The Importance Of The CLEP Exam And How To Register

When choosing to return to school after a long time away from being in a classroom setting, you want to only spend as much time in the classroom as is necessary to further your degree or earn a new one.

That is why the CLEP Exam is so important for non-traditional students: These exams give you the chance to demonstrate your knowledge and earn college credit without entering a classroom. In essence, they can already give you some of the credit hours you need to earn that degree, eliminating some of the courses you would need to take to earn that degree, thereby cutting down on the time you need to be in the classroom to earn that degree.

This is extremely beneficial for non-traditional students, who usually hold full-time occupations and may even have families, including children, they are responsible for. Time is especially of the essence for them, as they need to earn those advanced degrees as quickly as possible so they can provide a better life for their families that much quicker.

It’s also nice to know that some of your work experience can count as college credit toward that advanced degree. 2,900 colleges grant credit and/or advanced standing for CLEP exams.

These exams can reward you for knowledge you have learned from independent study, non-credit adult courses, professional development, or life experience.

And these exams can save you money because the test costs $60, which is much cheaper than spending a few hundred to a few thousand for online courses you don’t have to take.

Not all colleges accept CLEP exams for credit, so double-check with your university before registering. Also, the credit given by those colleges that accept them for credit and the minimum qualifying score to attain that credit vary, so double-check before registering to know what you have to score on them and how many credits you will earn and still have to earn before earning your degree.

There is a three-step process to registering for an exam:

1. Select and contact a CLEP Test Centre near you — these are usually at college campuses throughout the United States and around the world. Contact the centre and find out about its registration procedure, service fee, testing schedule, and parking/transportation information.

2. Complete a Registration-Admission Form and mail it with your payment to the test centre. The payment includes the $60 test fee, as well as a non-refundable administration fee, which can vary depending upon the university — check with them on the specific cost.

3a. Request special accommodations if you have a learning or physical disability that would prevent you from taking an exam under standard conditions.

3b. Request special administration if you require a paper-and- pencil exam, as these exams are now administered on computers. Note that the cost of a paper-and-pencil CLEP exam is $120 and that you will not receive your results for two to three weeks after the testing date (you normally receive them immediately after completing the computer exam.)