I’m currently a community college student and I want to study computer science when I transfer to a 4 year college. Recently I learned about clep exams and was thinking about taking the calculus clep to earn college credit. I was wondering is the clep exam worth it?
What do you lose?
You have to make sure the college you want to apply to will accept CLEP credit for that particular exam. Go on College Board’s website. You will be able to click on the link and find out which colleges accept which CLEP credits.
Verify at the web sites of the colleges of interest. The College Board web site sometimes has errors.
If your college accepts the credit, absolutely! I went to a HS (in the 70’s) that offered only one AP class. I took CLEP tests and earned 24 credits, plus my 3 for the AP and 3 for placing out of English 101 and I had a full year of credit and didn’t have to take any math or science in college at all!
I am hoping that S17 can CLEP out of math as well. He likes science so that’s not an issue.
I took the CLEP decades ago and placed out of intro psychology and got 3 credits. I also took a placement exam for Spanish and got 13 credits or more for completing one 2nd semester, 2nd year Spanish conversation course.
I agree, I’d confirm with the U you will be transferring into to be sure they will accept it & then I’d take it.
Provided you can earn credit and/or advanced placement and/or eliminate a specific requirement, then by all means take that CLEP test. Check the credit-by-exam policies at your CC and at the places you would apply to transfer to.
Are there any free practicing tools online?
No idea. Youreally need to check out the college board website. There is a sub forum in the test prep forum about CLEP. Go there and see if you can find any info.
I’ve been studying for the clep for a day now and to be honest I haven’t taken a calculus course or a clep exam yet. Is still studying for it a good idea?
It’s easier to check on your college’s website as to which CLEPs (if any) they accept, what scores are needed, and how much credit they award you. That’s obviously the first step. It’s definitely worth doing CLEP tests for things like general education requirements etc. On the other hand, I wouldn’t try to CLEP out of a subject that is going to be critical for your major. For example, a pre-med shouldn’t try to CLEP out of biology. It’s fine to CLEP out of math as long as you’re solid in what you need to know math-wise for any further math you’ll be doing in college. In other words you don’t want to CLEP out of Calc I in you’re weak in math and need a solid foundation before Calc 2, that sort of thing.
My son took honors Psychology as a senior, and is planning to take the Psychology CLEP test this summer so he can get the 3 credits, and also so he can skip the large introductory Psychology class at the college level. We haven’t gotten his scores back from AP Gov and AP Micro, but if for some reason he does not get at least a 3, then he could potentially CLEP either of those too. (We’re expecting 3 or better on those tests though).
One area of uncertainty is Spanish. He hasn’t taken that since sophomore year, and I’d have no idea how he’d do if he attempted to CLEP that. Anybody have an experience doing that?
The Spanish CLEP is shorter and a bit simpler than the Spanish AP Language exam, and a bit longer and tougher than the SAT II Spanish exam. Pop by the public library and pick up exam prep books for all three exams and let him try them. The CLEP is administered on computers, so make sure your S knows about that too.
I can’t imagine attempting to CLEP out of cal if you haven’t taken a cal course. My dd took the cal CLEP and didn’t really need to study for it bc she took it after a cal course. Same with all of the other exams she has taken. She might review for a few days with free CLEP materials like Instacert (just Google CLEP prep), but an actual course is her foundation.
Our son CLEP-ed out of an American History course. I wish he’d done more of those exams for humanities credits. I would not have him do them for critical tracking courses in his major (Computer Science/Engineering), mainly because I want him to have a solid foundation in math/science.
It really depends on the individual student.
The idea behind the CLEP exam is that you generally have done very well in that subject through high school and you therefore don’t need Intro level courses in that subject in college. It isn’t to replace what you have not yet learned.
If you haven’t done the subject yet @RollooOfTheNorm , studying for a day is not going to work.
I did 15 credits of CLEP’s and saved a lot of money. I haven’t been in high school for decades 
And I took two CLEP’s in subjects I have never studied.
I think the best use of CLEP’s is to fulfill general education requirements.
For any subject in your major or related to your major, I would not use a CLEP. Computer science involves a lot of math and has a set sequence of courses. Coming into a 4 year program from community college poses challenges for that reason. I would meet with someone at the school you will be attending to get advice on how to jump in midway in their CS sequence. If you have already studied calculus, a CLEP might be appropriate. But be aware that a good foundation will help you with later math courses related to CS.
@Lindagaf I plan on taking the clep next month if I can so I’m still studying for it as of now. By the way I am planning on majoring in computer science and have a foundation in algebra. Would it be a better if i just take the algebra clep then?
I am soooo the wrong person to ask about anything math related. Maybe @mathmom knows?
@RollooOfTheNorm What math courses have you actually taken? Have you taken alg 2, trig, and precal? Are you taking a math class at the CC? How long ago was your last math class taken?
Do you have a good sense what the university requires in terms of math (i.e., the university where you want to transfer from CC)?
If you mean should you CLEP out of College Algebra - yes, possibly, depending on how solid that foundation is.
Not a math person either, but my son is and from him I have learned that math builds on itself. That being said, my son had a super high grade in College Algebra (took it as a dual enrollment student) - something like 99.7%. He probably could have CLEP-ed that and been fine.