Policy Considerations

Establishing Your CLEP Policy

Setting and maintaining your CLEP policy is a key part of helping students make the most of their college experience.

Your CLEP policy can reward students with a broad range of skills and reinforce your institution’s academic standards.

Use the sample CLEP policy below as a guide to setting your own.

Questions to Consider When Setting a CLEP Policy

• Which exams does your institution recognize for credit?
• For each exam, what is the minimum credit-granting score? See credit recommendations from the American Council on Education below.
• How much credit is granted for each exam? In some cases, students may earn more credit for a higher score on the same exam.
• What are the equivalent courses for each exam?
• What type of credit is granted for each exam? For example, does the credit granted for CLEP satisfy major requirements, core requirements, or general education requirements? Is course exemption granted for a successful score?
• Are there any time restrictions for accepting this credit?
• How many credit hours can be earned through credit by exam (for all exams taken and for each exam)?
• Is your CLEP policy comparable to your policy for accepting credit transferred from another institution?
• What documentation do you require in order to accept CLEP credit transferred from another institution?
• How often is your policy evaluated or revised?
• What office or department is the key contact for questions about this policy?
• Has your CLEP policy been posted prominently on your institution's website and in the catalog?

Questions About Maintaining Your CLEP Policy

• Is your advising team informed of your institution's policy?
• How are changes to your policy communicated to students and staff?
• Where is your policy posted? Is it readily accessible to students and staff within the institution as well as to prospective students?
• Do you have clearly outlined transfer articulation agreements with partner institutions?

World Language Credit for Native and Heritage Speakers

CLEP lets students demonstrate college-level competency in a variety of subjects, regardless of where they learned the subject matter. Native and heritage speakers who have grown up speaking, reading and writing in their home language and/or have attended language schools may already have the skills taught in first- and second-year college courses. The College Board strongly recommends that institutions provide these students the same opportunity as nonheritage speakers to demonstrate their learning and earn college credit.