College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a credit-by-examination program that measures a student’s level of comprehension of introductory college-level material and consecutively earn college credit. The CSU requires a passing score of at least 50 on the CLEP exam. Each campus in the CSU system determines how it will apply external examinations toward credit in the major. For students not already certified in GE (General Education) and/or American Institutions, the campus also determines how to apply credit from such exams toward the local degree requirement.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)	Passing Score	Minimum Semester Credits Earned¹	Semester Credits Toward GE Breadth Certification	American Institutions and/or GE Breadth Area²	Removal Date for GE Breadth³
CLEP American Government	50	3	3	D8
CLEP American Literature	50	3	3	C2
CLEP Analyzing and Interpreting Literature	50	3	3	C2
CLEP Biology	50	3	3	B2
CLEP Calculus	50	3	3	B4
CLEP Chemistry	50	3	3	B1
CLEP College Algebra	50	3	3	B4
CLEP College Algebra - Trigonometry	50	3	3	B4
CLEP College Composition	50	0	0	n/a
CLEP College Composition – Modular	50	0	0	n/a
CLEP College Mathematics	50	0	0	n/a
CLEP English Composition (no essay)	50	0	0	n/a
CLEP English Composition with Essay	50	0	0	n/a
CLEP English Literature	50	3	3	C2	F11
CLEP Financial Accounting	50	3	0	n/a
CLEP French⁷ Level I	50	6	0	n/a
CLEP French⁷ Level II	59	12	3	C2	F15
CLEP French⁷ Level II	59	9	3	C2
CLEP Freshman College Composition	50	0	0	n/a
CLEP German⁷ Level I	50	6	0	n/a
CLEP German⁷ Level II	60	12	3	C2	F15
CLEP German⁷ Level II	60	9	3	C2
CLEP History, United States I	50	3	3	D6+US-1
CLEP History, United States II	50	3	3	D6+US-1
CLEP Human Growth and Development	50	3	3	E
CLEP Humanities	50	3	3	C2
CLEP Information Systems and Computer Applications	50	3	0	n/a
CLEP Introduction to Educational Psychology	50	3	0	n/a
CLEP Introductory Business Law	50	3	0	n/a
CLEP Introductory Psychology	50	3	3	D9
CLEP Introductory Sociology	50	3	3	D0
CLEP Natural Sciences	50	3	3	B1 or B2
CLEP Pre-Calculus	50	3	3	B4
CLEP Principles of Accounting	50	3	0	n/a
CLEP Principles of Macroeconomics	50	3	3	D2
CLEP Principles of Management	50	3	0	n/a
CLEP Principles of Marketing	50	3	0	n/a
CLEP Principles of Microeconomics	50	3	3	D2
CLEP Social Sciences and History	50	0	0	n/a
CLEP Spanish⁷ Level I	50	6	0	n/a
CLEP Spanish⁷ Level II	63	12	3	C2	F15
CLEP Spanish⁷ Level II	63	9	3	C2
CLEP Spanish with Writing I⁷	50	6	0	N/A
CLEP Spanish with Writing II⁷	63	9	3	C2
CLEP Trigonometry	50	3	3	B4	F06
CLEP Western Civilization I	50	3	3	C2 or D6
CLEP Western Civilization II	50	3	3	D6

For more information on the CSU's External Exam policy download a copy of the CSU Systemwide Credit for External Examinations in PolicyStat.

¹These units count toward eligibility for admission. The units may not all apply toward certification of the corresponding GE-Breadth area. See Executive Orders 1036 and 1100 for details.

²Areas of GE Breadth (A1 through E) are defined in EO 1100. Areas of American Institutions (US-1 through US-3) are set forth in Sections IA and IB of EO 1061, and at assist.org.

³Students seeking certification in GE Breadth prior to transfer must have passed the test before this date.

⁴If a student passes more than one AP exam in calculus or computer science, only one examination may be applied to the baccalaureate.

⁵Students who pass AP Environmental Science earn 4 units of credit. Tests prior to Fall 2009 may apply to either B1+B3 or B2+B3 of GE Breadth. Fall of 2009 or later, those credits may only apply to B1+B3.

⁶If a student passes more than one AP exam in physics, only six units of credit may be applied to the baccalaureate, and only four units of credit may be applied to a certification in GE Breadth.

⁷If a student passes more than one CLEP test in the same language other than English (e.g., two exams in French), then only one examination may be applied to the baccalaureate. For each test in a language other than English, a passing score of 50 is considered “Level I” and earns six units of baccalaureate credit; the higher score listed for each test is considered “Level II” and earns additional units of credit and placement in Area C2 of GE Breadth, as noted.