The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams are designed to measure what you have learned through informal study, reading, travel, and work, and then equate this knowledge with what students usually learn during the first year of college study. When you earn credits through CLEP exams, you can move directly to more advanced classes. This helps you complete your college education more quickly and at a lower overall cost.
In the College of General Studies, you may earn up to half the credits you need to graduate—60 credits of the required 120—by earning a combination of 3 to 6 credits on each of the 5 general examinations and 3 to 9 credits on certain subject examinations. Be sure to note the scoring requirements in the table below for the test to count for credit.
CLEP Exams Accepted
The chart below lists the CLEP exams (both general and subject exams) that are accepted by the College of General Studies, the minimum score required, and the number of credits and course equivalent received as advanced standing.
| General Exams | Minimum Score | Credits | Course Equivalents | CGS General Education (pre-Fall 2018) or Electives | CGS General Education (Fall 2018 and later) or Electives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College Composition | 50 | 3 | ENGCMP 0200 | Writing | Writing |
| College Composition Modular | 50 | 3 | ENGCMP 0200 | Writing | Writing |
| Humanities | 50 | 3 | INTERDIS 0000 | Humanities | Literature or The Arts |
| College Mathematics | 50 | 3 | MATH 0025 | Mathematics | Algebra |
| Natural Sciences | 50 | 6 | INTERDIS 0000 | Natural Sciences | Natural Sciences |
| Social Sciences and History | 50 | 6 | INTERDIS 0000 | Social Science; History | Social Science; History |
| Subject Exams | Minimum Score | Credits | Course Equivalents | CGS General Education (pre-Fall 2018) or Electives | CGS General Education (Fall 2018 and later) or Electives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Government | 50 | 3 | PS 0200 | Social Science | Social Science |
| U.S. History I | 50 | 3 | HIST 0600 | Social Science; History | Social Science; History |
| U.S. History II | 50 | 3 | HIST 0601 | Social Science; History | Historical Analysis |
| Western Civilization I | 50 | 3 | HIST 0100 | Social Science; History; International Perspective | Historical Analysis; Specific Geographic Region |
| Western Civilization II | 50 | 3 | HIST 0101 | Social Science; History; International Perspective | Historical Analysis; Specfic Geographic Region |
| Introductory Sociology | 50 | 3 | SOC 0010 | Social Science | Social Science |
| Principles of Macroeconomics | 50 | 3 | ECON 0110 | Social Science | Social Science |
| Principles of Microeconomics | 50 | 3 | ECON 0100 | Social Science | Social Science |
| American Literature | 50 | 3 | ENGLIT 0570 | Humanities; Literature | Literature |
| English Literature | 50 | 3 | ENGLIT 0000 | Humanities; Literature | Literature |
| Analyzing & Interpreting Literature | 50 | 3 | ENGLIT 0300 | Humanities | Literature |
| Biology | 50 | 6 | BIOSCI 0150 and 0160 | Natural Science | Natural Science |
| Chemistry | 50 | 6 | CHEM 0110 and 0120 | Natural Science | Natural Science |
| Introductory Psychology | 50 | 3 | PSY 0010 | Natural Science | Natural Science |
| Educational Psychology | 50 | 3 | PSYED 1001 | Elective | Elective |
| Human Growth & Development | 50 | 3 | PSY 0310 | Natural Science | Elective |
| Pre-Calculus | 50 | 3 | MATH 0000 | Mathematics | Algebra |
| Calculus | 50 | 3 | MATH 0120 | Quantitative & Formal Reasoning | Quantitative & Formal Reasoning; Algebra |
| College Algebra | 50 | 3 | MATH 0031 | Mathematics | Algebra |
| Financial Accounting | 50 | 3 | BUSERV 1920 | Elective | Elective |
| Introductory Business Law | 50 | 3 | LEGLST 0000 | Elective | Elective |
| Principles of Management | 50 | 3 | BUSERV 1915 | Elective | Elective |
| Principles of Marketing | 50 | 3 | BUSERV 1940 | Elective | Elective |
| Information Systems | 50 | 3 | INFSCI 0010 | Quantitative Reasoning | Quantitative Reasoning |
| French Language, Level 1 | 50 | 3 | FR 0101 | International Perspective | Second Language |
| French Language, Level 2 | 63 | 6 | FR 0101 & FR 0102 | International Perspective | Second Language |
| German Language, Level 1 | 50 | 3 | GER 0101 | International Perspective | Second Language |
| German Language, Level 2 | 63 | 6 | GER 0101 & GER 0102 | International Perspective | Second Language, Specfic Geographic Region |
| Spanish Language, Level 1 | 50 | 3 | SPAN 0101 | International Perspective | Second Language |
| Spanish Language, Level 2 | 63 | 6 | SPAN 0101 & SPAN 0102 | International Perspective | Second Language |
Policies for Accepting CLEP Credits
- You must have graduated from high school at least 2 years ago or be at least 20 years of age.
