College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP)

College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP)

CLEP

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. Earn qualifying scores on any of the 33 introductory-level college subject examinations and accelerate your education. The exams are administered at 1,800 test centers, and 2,900 colleges and universities including Macomb Community College.

Please be aware that the examination fee is administered by CLEP. Apart from our proctoring fee, students are responsible for the cost of the exam, which is directly charged by CLEP, typically ranging between $90-$100 per exam. For the most up-to-date information on exam fees, refer to CLEP's official website.

  1. Read the short overview of how you can earn college credits and achieve your academic goals sooner with CLEP.
  2. Read the College Board’s in-depth descriptions of all CLEP exams.

What's the CLEP like?

  • Computer-based
  • Approximately 90-120 minutes
  • Typically includes multiple-choice questions; may also have questions that are long-answer or essays.
  • Points are given for correct answers and not deducted for wrong ones.
  • You can take retake the exam again, but you must wait three months before you can register.

CLEP for Military Personnel

Eligible veterans can receive full reimbursement for CLEP exam and administration fees from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. More information about benefits available to veterans can be found on the CLEP website. Military personnel must present military ID. Retesting will no longer be funded. However, service members may personally fund a retest after waiting six months.

Who is Eligible for DANTES-Funded CLEP Exams?

Macomb Community College's CLEP Credit Granting Policy

Macomb Community College awards credit for successful scores on 32 CLEP exams. Each college, however, reserves the right to set its own credit granting policy, which may differ from that of ACE, so how much credit you will receive for each CLEP exam you take and the score you have to achieve to get that credit or exemption may vary by institution.

If you haven't already done so, contact your college as soon as possible to find out the score it requires to grant credit, the number of credit hours granted, and the course(s) that can be bypassed with a satisfactory score. When transferring, credits will be evaluated by the receiving institution.

Macomb Community College's Credit Granting Scores

For CLEP exams completed before July 1, 2001, contact the Enrollment Office for Equivalency Information.

There is no limit to the number of CLEP examination credit hours that can be earned at Macomb Community College, however, for degree issuance, fifteen (15) credit hours have to be earned through Macomb Community College. Students may not repeat an exam within three months of the testing date. CLEP exams repeated earlier than three months will be canceled and your test fees will be forfeited.

Macomb Community College CLEP Credit Granting Policy is subject to change without prior notice.

Registration

Macomb Community College's South Campus is a national and military-friendly CLEP testing site that administers all CLEP exams, EXCEPT optional essays for American Literature, Analyzing & Interpreting Literature, College Composition Modular and English Literature. Any individual, including military personnel, who properly registers may take the CLEP examination at Macomb — enrollment at the college is not required.

  1. Create an account or log in to the College Board's registration portal.
  2. Find out the recipient code number for the institutions you want to send your scores to using the College Board's Institution Policy database to find the numbers. (Macomb Community College's recipient code number: 1722)
  3. Schedule a examination appointment with Macomb's Testing Center at 586.445.7400. Seating is limited, so we encourage you to register early!
  4. Pay Macomb's nonrefundable administration fee of per CLEP exam (subject to change). The Testing Center accepts payment via debit, credit, or MacombOne card on the payment portal.

    NOTE: Military-funded CLEP candidates are not required to pay the administration fee. Learn more about DANTES-funded CLEP testing. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs only covers the first exam you take (per subject); however, service members can personally fund a retest after three months.

Preparing for Your Test

Test Date Reminders

  • Report to Macomb Community College's South Campus J Building, Room 305-8 at your scheduled appointment time. South Campus is located at: 14500 E. Twelve Mile Rd., Warren, MI 48033
  • Students must bring the following on the date of their test:
    • The CLEP Voucher (registration ticket)
    • Receipt for Macomb $25 test administration fee (paid through Acceptiva).
    • A government-issued photo identification with test taker’s full name (exactly as it appears on the registration ticket), signature and recent, recognizable photo. Examples of acceptable forms of ID include: Driver’s license, State ID, Military ID or passport. If the student is a minor, then the College Board Student ID Form must be used and notarized. Note: Student/college ID cards are not acceptable forms of identification.
  • Cell phones, calculators, PDAs of any kind, beepers, alarm watches, books, papers, and food are not allowed in the testing room. A calculator is provided if your exam permits you to use one.
  • Candidates with disabilities who require accommodations must make arrangements well in advance of the test date at 586.445.7400 or testing@macomb.edu.

Recommended Resources

  • CLEP Sampler — Download free demo of Computer-Based CLEP Testing software.

Available for loan or on reserve at South Campus Library:

  • CLEP Official Study Guide: 2010
  • CLEP Official Study Guide: 2011
  • CLEP Official Study Guide: 2014
  • CLEP Official Study Guide: 2015
  • CLEP Official Study Guide: 2018

Available for loan at Center Campus Library:

  • CLEP Official Study Guide: 2012
  • CLEP Official Study Guide: 2013
  • CLEP Official Study Guide: 2015

Scores and Transcripts

Upon completion of the test, an instant score report will be provided by the test administrator. The only exception to instant scoring is the College Composition CLEP examination, for which results are sent within two weeks of scoring.

What Your CLEP Score Means

Each college reserves the right to set its own credit-granting policy. Contact your institution to find out the score it requires to grant credit, the number of credit hours granted, and the course(s) that can be bypassed with a satisfactory score.

Macomb Community College's Credit Granting Scores

For CLEP exams completed before July 1, 2001, contact the Enrollment Office for Equivalency Information.

Score Reports and Transcripts

Individuals who indicate, at the time of registration, which college, employer, or certifying agency that they want to receive their CLEP test scores will incur no additional cost — the exam fee covers one transcript.

Contact CLEP if you did not indicate a score recipient institution at the time of your exam and you want to order a CLEP Transcript. The transcript will include all CLEP exams taken and the scores you earned in the last 20 years. The current fee is $20 per transcript. The current fee for Military personnel is $30 per transcript.

Macomb Community College cannot provide CLEP transcripts. Should you request that Macomb receive a copy of your CLEP test scores, the Enrollment Office will evaluate if you received a credit granting score and adjust your Macomb transcript accordingly.

Contact Information

Reach out to the Macomb Community College Testing Center via email (testing@macomb.edu) or phone (586.445.7400) for questions or additional information about:

  • Exam registration
  • Rescheduling/canceling your exam, or arriving late on exam day
    Applicants are strongly encouraged to arrive just prior to their scheduled testing time, however, we understand unforeseen circumstances may cause for late arrival or cancellation. If possible, our Learning Center Testing Staff will do their best to accommodate any last minute requests.
  • Using Acceptiva to pay administration fees
  • Requesting special accommodations
  • Credit-granting policies at Macomb Community College
    Individuals requesting that their CLEP scores be sent to other institutions need to contact that institution for their policies.
  • Directions to test site

Contact CLEP for questions or additional information regarding:

  • Request special administration
    For individuals that require a paper-and-pencil CLEP exam administration.
  • General information
  • Transcripts
  • Reporting a problem with a test administration or test question
  • Feedback