard (active and reserve). 

For additional examinations and others not covered by DANTES, there is an $89 charge per examination. This charge may be covered by the GI Bill.

The following is a list of exams listed by category and topic.

Business

  • Financial Accounting
  • Information Systems
  • Introductory Business Law
  • Principles of Management
  • Principles of Marketing

Composition & Literature

  • American Literature
  • Analyzing and Interpreting Literature
  • College Composition
  • College Composition Modular
  • English Literature
  • Humanities

Foreign Languages

  • French Language (Levels 1 and 2)
  • German Language (Levels 1 and 2)
  • Spanish Language (Levels 1 and 2)

History & Social Sciences

  • American Government
  • History of the United States I: Early Colonization to 1877
  • History of the United States II: 1865 to the Present
  • Human Growth and Development
  • Introduction to Educational Psychology
  • Introductory Psychology
  • Introductory Sociology
  • Principles of Macroeconomics
  • Principles of Microeconomics
  • Social Sciences and History
  • Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648
  • Western Civilization II: 1648 to the Present

Science & Mathematics

  • Biology
  • Calculus
  • Chemistry
  • College Algebra
  • College Mathematics
  • Natural Sciences
  • Precalculus

For more information, please visit the CLEP website.

Scores Automatically Added to Transcipts

When you take a CLEP test through your local DANTES education center, your test score is automatically entered into your Joint Services Transctript (JST) or your Community College of the Air Force (CCAF)/AFAEMS record for easy access by colleges at any time during your military career or even years after you have left the service. 

Keep Up With Your Education Benefits 

Whether you need a guide on how to use your GI Bill, want to take advantage of tuition assistance and scholarships, or get the lowdown on education benefits available for your family, Military.com can help. Subscribe to Military.com to have education tips and benefits updates delivered directly to your inbox.

Story Continues