With the cost of college on the rise, many students want to graduate as soon as they can. They have an opportunity to with the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), which allows students to receive credit for lower level classes so they can advance more quickly and graduate earlier.

CLEP tests are $77, and there is a registration fee of $25, so there is a price to this chance to graduate sooner. Many students have decided to find other ways to graduate early for a little less money or decide that the price isn’t worth the credit hours or the risk of failing the test (with no refund). Taylor Diaz, a sophomore English major from Dry Prong, chose to take her lower level Spanish classes instead of “CLEPing” out of them.

“I’m honestly glad I did take the courses, even though it meant I didn’t arrive in SPAN 2005 until sophomore year. I made the choice because I was a bit insecure if my Spanish skills would enable me to CLEP successfully, which I now know, they probably wouldn’t have.”

The CLEP exam is a good instrument but tests everything. -Dr. Ruth Smith

Dr. Ruth Smith, the head of the foreign language department, said, “We advise students on a regular basis to take the in-house placement test.  The CLEP exam is a good instrument but tests everything.  Of course, the drawback is that by passing the placement test for 1001 and 1002, they do not automatically receive credit.”

However, students can receive credit hours if they get an A or B in the next level and pay for the hours they tested out of. These placement tests are not limited to the foreign language department. There are tests for English and math as well. So, before signing up for a lower level course that you know you already understand, check out what other options are available.