“But mum, I don’t want to go to school today”…well, you may not have too…
So, did you know you can earn between 3-12 credit hours just for taking one test…and they usually only cost between $75-$100? And most fully accredited schools will accept this test? Yep, it’s all true.
What is a CLEP/DSST Test?
The CLEP tests are tests on college subject matter, mostly lower level (check with your school) that, if passed (usually with a 50 or better) prove you know enough about a chosen subject matter to be given credit as if you had taken the course itself. DSST tests are similar and simply fill in the subject matter “gaps” left by CLEP tests and contain more “upper level” (300-400) tests.
Caution…Many schools have an in-house upper level requirement…meaning you have to take a majority of your 300-400 level classes on campus and cannot transfer these credits to the school. Check with your advisor before taking an upper level CLEP/DSST test.
Will these tests affect my G.P.A.?
No, CLEP and DSST tests do not in any way affect your GPA. They are pass/fail tests that are counted as transfer credit.
How many can I take?
It depends on your school and how much transfer credit they will allow. Many schools will allow between 60-90 credits of transfer credit, so one could easily knock a full 2 or even 3 years of off your college.
How much do they cost?
Once again, it depends on your school. Typically a CLEP test costs around $72 but your school is allowed to charge extra “sitting” fees for allowing you to take the tests on their campus. Check with your advisor.
Exceptions to the rule?
The biggest “exception to the rule” is in regards to the foreign language CLEP tests. Whereas other tests are pass/fail, foreign language are “super pass”/pass/fail. If you “super pass” a foreign language CLEP (63% or above) you get 12 college credits at most schools. If you pass (62%-50%) you still get 6 credit hours.
Is there more information?
Of course! Around the Web is about helping you find information on the web. The best resource I have found on the subject is Free CLEP Prep. They have a ton of great, free, resources to help you learn about and pass many CLEP/DSST tests. I would check them out first.
You can also check out your local colleges website and check with your advisor as well.
In Conclusion
The bottom line is if you are a decent test taker, scoring a 50% on a test shouldn’t be a challenge if you study for a solid 3-5 days on most subjects. You can literally knock out two years of college in a matter of 6 months or less and for a fraction of the cost.
I admit you don’t get as much out of it if you simply study for and pass a test and in lieu of sitting in a classroom…but for many people taking these tests will help them get to where they want to be a lot quicker and cheaper than paying someone thousands of dollars to lecture them for an hour, three days a week.