- You may take as many of the CLEP general exams as you wish, from 1 to 5. However, the maximum number you can schedule in one day is four.
- The CLEP general exams must be taken before you have completed 60 college credits. The 60 credit limit includes courses taken at the University of Pittsburgh, credits taken at another college or university, and other credits received by examination. Credits earned through CLEP general exams may not duplicate credits received from other sources.
- The CLEP subject exams must be taken before you have completed 90 college credits. The 90 credit limit includes courses taken at the University of Pittsburgh, credits taken at another college or university, and other credits received by examination. Credits earned through CLEP subject exams may not duplicate credits received from other sources.
- Students may earn up to 3 CLEP credits for ENGCMP 0200 through the College Composition or the College Composition Modular general exam. The remaining 6 writing credits must be taken at the University of Pittsburgh.
- The number of credits that students may receive from both CLEP and two-year colleges are 60 credits (it cannot exceed this amount). For instance, students who earned 60 credits from a community college are ineligible to earn additional CLEP credits.
- When you select a College of General Studies major, you will need to take courses to satisfy requirements for that major, as well as those for specific knowledge and skills. You should plan to take the introductory courses in your major area as well as the other courses specified regardless of credits earned through CLEP.
- Several other colleges and schools at the University of Pittsburgh accept CLEP credits. However, policies regulating the acceptance of CLEP credits for each school vary. Upon admittance to a different school or college at the University of Pittsburgh, a re-evaluation of your CLEP credits will be done.
- A CLEP award may be re-evaluated for students re-admitted to the College of General Studies who were inactive for two full years or more.
How to Schedule and Take Exams
Step one: It is highly recommended that you meet with your College of General Studies academic advisor before registering for an exam to ensure that the CLEP exam(s) taken will count for degree requirements and will not duplicate course work. To make an appointment with your academic advisor, call 412-624-6444.
Step two: To learn more about CLEP exams and available topics, visit the College Board website. *Be sure to check the sections about military students and the CLEP out challenge on the College Board website, if applicable.
Step three: To schedule a CLEP exam at Pitt's Testing Center, complete the Request Form. You must bring your admission ticket and photo ID to the Testing Center on your test date.
The CLEP fee is $90 per test when purchased from the College Board. The University of Pittsburgh service fee is $25 per test; make your check payable to your testing site (fees may vary by testing site).
University of Pittsburgh
Testing Center
Room G33, Cathedral of Learning
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
412-624-7215 or tests@pitt.edu
Step four: Learn what to expect on the exam. The College Board Web site has the most accurate information about the material covered in both the CLEP general exams and the CLEP subject exams. You may find the practice guides, which include sample tests, to be helpful as you prepare for an exam.
Obtaining Your Score
Your scores are reported only to you, two weeks after testing. Allow at least seven weeks to receive your score for the general examination in English composition with essay. To have your scores sent to schools, employers, or certifying agencies, an identification code is required. To have your scores sent to the University of Pittsburgh College of General Studies, select University of Pittsburgh College of General Studies (code 2927) on the Internet test site.
This Information is current as of February 18th, 2019. Contact a College of General Studies academic advisor for further details prior to taking any CLEP exam.